WEST HOLLYWOOD : Proposal to Create Police Force Wins Ballot Spot
A proposal urging creation of a West Hollywood police department won a place on the Nov. 3 ballot Monday after the City Council decided to ignore advice that the measure is legally flawed.
Though opposed to the measure, council members voted 4 to 0 to put it on the ballot rather than risk angering the more than 4,500 residents who signed petitions. City Atty. Michael Jenkins has said the measure would not stand up in court. The city employs the Sheriff’s Department at a cost of about $8.4 million annually.
Supporters of the measure stressed the need for local control while citing a report by a panel headed by former Judge James G. Kolts that harshly criticized the Sheriff’s Department. Opponents, who argue that a switch could bankrupt the city, singled out other parts of the report praising community policing efforts in West Hollywood and said it is the wrong time to abandon attempts to reform the department.
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