Top LAPD Officials Criticized for Lack of Modernization Plan

City officials studying the Los Angeles Police Department’s shortage of up-to-date crime-fighting tools criticized top police brass Monday for failing to develop a long-term plan for modernizing the department.

Police administrators acknowledged the need for a modernization plan but said they are hesitant to propose it because such efforts have always been rejected for lack of funding.

At a special meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, police used videotapes and charts to show how outmoded equipment and turn-of-the century filing systems have hampered their ability to fight crime.

“On the information superhighway, we are on a dirt road,” said Police Sgt. Mike Moore, who testified about the need for modern radios and portable computers for beat officers.

Halfway through the presentation, Councilman Marvin Braude, who chairs the panel, criticized police officials, saying he would fight to fund the department’s modernization plan if only police officials would submit it.

“When are we going to see what the plan is?” he asked police officials. “The problems are overwhelming. We need answers now.”

Police agreed that a comprehensive plan is needed and vowed to work on the problem.

“The simple fact of the matter is, we don’t have a comprehensive plan,” said William F. Russell, commanding officer of the LAPD’s support services bureau. “We have bits and pieces of plans that have been developed over the past 15 and 20 years, but nothing has been brought forward to update all those plans, to bring them all together and to focus them as a long-term strategy.”

Councilwoman Laura Chick, a vocal supporter of the modernization effort, suggested that the city form a police task force, headed by a private consultant, to develop a modernization plan.

But Braude tabled the item for two weeks, saying he wanted to discuss the matter further with top LAPD brass.

After the meeting, police said they have not proposed a modernization plan because they feared the City Council would reject it for lack of funds.

Russell said a modified plan that was proposed about five years ago was killed because the city could not afford it.

The problem, according to Danny Staggs, head of the police union, has been that the City Council does not want to be put in the politically embarrassing position of rejecting a modernization plan for lack of funds.

“No one wants to take responsibility,” he said.

But Staggs and Russell agreed that the council is now more inclined to invest in the Police Department because of the election of pro-police Mayor Richard Riordan and four new council members, including Chick.