Council Fails to Override Bradley’s Veto of Two Deputy Police Chiefs

Police Chief Daryl F. Gates’ allies on the Los Angeles City Council failed Friday to muster the votes needed to restore two deputy police chief positions vetoed by Mayor Tom Bradley.

After another spirited debate on the issue that has dominated this year’s budget review, the council voted 6 to 7 on whether to override the veto--four votes short of the 10 required.

Gates, who earlier had expressed irritation at the veto and stalked out of the council chambers last week when his request for additional deputy chiefs was criticized, did not attend the session. One aide said he would not be available for comment until next week.

The addition of the deputy chiefs was a compromise with Gates, who has been trying to recover four of five deputy chiefs eliminated as a cost-cutting and efficiency measure by the council and mayor four years ago. Bradley and some council members had argued that police brass positions should give way to more patrolmen in the streets.

Jobs Added

The two deputy chiefs were added to the mayor’s proposed budget by the council last week on an 8-5 vote, the minimum required for approval.

Trying to muster support for an override, Councilman Hal Bernson, chairman of the Police, Fire and Public Safety Committee, charged Friday that critics were using “the big lie” tactic by claiming that the choice was “brass versus police on the street.” He said the additional deputy chiefs would be funded largely by cutting other administrative positions. He said Gates should be given the right to manage his department as he desires.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, chairman of the Finance and Revenue Committee and a strong critic of Gates’ request, reacted angrily. He said the chief was trying to turn the debate into a “question of loyalty” and using “blackmail” by threatening to shut down two regional bureau offices if he did not get the deputy chiefs.

“The mayor and the City Council run this city,” he told Bernson.

Backed Move

Voting to override the mayor and add the deputy chiefs were council members Bernson, Robert Farrell, John Ferraro, Howard Finn, Joan Milke Flores and Joel Wachs. Voting to support the mayor’s veto were Yaroslavsky, Richard Alatorre, Ernani Bernardi, Marvin Braude, Dave Cunningham, Michael Woo and Council President Pat Russell.

In its final approval of the $2.36-billion 1986-87 budget, the council was also unable to override Bradley’s veto of an additional Fire Department battalion chief position. The council extended utility and business taxes that were adopted as temporary measures three years ago to help weather a post-Proposition 13 budget crisis.

The city has become dependent on the taxes, with the levy on utility bills expected to generate $292 million in 1986-87--the city’s second-largest source of income.