What we must do to make L.A. safe

At the time I became president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, crime was on the rise, officers were leaving the department in record numbers and the LAPD was operating under the cloud of the Rampart corruption scandal.

Today, as I step down from the post, crime is down, public support for the LAPD is up and morale within the ranks is high. Despite these successes, there are some important steps that must be taken to make the city safer, so that Chief William J. Bratton doesn’t have to do his job with one hand tied behind his back:

* Add more police officers. Los Angeles has only one officer for every 400 residents, while New York City has one for every 220 residents. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa rightly wants to hire 1,300 more officers, which the city estimates would cost $130 million per year -- but budget cuts alone will not cover the cost. Sooner or later, the city must accept that we will need to find additional revenue, such as an increase in the sales tax, to pay for these new hires.

* Keep the flexible work schedule. In 2001, the LAPD was losing more officers than it was hiring; the force had shrunk to impossibly low levels. No step was as critical to reversing this trend as implementing the flexible work schedule, under which officers can work three 12-hour shifts or four 10-hour shifts a week. It made the LAPD competitive with surrounding departments. Rolling it back, as some have urged, would be disastrous for officer recruitment, retention and morale.

* Complete the federal consent decree. The LAPD has made great progress meeting the goals of the decree imposed by the U.S. Justice Department because of the Rampart scandal. But key pieces, such as systems to track citizen complaints and keep tabs on problem officers, are still not in place. City Hall must ensure that the LAPD has the resources it needs to meet the goals for accountability and transparency.

* Ensure the independence of the Police Commission. For many years, people viewed the commission as a rubber stamp of the LAPD, rather than an independent-minded civilian overseer of the department. Former Mayor James K. Hahn’s commitment to the commission’s independence allowed us to set policy and work with the department to ensure that it was implemented. We must stay on this course to ensure public confidence in the LAPD, particularly in instances when the department must investigate itself, as in police shooting cases, or most notably, Rampart.

* Promote and demand cooperation between the police union and the police chief. In the past, the union and the chief have often been at loggerheads over key issues such as disciplining police officers, setting work schedules and community policing, which has officers walking and driving into neighborhoods. More recently, a cooperative approach has helped remove tensions so problems can be identified and addressed.

* Support a second term for Bratton. He has set high goals for the LAPD and has met nearly every one. Los Angeles is much safer than when he began his job -- the LAPD is a more transparent organization, community relations are being restored and morale among the rank and file is higher than ever.

Finally, we need to keep in mind that every day we ask the men and women of the LAPD to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our community. It is the hardest job there is, and at all levels, from the mayor’s office to the citizen on the street, they deserve our respect and support.