Mayor Fails to Convince Police on Wage Issue

Mayor Roger Hedgecock faced a room full of hostile San Diego police officers Thursday and told them why the City Council could not afford to give them more than a 5.5% raise.

When he finished, nearly two hours later, the Police Officers Assn. decided to ask the council to reconsider next Tuesday its decision on police salaries.

If that effort fails--and it is expected to--POA President Ty Reid said the association will take its case to the voters.

The POA plans to ask the City Council to place an initiative on the November ballot that would require that police salaries in San Diego be on a par with those in other major California cities. And if the council at its meeting June 21 refuses to put such an initiative on the ballot, Reid said, officers will circulate petitions.

“We’re committed that we’re going to upgrade salaries and benefits for San Diego police officers as quickly as possible,” Reid said.

Although Reid had predicted Wednesday that police might strike, by Thursday evening he had rejected that idea. An initiative drive “is more beneficial than any negative job action,” he said. “Is a strike out of the question? I hope so.”

San Diego police officers say their officers have the highest on-the-job mortality rate in the nation but are paid 9% to 20% less than officers in other major law enforcement agencies in California. Mid-level police officers in San Diego earn $27,435 a year and are to earn $28,943 a year in fiscal 1985-86.

Instead of the 5.5% raise the council has approved for police officers in the next fiscal year, POA officials are seeking a two-step increase--5% on July 1 and another 5% on Jan. 1. That would bring salaries up to par with those in Los Angeles, San Francisco--and even San Diego County.

Police officers lined up behind a stand-up microphone at the Scottish Rite Center auditorium in Mission Valley Thursday to make that point to the mayor.

“I can’t believe our budget is that tight,” one officer said. “I’m hearing news about the convention center and all that. . . . My only question is why should I stay here and make $800 less (than a police officer in Los Angeles) and have a higher chance of being killed?”

Another added, “A lot of police officers can’t afford to buy a house or live in the city they’re trained to protect. Give us at least 5% now and 5% in six months to show us a good-faith effort.”

Hedgecock, his voice quiet but firm, tried to explain. Police had been given the largest raise of any city employee group, he said. Although the council would have liked to have spent more, he noted, the council’s spending on salaries is restricted by a voter-approved limit that Hedgecock doesn’t agree with--Proposition J.

“Do you think I want to stand up here and want to talk to a lot of angry police officers instead of announcing a 15% pay raise?” Hedgecock said. “But it’s something in the budget that on balance has to be done.”

More than 350 police officers listened skeptically, some with arms folded, as Hedgecock fielded questions. “Politician’s double talk,” one officer muttered.

For all the acrimony, there were moments when the mayor and the police officers were in agreement of sorts. When one officer suggested amending the City Charter to allow binding arbitration, Hedgecock recalled that he had worked for that when he was a county supervisor, “but the voters said no.”

“I welcome you to the mud-wrestling pit of modern politics,” Hedgecock said. “There’s Proposition 13, Proposition J . . . These things are real . . . and we are bumping up against them and if you can get that changed, I’m with you.”

At another point, police officers claimed that they lacked proper equipment, including bulletproof vests, radios, flashlights and handcuffs. Hedgecock promised to look into that problem.

Even if the council could not meet officers’ salary demands, Hedgecock said, the council is committed to “listening to each of you, people who are sincere, who are frustrated, who are dedicated to the job.”

Although the POA had invited the entire City Council to meet with its members, only Hedgecock came. He told the audience that other council members would have liked to attend but the state’s Brown Act forbids a majority of the council from meeting unless it is an officially announced public meeting. Many officers did not accept that explanation, however, saying they did not believe the rest of the council cared to meet with them.