Long Beach faces possible police layoffs
At least 15 to 20 police officers who patrol the streets of Long Beach could be laid off if a stalemate in negotiations between the city and the police union continues, city officials said Tuesday.
Payroll cuts to the Police Department are among the most contentious of the $18.5 million in budget reductions the City Council was trying to iron out in hearings Tuesday evening. The council delayed finalizing budget cuts until next week.
The proposed cuts touch on nearly every department in Los Angeles County’s second-largest city, including libraries, parks, the health agency — even the municipal band. The budget also calls for reining in administrative costs and contracting out such positions as painters, locksmiths, carpenters and crossing guards.
About $11.3 million in cuts would come from asking city employees in many departments, including police and fire, to forgo scheduled pay raises or face more severe job losses. Long Beach’s fiscal year runs from October to October.
The police union has opposed giving up its scheduled pay raise. If negotiations do not resolve the impasse by Sept. 15 — the city deadline for working out a budget plan — the more severe of two plans would go into effect, eliminating 76 police officer positions through attrition, retirement and layoffs.
The number of sworn officers would drop to 867, which police administrators believe may require 15 to 20 layoffs, said Braden Phillips, the department’s administrative bureau chief.
That would be a significant reduction from two years ago, when the city funded 1,020 officers, he said.
“I’ll do everything possible to avoid any officer being laid off,” Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Tuesday before the council meeting.
McDonnell hopes to achieve the potential reductions through retirements and other forms of attrition. He said that will mean being creative with department budgeting to allow people to leave as they usually do throughout the year. The department averages about 30 departures annually.
If the police union agreed to forfeit pay raises, fewer positions would be eliminated and layoffs would be unnecessary.
Long Beach Police Officers Assn. President Steve James did not return phone calls or an e-mail seeking comment.
Mayor Bob Foster said reducing public safety budgets is necessary because cuts would be debilitating if they fell entirely on city services such as parks, libraries and street repair.
“The Police Department is nearly 50% of the budget, so if we have to make reductions, they have to bear their share of it,” he said.
Councilman Gary DeLong said city officials advised him that, worst case scenario, at least 27 officers could face layoffs.
“At this point, it appears that the police union leadership is out of touch with most of their members and the current economy,” DeLong said.
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