NORTH HILLS : Charge for Excessive Police Calls Urged

A North Hills man who wants businesses to pay for excessive use of police resources is generating some interest from police.

Dex Morris, co-founder of AARMED (Americans Against Robbery and Murder through Education and Defense), is pushing for the City Council to adopt his plan that penalizes businesses that attract crime.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Morris said Tuesday. “You either charge them for sending police out or they clean up the crime around the business. Either way, it allows additional police to go into the residential areas and should allow better response time for calls.”

Under the proposal, city officials and police would determine how many calls per year businesses identified as heavy users of law enforcement services should be allowed, based on their property tax. According to police, 26% of the annual property taxes that Los Angeles businesses now pay is used for police protection. A response call from a patrol car costs $96 an hour.

For example, a business identified as originating excessive police calls, and which paid $4,000 annually in property taxes, would only be allowed about 10 police calls per year. With some exceptions, businesses would be charged for additional police calls at up to 300% of the hourly cost, or $288.

Although Morris’ plan has been rejected by City Councilman Joel Wachs after consultation with the city attorney’s office, Deputy Chief of Police Mark Kroeker has recommended further study.

Kroeker has also expressed some reservations that the plan could hurt businesses that already are doing their share of crime fighting, and at least one business leader agreed.

“I think it could backfire on you,” said Flip Smith, president of the Sepulveda Boulevard Business Watch. “If I were here and I saw a traffic accident or a hooker getting beat up, I’d call right away. But if I thought I was going to get charged for one more call, I wouldn’t call anybody.”