LOS ANGELES : Woo Urges Alternatives to Cuts in Fire, Police Services
City Councilman Michael Woo on Wednesday proposed that Los Angeles stave off cuts in police and fire services proposed by Mayor Tom Bradley by reducing the city’s reserve fund or taking money from an account used to build parking lots.
Woo’s proposal was in response to a budget amendment released last week by Bradley that would continue a hiring freeze and reduce the Police Department to 7,671 officers, 229 under currently authorized staffing, by the end of June. Attrition would also eliminate 56 firefighters’ jobs in the Fire Department.
Woo, who has announced his candidacy to replace the retiring mayor, said the council should find the $15 million needed to retain current staffing. Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, another potential mayoral candidate, argued that the city’s reserves and the parking lot fund are not proper sources of funds to pay for permanent staff positions.
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