Pressing Questions on LAPD Await Riordan’s Answers

There was a lot of decorating and paper hanging going on in Mayor Richard Riordan’s office Friday.

Although City Hall workers brushed a new coat of paint on some long-neglected hallways, the mayor took charge of papering over the many obstacles awaiting his most important campaign promise--to add 3,000 officers to the Los Angeles Police Department by the end of his four-year term.

Riordan had summoned reporters to a news conference supposedly to discuss this crucial mandate. Flanked by Chief Willie L. Williams, Riordan said he had directed the chief to come up with a plan within 60 days for beefing up the department. But before reporters could ask him more than a couple of questions, press aide Dan Blackburn ended the session.

It was like a page from Riordan’s campaign, making promises . . . with details to come later. But the campaign is over. This is the time for details, and there was much that could have been discussed at the news conference.

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First, do we actually need more police? If the department is expanded by 3,000 to Chief Williams’ goal of 10,500, will there be less crime?

Although I’ve read studies to the contrary, common sense says that if we put more cops on the street, L.A. will have less crime. I like to see cops walking the beat, cruising by in patrol cars and riding horses and trail bikes. I agree with professors James Q. Wilson and Richard J. Herrenstein, who wrote in “Crime and Human Nature”: “We intuitively know that a burglary is less likely to occur when a police officer is watching than when his back is turned. . . .”

Although this point was debated at City Hall a few years ago, there is now a general consensus favoring Police Department expansion. A contrary view wouldn’t get any sympathy in the Riordan Administration or in the City Council.

What Chief Williams and Mayor Riordan have to decide is how to accomplish this.

For the long range, obstacles are formidable. The just-passed state budget reduces state aid to Los Angeles by at least $23 million. But to enlarge the LAPD, the city will need immediate money for a big recruiting campaign.

Attrition at the tough Police Academy is high. One city fiscal expert told me that dropout rates sometimes reach two-thirds of a class, although that number has been declining recently. In addition, retirements, resignations and firings continue to reduce the size of the force. So to reach the Riordan-Williams goal of 10,500, many more than 3,000 rookies will have to be recruited. And that’s expensive.

During the campaign, Riordan said he would pay for the expansion by leasing Los Angeles International Airport. But opposition in Congress and in the City Council makes that an undependable source of money.

The quickest way to put more cops on the street would be to increase overtime and accelerate Chief Williams’ policy of transferring routine desk jobs from the uniformed force to civilians.

But overtime costs can easily soar out of control. And the cops can work to exhaustion. Finally, overtime doesn’t increase the size of the department.

Another quick fix was suggested by a City Hall budget expert. He told me the city could contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 100 deputies to come over and work for the LAPD. With the county in worse financial shape than the city, the Sheriff’s Department could earn money by renting out its officers. But rivalries between the departments probably would kill that sensible idea.

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These are tough issues, and there are more. Williams’ determination to move cops from day desk jobs into the streets on nights and weekends will no doubt meet plenty of opposition within the department. Do you know anybody who likes to work weekends?

The chief, not wanting another Rodney G. King beating, is toughening LAPD discipline. Under William Violante’s leadership, the Police Protective League has spent large amounts of money defending cops facing charges. Now a deputy mayor, will Violante work against Williams?

In his first news conference, Riordan escaped answering these questions. But before long, Angelenos will be joining the press in wanting to know the answers.