Council Approves Delay in LAPD Recruitment Funding

A split Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to delay approval of a $747,000 expenditure for Police Department recruiting while the Public Safety and Personnel committees review the department’s recruitment policies more closely.

The 10-4 vote came on the heels of a suggestion Monday by Councilwoman Laura Chick, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, that the department’s rapid expansion may be incompatible with its other goals of rooting out racism and sexism. Chick, previously a supporter of Mayor Richard Riordan’s plan to add about 2,000 officers to the force by 1997, now believes the pace must be slowed.

“This is not stopping anything. It’s a breath,” Chick said of her request to postpone the funding until after a Sept. 27 committee meeting when police brass will provide more details about their recruitment and training procedures. “Let us get answers to our questions.”

But Councilman Nate Holden, who also sits on the Public Safety Committee, opposed the delay, insisting that the only way to solve the problems at the LAPD is to diversify the force by keeping up the recruitment pace.

“This is a ridiculous request,” Holden said. “The mayor is right on this issue. The police chief is right on this issue. If you tie their hands, who are you going to blame? . . . There’s no reason why we should stop now while we’re making so much progress.”

Council members Richard Alarcon, Hal Bernson and Joel Wachs joined Holden in opposing Chick’s motion.