Special Tax for More Police

Councilman Farrell’s proposal to tax residents in some parts of South Los Angeles an average of $11.75 a month to pay for 300 more police officers makes good sense. It’s a better deal than the monthly fee of $35 per household the residents in our area (and many others) pay to have a private 24-hours-a-day patrol.

The armed-response patrol has made a difference. Home and vehicle burglaries were a regular occurrence here until we were forced to face up to the fact that the only time we’d see a City of Los Angeles patrol car was after the fact--after a crime had been committed.

We hope that the same rationale that suggests adding a monthly tax for added police would also offer tax credit to those who have found it necessary to pay for private patrols.

MARIA DENKER

Studio City