Power of the Mayor Exaggerated

THE AD: The spot opens with mayoral candidate Tom Houston standing in front of a graffiti-splattered wall, saying: “As mayor of Los Angeles, I’ll do something about gangs, starting with the two gangs of illegal aliens who murdered 100 of our citizens last year. I’ll have them picked up and deported. Why hasn’t this already been done? Because the City Council tied the hands of our police and ordered them not to help immigration officials arrest and deport gang members. As mayor, I’ll override the City Council and get these gangs off our streets.”

THE ANALYSIS: The Los Angeles Police Department is not authorized to apprehend immigrant gang members unless they are wanted for a crime, Lt. John Dunkin said, referring to a city policy that prohibits the department from conducting investigations solely into someone’s immigration status. Houston is unable to verify his claim that two gangs of illegal aliens committed 100 murders last year. He said the figure was a “best estimate” provided unofficially by a variety of law enforcement officials. Houston, former chief of staff to Mayor Tom Bradley, also exaggerates the power of the mayor in claiming that, as the city’s chief executive, he would “override the City Council and get these gangs off our streets.” Under the City Charter, the mayor’s formal powers are severely limited. Virtually all of the mayor’s actions can be overridden by the City Council. Finally, the city policy was supported by the Police Commission.