Lack of Funds Curtails Special LAPD Patrols

Fearing that the city will run short of money to pay for officers’ overtime, Los Angeles Police Department officials said Wednesday that they have frozen a fund used for special crime-fighting patrols.

The cutoff of so-called discretionary cash overtime means a temporary end to many patrols created to solve neighborhood problems in each of the department’s 18 divisions.

“We were simply running out of money,” said William Moran, commanding officer for the LAPD’s Fiscal Support Bureau.

To keep funds available for regular cash overtime--paid to officers who work past their shifts or who appear in court on their days off--division commanders were cut off from the discretionary fund beginning April 16 under orders of Police Chief Willie L. Williams.

About $7 million was allocated for the fund during the 1994-95 fiscal year, with each of the divisions spending an average of $25,000 a month from the account.

In Hollywood, the money was spent beefing up foot patrols and staffing special robbery and burglary details. In Van Nuys, the fund paid for additional traffic enforcement to stem a recent increase in vehicle fatalities.

In addition, some of the divisions have come to rely on the cash overtime to staff extra patrol cars to cut response times.

Moran said the discretionary fund will probably be restored for the 1995-1996 fiscal year, which begins July 1. LAPD Detective Eric Reynolds of the office of operations said the fund could be reinstated sooner if the department’s financial picture improves.

But Moran said the department may have to rely less on the discretionary funds. Mayor Richard Riordan’s proposed budget recommends $4.5 million for the special details, compared to the $29 million being sought by the Police Department.

“At this point it’s pretty speculative that we’ll get ($29 million),” Moran said. “The mayor’s office is doing everything it can, but it’s just a matter of money being available.”

Moran said employees assigned to his bureau detected the potential problem about a month ago, which prompted Williams to discontinue the special details.

“There had to be a decision of what to do to bring the cash overtime under control,” Moran said. “It’s something we have to monitor constantly. If we don’t, the results can be catastrophic.”

One reason for the current shortfall is higher than expected overtime costs paid to officers who perform background checks on the department’s increasing number of new recruits.

Police officials say that investment eventually will yield more police on city streets. But for now, division captains--who have grown to rely on the discretionary funds--say the cutoff means they will have fewer officers available this spring to solve neighborhood crime problems.

Moran said department officials also worry about an increase in the accumulation of compensatory time off by officers. Currently, officers have accumulated 1.5 million hours in compensatory time they have yet to use, he said.

The change in policy drew mixed reaction from within the department.

Lt. Dan Hoffman of the LAPD’s Valley headquarters said he is confident the funds will be restored.

But Dennis Zine, a director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said the sudden cutback is the result of poor management in the form of binge spending.

“Now all of sudden they’re running short,” he said.