Use of New LAPD Hires Sparks Rift in Budget Talks

Concerned that too many Los Angeles Police Department officers hired with federal grants are ending up behind desks, a City Council panel Tuesday recommended a revised budget requiring that all 157 additional officers authorized for next year be assigned to patrol.

Mayor Richard Riordan’s budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 had proposed that 88 of the officers go to patrol, with the rest assigned to supervision, special crime-suppression programs, detective units and administrative offices, including the department’s Risk Management Division.

“I don’t like to pay to upgrade officers [in rank] and put them behind desks, when the emphasis of these grants is clearly to put more officers on the street,” said Councilman Richard Alatorre, chairman of the council’s ad hoc budget committee.

The dispute over police funding was one of the few major differences that council members had with the mayor, as the panel recommended a $2.8-billion general fund budget to the full council. The council will take up the spending plan Monday.

The budget committee also cut Riordan’s street repaving budget from 225 miles to 212.5 miles after some council members said there were other priorities that required the $2.6 million saved through the reduction.

“The budget represents an attempt to do a lot of things with very little new money,” said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg. “That’s always going to end up with inevitable clashes. It’s a balancing act.”

Additions to the budget include $2.75 million set aside to reduce response times and improve paramedic service in the San Fernando Valley and other areas of the city.

Most of the mayor’s budget was left unchanged by the council panel, including proposals to hire 126 more firefighters, open city pools to free swimming, expand library hours and target the 400 worst abandoned buildings for demolition or repairs.

Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth told the council panel she appreciated the challenge faced by the committee in balancing the many demands for city funding.

However, Roth said the mayor will attempt to have his police and street repair proposals restored when the budget goes to the full council.

On the police budget, Roth said 25 of the new authorized positions need to be designated as sergeants to provide field supervision to the growing police force.

Alatorre said he is skeptical that all the supervision will be needed soon because he doubts new officers will be hired quickly.

The council panel directed that all 157 new police positions be designated for “community policing activities such as foot patrols and bike patrols and patrols of city libraries and parks.”

Because of concern about how grant-funded officers have been used in the past, the council panel also recommended an audit of the federal funding received during the last four years.

The additional police officers to be hired with the federal grant would bring the police force to an all-time high of more than 9,900 officers.

Roth said the mayor will also come up with an alternative funding plan to have the street repaving funds restored.

“Frankly, I am very surprised and disappointed in the reduction of street miles, particularly given all of the discussion that has gone on with infrastructure,” Roth said.

Responded Alatorre: “The fact of the matter is with the infrastructure, Jennifer, the mayor hasn’t given us any plan upon which to deal with the $9-billion infrastructure [needs].”

But Roth said the reduced street repaving affects local streets “that directly impact the quality of life for the residents throughout this city.”