LAPD union leader scolds council
The head of the Los Angeles police union accused the City Council on Friday of inaction that he says will undermine efforts to put enough officers on the street.
Bob Baker, president of the Police Protective League, said the council has dragged its feet on several measures, including proposals to increase overtime spending and allow retired officers to return to duty.
“The council has been woefully absent,” he said.
Baker said the scheduled end of a deferred-retirement program is going to force more than 250 veteran officers to leave by October. He added that 500 to 600 officers working in gang and narcotics units are threatening to transfer to other posts over proposals that would make them disclose their personal finances to the department.
“What I see is a perfect storm which can create absolute disaster for the city,” Baker said.
Council members defended their deliberate pace, noting that some of the ideas involve a lot of money and major policy shifts.
Even though it is on track to meet its hiring goals, the Los Angeles Police Department is expected to end this fiscal year more than 200 officers below its 1998 peak of 9,852. After that, low morale and tight budgets resulted in a reduction of the force, which now stands at 9,503.
Interim proposals have been made to boost officers’ presence on the street until the department can hire enough officers to provide adequate policing. Those include allowing retired officers to return for short stints.
Baker complained that the city administrative officer recommended that measure two months ago but that it has gotten bogged down in council committees.
Councilman Dennis Zine, who heads the Personnel Committee, which is considering the proposal, said Friday that he is waiting for the LAPD to answer questions, including whether it would block promotions for existing officers.
“All these [retired] people have a lot of time on the job, so I don’t see them coming back to patrol,” Zine said. “So the concern is: Where are they coming back?”
Baker also complained about the lack of action on a proposal, made in January by Councilman Greig Smith, to authorize additional overtime.
The motion, in the council’s Public Safety Committee, probably would not be implemented until mid-2008 because of the cost and significant policy change involved, Smith conceded.
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