L.A. Police OK 3-Year Pact Despite Lingering Anger

Los Angeles police officers ratified a new three-year contract, giving them a 13% pay raise over three years, improved health benefits and incentives for education, union officials said Saturday.

But officers are angry that the contract did not strengthen community-based policing efforts or give them more flexible work schedules, and they have not ruled out a protest at next month’s Democratic National Convention at Staples Center, said union President Ted Hunter.

At a news conference at Parker Center, Hunt, backed by City Councilman and mayoral candidate Joel Wachs, announced that officers reluctantly approved the contract Friday night. He said their action “does not mean that LAPD officers are happy. In fact, LAPD officers are very angry.”

Although Los Angeles police officers are among the highest paid in the nation and received a raise 4% higher than the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Hunt called the contract a “hard sell.”

The Los Angeles Police Protective League wants Chief Bernard C. Parks to reinstate the community-based senior lead officers, who were ordered to return to patrol in late 1998.

Also, they want a three-day-a-week, 12-hour-day work schedule to give officers more time off between shifts.

“This is one of several things that need to be done to bring LAPD back to life,” Hunt said.

But department spokesman Cmdr. David Kalish said a compressed schedule would reduce the number of officers in the field and fatigue those on patrol.

Parks has said that senior lead officers, who are among the most experienced in the department, need to be available to fight crime and not acting as community relations officers.

“Crime is going up and homicides are going up, and the last thing we want to do is take 168 [senior lead] officers out of the field at this time,” Kalish said.

Only 37% of the union’s 9,300 officers turned out to vote on the contract last week, union officials said. Hunt said the turnout was good, considering the low morale in the department.

Although City Councilman Mike Feuer said he sides with the union on the senior lead officer issue, the Police Commission already has decided to study reinstating the program as part of reform efforts.

“I think all of us are open in further examining that issue,” he said.

The new contract, which is retroactive to July 1, calls for a 4% pay increase in each of the first two years and a 5% hike the third year. It also decreases the health insurance premium for officers and includes a 1% to 3% pay raise for those who complete extra training.

The pact is expected to cost the city $28 million the first year and about $100 million by the third year.

The league began negotiating about four months ago.

The City Council approved the contract June 23.

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Times staff writer Tina Daunt contributed to this story.