Law Enforcement Officials Welcome $8-Million Boost

Orange County law enforcement agencies will receive more than $8 million to beef up their ranks, buy new equipment and develop anti-crime programs under a one-time state funding program approved this week by Gov. Pete Wilson.

Local law enforcement officials said Thursday they were grateful for the money and expressed hope that the state will create an annual funding stream that would augment cash-strapped public safety departments in the future.

“This is an absolute plus,” said Irvine Police Chief Charles Brobeck, president of the Orange County Police Chiefs and Sheriff’s Assn. “It’s refreshing to see this type of energy out of Sacramento being focused on the concerns of public safety. This is a really good sign.”

The governor signed two bills Wednesday that provide $100 million to law enforcement agencies statewide and $50 million in grants to communities that develop juvenile crime prevention programs.

Orange County’s share is $8 million, including $1 million for the Sheriff’s Department to use on jail operations and another $1 million for the district attorney’s office to use for criminal prosecutions. The county is eligible for up to $2 million more in grants for juvenile crime prevention programs.

“This is absolutely essential,” said Sheriff Brad Gates, who helped lobby the Legislature and governor for the money. “We need this funding to continue to have the impact on crime that we are having.”

Wilson said the extra money could be used to put up to 1,000 new officers on the streets statewide--about 80 of those officers in Orange County.

Cities without police forces such as Mission Viejo can use the money to supplement their contracts with the Sheriff’s Department.

But Brobeck and other officials said they are limited with what they can do with the money without a steady revenue stream in upcoming years.

“There’s a natural limitation with what you can do with the money when its a one-time amount,” said Garden Grove Police Chief Stanley Knee. “Basically, it limits you to buying new equipment, which is not all bad. . . . It does not lend itself to hiring new officers.”

Orange Police Chief John R. Robertson agreed: “One time funding is a Band-Aid and the Band-Aid is going to come off next year.”

Ron Low, a spokesman for Wilson, said the governor is planning to make the funding part of every year’s state budget. “It is our full intent to see this funding continue in order to provide the necessary assistance to local law enforcement,” Low said.

The current one-time program is taking the place, at least this year, of a proposal that would have given state residents an option to check a box on their income tax returns to earmark 1% of their taxes for law enforcement purposes. Although the so-called Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) was widely supported by law enforcement officials, it did not pass the state Legislature. Law enforcement officials said Thursday that they will push to get the proposal passed next year.

Law enforcement officials said the funding under the income tax diversion proposal would have been about the same this year as the programs signed this week by Wilson.

Gates, however, said he would like to see the tax diversion proposal “come back to the table next year. We think it’s important to have the citizen have a say in where their tax dollars go.”

Regardless of how they get the money, most law enforcement officials were just pleased to get any additional funding.

“This is real positive for public safety and the citizens of Orange County,” Brobeck said. “This is an excellent step in the right direction.”

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Police Funding

A one-time state funding program has netted Orange County law enforcement agencies an $8-million windfall for equipment, anti-crime programs and additional personnel. Here’s the breakdown:

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Jurisdiction Amount Anaheim $687,531 Brea 81,391 Buena Park 171,381 Costa Mesa 240,694 Cypress 108,869 Dana Point 84,173 Fountain Valley 127,999 Fullerton 286,838 Garden Grove 356,635 Huntington Beach 440,113 Irvine 287,302 Laguna Beach 55,652 Laguna Hills 58,782 Laguna Niguel 129,158 La Habra 127,303 Lake Forest 135,883 La Palma 36,637

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Jurisdiction Amount Los Alamitos $28,753 Mission Viejo 208,230 Newport Beach 162,549 Orange 278,491 Placentia 105,159 San Clemente 108,405 San Juan Capistrano 67,478 Santa Ana 722,313 Seal Beach 62,144 Stanton 75,130 Tustin 144,926 Villa Park 14,956 Westminster 193,158 Yorba Linda 134,724 Unincorporated 402,084 District attorney 1,000,000 Sheriff 1,000,000

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Source: Orange County Police Chiefs and Sheriff’s Assn.