A Better Way to Get More Police

Public safety is a citywide concern, so the subject of additional police officers is popular at Los Angeles City Hall. Mayor Tom Bradley and most members of the City Council want to hire more officers, but they disagree on how many the city can afford.

The mayor recommended 100 rookies. The council approved, and money was allocated in the budget that is under consideration. The council also approved a second group of 100 new officers--but designated only enough money to cover the expense for six months, under the theory that more money would be found later.

The mayor exercised prudence when he vetoed the second increase. Approval would have committed the city to a major expense of $5 million per year. How would the second 100 new officers get paid after the six-month allocation ran out, the mayor asked, especially if Los Angeles loses millions of dollars of federal revenue-sharing money, as he fears it will?

Los Angeles needs a police force larger than the current 6,900, but the budget can cover only so much without major sacrifices in other areas. A better way to pay for a major increase--1,000 new officers--is the special property tax that voters are asked to approve on the June 4 ballot.

If the tax passes, the average homeowner will pay less than $5 a month to cover the costs of hiring 1,000 new officers over the next five years--a huge expense expected to run to approximately $56 million for training, salaries, benefits, pensions, equipment and squad cars.

Without the special tax the city cannot afford a major police expansion without shortchanging other city responsibilities. The council had shifted money designated to replace old, unmarked police cars with 90,000 miles on them to pay six months of expenses for the second 100 new officers. The mayor’s veto preserves the money needed for the new cars.

The City Council is scheduled to consider overriding Bradley’s veto today. The politicians could spend their time better by campaigning for a better way to pay for more police--Proposition 1, the special property tax.