Gates Makes His Point; Regains 2 Deputy Chiefs

A sharply divided Los Angeles City Council on Monday voted to restore two deputy police chiefs it eliminated in a streamlining of Los Angeles Police Department brass three years ago.

The action, a compromise from the restoration of four deputy chiefs sought by Police Chief Daryl Gates, followed a heated session in which Gates called one councilman’s criticism “baloney” and stormed out of the council chambers.

The 8-5 vote came during the council’s day-long review of Mayor Tom Bradley’s proposed $2.36 billion 1986-87 budget. It means means the LAPD will be able to maintain deputy chiefs over four bureaus in the Central, South, West and San Fernando Valley areas, according to Assistant Police Chief David Dotson.

Gates has argued that the department’s four authorized deputy chiefs are not adequate to manage the 7,000-officer police force. Without additional chiefs, he has proposed a major consolidation of the top command of the city’s four regional bureaus into two--a plan that had drawn criticism from the city Police Commission and some council members.

The compromise, drafted by Councilman Hal Bernson, partially funds the restoration of the two deputy chiefs by eliminating two other high-ranking positions, a civilian administrator and a commander. The net increase in spending for the deputy chiefs would be $67,820.

Appearing before the council, Gates said two more deputy chiefs “isn’t what we need” but he called it a “great compromise.”

That drew a quick reponse from Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, chairman of the Finance and Revenue Committee, who poked fun at the idea that Gates given much ground. He said the council was “going to cave in” at the “moment of truth” in trimming police department management. He said the council could afford to put six more police officers on the street for the $290,000 per year cost of maintaining two deputy chiefs. “I support more cops on the street,” Yaroslavsky said.

Gates called those comments “baloney” and said the cost increase under the compromise was far less than the figures cited by Yaroslavsky. Deputy chiefs are needed because each bureau handles some $80 million in public funds, he said. “The leadership they provide will be worth five or six or 10 officers.”

“I don’t want to listen to this nonsense...if you don’t want to vote it, fine,” he said, before rising and walking briskly out of the council chambers.

Councilman Robert Farrell said he was “offended” by Gates’ abrupt departure. Bernson said he was “disappointed.” Nonethless, Bernson said the compromise would “keep a proven system that has worked” and permit the police chief to “run his organization as he sees fit.”

Afterward, a spokesman for Gates said he was unavailable for comment but pleased by the council vote.