Zine Seeks Sheriff’s Help to Fight Crime in West Valley

Alarmed by gang shootings in the west San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said Wednesday he has approached Sheriff Lee Baca about providing deputies to augment the LAPD’s policing there.

Zine, a former LAPD sergeant who has publicly feuded with Chief Bernard Parks, said the force is badly depleted and Baca told him that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has the resources to expand into areas that need policing.

But Baca downplayed any serious discussions with Zine about patrolling Los Angeles Police Department territory, and Mayor James K. Hahn said he does not support the proposal.

“Rather than focusing efforts on that, I prefer to focus on recruitment and retention of officers at the LAPD and addressing crime in Los Angeles,” Hahn said.

Baca said the discussion took place at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

“I think it’s much ado about nothing,” Baca said. “He said, ‘If I can’t get my constituents served [by the LAPD], then I may have to consider how contracting would work.’ ”

Baca said he explained to Zine how the process works and that the department has had similar contracts with other cities. But he added that it is a lengthy process that requires careful study.

Moreover, he said, “You can’t do this without the will of the people of the city and the mayor and the council.”

Baca said, “In the end, I said this is not very possible.”

Zine, who represents the West Valley, admitted the idea is “out of the box” thinking and in the early stages of study, but if found to be feasible, he envisions deputies complementing LAPD patrols in gang hot spots.

He cited an explosion of gang graffiti and violence in the West Valley, including the shooting death Tuesday of a 16-year-old boy outside an education center in Canoga Park.

“We are not hiring police officers at the rate we need to, and we have an exploding crime problem,” Zine said. “I had two shootings in my district in the last week, and one kid’s dead. I can’t sit by and let that happen.”

A police spokesman said Parks had no direct comment on Zine’s idea, but it was clear that department officials felt they do not need help from the sheriff.

“Policing of the city of Los Angeles is the responsibility of the LAPD,” Lt. Horace Frank said. “Our No. 1 goal is public safety and we are going to do everything at our disposal to meet that goal.”

“I feel we are staffed fine,” said LAPD Capt. Jim Cansler, commanding officer for the West Valley.

Zine is a former director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which has embarked on a campaign of criticism aimed at preventing a contract extension when Parks’ term expires this year.

The councilman recently sparked controversy by referring to Parks as “Osama bin Parks” and was at odds with the chief as an officer in 1999 when a disciplinary board acquitted Zine of sexual harassment charges.

Zine denied his proposal is meant as criticism of the chief or officers.

“We have a crisis, a crime problem in the city,” he said. “I’m just asking, can we use the sheriff as an immediate solution to the lack of patrol officers?”

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Times staff writers Beth Shuster and Zanto Peabody contributed to this report.