Panel’s Questions Delay Plan for Police Merger

The City Council’s Public Safety Committee postponed for two weeks a decision on whether to approve a proposed merger of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers with the LAPD, saying there are too many unanswered questions.

The committee Monday gave the Los Angeles Police Department, the MTA and others involved in the proposed merger until July 2 to provide details on several issues before they pass the issue to the full council.

Among the issues are whether too many of the MTA officers could potentially be disqualified from becoming LAPD officers because of problems relating to drugs, drinking and domestic violence or health concerns. Also under consideration will be whether the deal makes good financial sense for the city, which would assume liability for patrolling rail and bus lines previously under the jurisdiction of the MTA.

City and LAPD officials conducting background checks say that as many as 16 of the 185 MTA officers under consideration may be disqualified.

Although city officials wanted the merger to occur as early as July 1--the start of the fiscal year--city attorneys said that deadline is essentially moot because the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also needs to approve the arrangement. Some MTA officers would be hired by the Sheriff’s Department.