Villaraigosa Adds to List of Backers

Former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa’s mayoral campaign on Thursday picked up the support of an array of public safety officials who said he has worked to toughen gun legislation and bring more resources to Los Angeles for law enforcement.

Los Angeles Police Commissioner Raquelle de la Rocha, who has previously donated to the mayoral campaigns of City Atty. James K. Hahn and businessman Steve Soboroff, said she believes Villaraigosa is best suited to bring about meaningful police reform.

“It’s a very qualified pool, but ultimately there’s only one box to check when you get in the voting booth,” De la Rocha, an appointee of Mayor Richard Riordan, said at a morning news conference with Sheriff Lee Baca at the county Sheriff’s Department crime lab in the Pico-Union area. “Ultimately, I think it boils down to Antonio having a real passion for public service.”

De la Rocha donated $1,000 to Hahn’s campaign in October 1999. Last September, she gave $500 to Soboroff, who has the mayor’s backing.

In addition, Baca formally announced his support for Villaraigosa, saying that the former assemblyman helped secure more than $90 million in state funding to build a regional crime lab at Cal State L.A. He also cited legislation that Villaraigosa has authored to toughen penalties for hate crimes and require trigger locks on guns.

“No one can say that they have accomplished more than Mr. Antonio Villaraigosa when it comes to crime prevention, budget allocation and public safety legislation,” Baca said.

Baca and De la Rocha were joined by representatives of the National Latino Peace Officers Assn., Los Angeles County probation officers and other public safety agencies.