Sharp Rise in Officer Resignations Troubles Police Commission : Law enforcement: The number who have quit the department quadrupled over last four years. Many who left cited concerns over pay, leadership and a perception of unfair promotion policies.

Alarmed that resignations by Los Angeles police officers have quadrupled in the last four years, some members of the city’s Police Commission on Tuesday expressed dismay that not enough is being done to keep officers from quitting.

“We are hemorrhaging,” said Police Commission President Enrique Hernandez. “These numbers are frightening.”

Hernandez said he is worried that plans to significantly expand the size of the department might be in jeopardy.

“We can never increase the size of the department if we are hemorrhaging so fast,” he said.

Last year, almost 500 officers left the nearly 8,000-member department--a 25% increase over what is typical. The leading causes of departures were the usual: retirements, disabilities and deaths.

What changed was a soaring number of relatively young officers who quit--often to take jobs with other law enforcement agencies.

The ranks of officers who quit--as opposed to retired, for example--has swelled steadily, from 32 four years ago to 143 last year. In department studies, officers have cited opportunities to make more money in other departments, poor equipment and lack of leadership. Some have also blamed a promotional system they believe is based on race and gender and is unfair, and a disciplinary system they characterized as unfair.

“There’s a very important attitude shift that’s taken place in the department in the last 10 or 12 years,” said another commissioner, Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, “a feeling that maybe this isn’t the best police department in the world. We need to change that.”

Greenebaum noted that the Police Protective League “used to be supportive of the department.” Now the union newspaper carries ads for jobs elsewhere.

Hernandez criticized department efforts to come to grips with the departures. He characterized a study that called, for example, for “an independent audit of the compensation and benefit package,” as “kind of fluffy.”

“I just don’t get the feeling that we’ve got our arms around the problem,” he said.

One effect of the resignations has been to crimp Mayor Richard Riordan’s efforts to expand the force by 3,000 officers over five years. Last year, for example, the department was able to add a net total of about 200 officers. It hired 700, but lost 482.

“We are all disturbed and dismayed by the high numbers of officers leaving this department,” said Commissioner Art Mattox, adding that it costs the city about $100,000 to train each one.

Deputy Chief David J. Gascon said increased use of civilians, more use of paid overtime and hiring of officers from other agencies will still enable the department to reach 95% of the mayor’s public safety plan goal for this fiscal year.

But, he said, “it is not money well spent to take tenured officers . . . and have them go away and be replaced with somebody who’s brand spanking new, who has to be trained . . . because it takes you several years before you become an outstanding officer.”