Police Panel Seeks 6 for Staff : Government: The commission says its aides are overburdened and that the new members are needed immediately. An exemption from the city’s hiring freeze is at issue.

The Police Commission’s staff is overburdened and in immediate need of at least six new positions to carry out the panel’s job of overseeing the Los Angeles Police Department, a member of the commission told a special City Council committee on Wednesday.

“These new staff members will help us get our heads above water,” Police Commissioner Jesse Brewer said during a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee that is reviewing recommendations for overhauling the 8,300-member department. “We feel this is critical to us right now.”

Ad Hoc Committee Chairman Marvin Braude said the request, which has already been approved by the city administrative officer and the chairman of the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee, would be considered by the full City Council on Friday.

Specifically, the commission is seeking an exemption from the city’s hiring freeze for three management analysts, a personnel analyst and two clerk-typists, according to a report prepared by the city administrative officer.

“Sufficient savings are available in the Police Department’s general salary account to finance these positions for the balance of the fiscal year,” the CAO report said. The report did not say what the positions would cost.

The five-member commission currently relies on a commanding officer, an executive officer and two analysts--a staff that the Christopher Commission determined is inadequate to properly investigate complaints and conduct audits of department operations.

“The whole commission staff could car-pool,” quipped Frank Piersol, its commanding officer.

In its report on Police Department operations, the Christopher Commission said the Police Commission needs at least 15 additional civilian management auditors, computer-systems analysts, investigators and attorneys to help handle grievances and assist in handling use-of-force, discipline and budget issues.

The report also recommended a new high-level position of chief of staff, which would require an amendment to the City Charter. Such an amendment is expected to go before voters in June, city officials said.

Pending results of the June ballot measure, Brewer said, the five-member commission needs the additional positions to keep from getting bogged down in time-consuming “minutia” such as “massage parlor permits and dance hall permits.”

“Our staff would be able to review what the department has done and give us an independent analysis and recommendation,” Brewer said. “Right now, we are completely dependent on the Police Department for information.”