Few Favor Idea of Replacing Police Force With Deputies : Law enforcement: Mayor proposes investigating the idea of reducing city’s budget shortfall by hiring the Sheriff’s Department. Response from various city officials is very negative.

A proposal by Mayor Barbara J. Hayden that could save beleaguered Downey millions of dollars a year has City Hall up in arms.

Hayden wants to investigate whether the city, which is facing a $1.5-million budget shortfall, could save money by dissolving its Police Department and hiring sheriff’s deputies to patrol Downey streets.

But so far, Hayden’s idea is getting a cool reception.

Two city council members say they oppose even studying the idea. City Manager Gerald M. Caton says it would be a big mistake to make a switch.

Downey Police Chief D. Clayton Mayes fired off a memo to the city manager, stating his “unequivocal opposition” to hiring deputies, and a spokesman for the Downey police officers union argued that it’s better for law enforcement to remain under “local control.”

Hayden was out of town late last week and could not be reached for comment. But earlier, she told the Press-Telegram that the council should discuss the issue at a Jan. 21 budget review meeting.

Critics of the idea, however, said they want to keep a department that has been set up to deal with the city’s specific law enforcement needs.

Caton said the city, which already has imposed a freeze on hiring and salaries this year, could find other ways to resolve its problems with the $34.5-million budget. “The last thing the council should look at is contracting out (for police services),” he said last week.

The city charter requires that Downey have its own police department, and voters would have to approve any charter amendments.

Downey has had its own police force since 1957. It will spend nearly $15 million this year on the Police Department, which has 123 sworn officers.

Hayden noted that nearby Norwalk, which has 3,000 more residents than Downey’s 91,000 population, spends about $6 million a year to hire the Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services.

The Sheriff’s Department assigns exclusively to Norwalk two sergeants, 45 deputies--including two deputies assigned to combat gang activity--and two narcotics investigators, said Kevin Gano, the city’s public safety officer.

A captain and other supervisory personnel at the sheriff’s Norwalk station supervise law enforcement in Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada and parts of Whittier.

Councilman Robert G. Cormack was one city official who said he favored the mayor’s proposed study. “We have to look in every direction for every dime we can find,” he said.

Cormack said he, Hayden and other city officials have been approached over the years by Sheriff’s Department representatives who said they could provide first-rate law enforcement services for less money.

But many city officials and other Downey residents consider the Police Department an asset that sets Downey apart from surrounding communities.

Councilwoman Diane P. Boggs said she received about half a dozen calls urging her to keep Downey’s Police Department.

“We have control over our department,” said Boggs, whose son, Garth, is a Downey policeman. “I don’t want to start chopping the Sheriff’s Department, but sometimes too big is hard to manage.”

Councilman Robert S. Brazelton is opposed to even studying a possible change.

“I wouldn’t even want to spend staff’s time looking at it,” Brazelton said. “I’d be against it unless it got down to a point of dire budgetary consideration. That juncture has not arrived.”

The fifth council member, Dick Carter, was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Police Chief Mayes said city officials should not try to cut corners in the area of law enforcement. “I think that we have an excellent department,” Mayes said in an interview. “We’re working toward crushing crime, and we need to put all our efforts into that.”

A spokesman for the Downey Police Officers Assn. said the loss of local control over law enforcement was the main reason for his opposition to hiring sheriff’s deputies. Sgt. Mike Hadley said he is not concerned about loss of jobs because Downey officers would probably be hired on by the Sheriff’s Department if the change were made.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Pat Hunter said “it would be premature” to discuss costs and other issues associated with a changeover because Downey has not made a formal inquiry.

Other cities in the area have either hired, or considered hiring, sheriff’s deputies to take over law enforcement activities from police departments.

In December, 1989, Cudahy canceled its contract with the Police Department in neighboring Bell and hired the Sheriff’s Department. Cudahy pays the Sheriff’s Department more than it paid Bell, but it receives more manpower, as well as sheriff’s anti-drug and anti-gang programs.

Long Beach hired sheriff’s deputies in November, 1990, to patrol north and northeast sections of the city at least temporarily to help the understaffed city Police Department.

But now, faced with budgetary problems, Long Beach officials are considering whether to dissolve the Police Department and hire the Sheriff’s Department to patrol the entire city.

A Jan. 7, 1992, memo from City Manager James Hankla to council members said the proposed changeover “appears to provide a potential for savings.”

Last year, Bell Gardens officials considered abolishing their Police Department and contracting with the Sheriff’s Department, which would have saved an estimated $1.5 million a year. But they dropped the matter after the city’s Police Department received strong support from residents in an advisory ballot measure last September.