Halloween Police Deployment Protested
The Los Angeles police union is protesting a plan by Police Chief Daryl F. Gates to assign more than 400 additional officers to patrol Hollywood on Halloween night, claiming that the deployment violates a court order issued last week forbidding Gates to force changes in officers’ work hours.
Gates sought to put more police power on the streets to prevent a repeat of the near-riot that erupted last Halloween among almost 100,000 revelers on Hollywood Boulevard.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League had sought the court order to prevent Gates from implementing a separate deployment plan that would require more than 700 non-uniformed police officers--including narcotics and vice officers and high-ranking brass--to don uniforms and go out on patrol twice a month.
Union attorney Patrick Thistle contends that the plan violates state guidelines requiring negotiation with the union on involuntary changes in work hours or conditions.
But Cmdr. William Booth, LAPD spokesman, said the temporary restraining order does not apply to the Halloween assignments.
“We have to deploy heavily on Halloween based on last year’s experience,” Booth said.
Thistle said the union intends to go back to court today or Monday to extend enforcement to prevent the Halloween night deployment.
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