SANTA ANA : Council to Consider ‘4-10’ Plan for Police

The City Council will consider a proposal next Monday to offer police officers a four-day, 10-hour work schedule and a plan that would help pay for it--establishment of a lighting and landscape assessment district that would increase taxes for each homeowner by an average of $35 annually.

According to a city staff report, the “4-10” proposal for police officers would require the hiring of 15 more officers and would cost approximately $1.3 million for manpower and equipment.

The proposed assessment district would bring in nearly $3 million to be used to maintain the city’s 13,000 street lights and 23 acres of median landscaping, according to the city staff. The city’s general fund currently pays for the maintenance. Homeowners and business owners would pay increases in property taxes of between $13 and $39, depending on their location.

With the establishment of such a district, the extra money from the general fund would then be allocated to the Police Department to pay for the “4-10” plan.

According to an assessment district report commissioned by the city, Santa Ana has had problems with the increasing cost of maintaining its lighting and landscaping.

“Traditional methods of raising revenue are being re-evaluated, and revenue-producing programs which may prove unpopular may have to be considered,” the report said.

During the adoption of the 1989-90 budget in September, the council asked the city staff to develop a “4-10” plan for the police, as well as a plan establishing the lighting and landscaping assessment district.

Don Blankenship, president of the Santa Ana Police Benevolent Assn., which represents 351 rank-and-file police officers, said the council ought to support the “4-10” plan because it would attract more officers to Santa Ana.

“This is a way to cut down the frustration level for the officers,” Blankenship said. “Recruitment will be a whole lot easier with this kind of plan.”

Blankenship said his organization has been trying to get a “4-10” plan in the city for a decade now.

Mayor Daniel H. Young, who favors studying the “4-10” plan, said he opposes the establishment of the assessment district.

“It’s suicidal. There’s going to be a tax revolt in the city” if the assessment district is approved, Young said.