Giuseppe "Joe" Buscaino (born ) is an American politician and former police officer, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 15th district from 2012 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Buscaino served as President pro tempore of the council from 2020 to 2021.
Buscaino was an early entrant into the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, and qualified for the ballot after nearly a year of campaigning. He dropped out of the race on May 12, 2022, after polling at only 1% of the vote, and endorsed Rick Caruso.
Early life and education
Buscaino is the son of Italian immigrants. He graduated cum laude, with a B.A. in communications from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2000.
Law enforcement career
Prior to his election to the City Council, Buscaino served as a police officer for fifteen years with the Los Angeles Police Department. He created the LAPD's Teen Community Police Advisory Board, which was implemented citywide in 2011.
Los Angeles City Council (2012–2022) Buscaino was elected to the 15th district on January 17, 2012 to fill the vacancy left by Janice Hahn, following her successful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives. Buscaino was re-elected on March 5, 2013, to a full four-year term with 83.09% of the vote. On March 7, 2017, Buscaino won re-election again with 74.85% of the vote.
Following his election, Buscaino was appointed by the city council president to serve as chairman of the Public Works Committee. The committee has oversight of the Department of Public Works, and its Bureaus of Sanitation, Street Services, Street Lighting, Engineering, and Contract Administration. The Department of Public Works is the city's third-largest department and has a staff of more than 5,000 employees, who are responsible for the construction, renovation, and operation of City facilities and infrastructure. The department also installs sewers, constructs storm drains, and builds the city's streets, as well as public buildings, rights-of-way, and service facilities.
Other committee assignments include Public Safety, which includes the LAPD, LAFD and Emergency Management; Trade, Travel & Tourism, which includes the Port of LA, Los Angeles World Airports and the LA Convention Center; Economic Development which includes Economic and Workforce Development Department, Transportation which includes LADOT and the Board of Referred Powers.
15th Council District
Buscaino represents the 15th Council District which is made up of five communities Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, San Pedro, Watts, and Wilmington as well as the Port of Los Angeles. In 2013, the 15th Council District had a population of 275,486 people.
Watts
In 2015, Buscaino successfully lobbied for the creation of Watts Serenity Park, a 1.13 acre parcel of land that was previously vacant and often the site of drug use and violent crimes. The $5 million project provided a safe space for community recreation with play equipment for kids, a Fitness Zone® exercise area for adults, and a skate park.
Buscaino also pushed for the renovation and re-opening of the 109th Street Pool and Rec Center in July 2016. A $4 million project that created 18 jobs, the area now offers residents the option of using a baseball diamond, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, tennis courts, a multipurpose sports field, and the 109th Street Pool, complete with a splash pad for younger children.
In March 2015, Buscaino also announced the 103rd St. Streetscape Improvement Project, which utilizes $1.25 million in METRO funding to ensure an improved experience for pedestrians using the 103rd St. blue line stop. Improvements to the streetscape include: 5 irrigated landscaped median islands, a gateway monument, access ramps, trash receptacles, benches, bicycle racks, way-finding signage, high visibility crosswalks, and sidewalk improvements.
Buscaino plans to use part of the $2 million in Green Streets funding given to the 15th District to make improvements to the historic Watts Towers area. These improvements aim to revitalize the area by planting hundreds of new trees, repaving sidewalks, repairing and replacing lights, and investing in the development of the Watts Towers Cultural Crescent.