Council OKs Plan for Police Trust Fund

The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan Tuesday to establish a trust fund for private donations given to police in the northwest San Fernando Valley district of Councilman Hal Bernson.

Bernson, who suggested that the city establish the fund, has already promised to donate $16,000 to the account to help police pay for overtime, new equipment or other expenses.

Bernson’s contribution comes, in part, from $11,000 in campaign contributions that the city’s Ethics Commission ordered the councilman to repay to the city. Bernson argued that he received the money three years ago without knowing that it was funneled to him illegally and said he would instead donate the contributions to police in his district.

The Ethics Commission said Bernson’s plan to donate the $11,000 to police satisfies its request to repay the money.

The other $5,000 that Bernson has pledged was money that he was scheduled to receive from a 5% pay raise that he and other elected city officials were scheduled to get Jan. 1.

Other council members said that they liked Bernson’s idea for a trust fund and that they may ask the city attorney to establish similar accounts for police in other districts.