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Some L.A. City Councilmembers are considering freezing the police department's budget in light of the economy and a downtrend in the city's crime statistics. Specifically, it would affect the goal of hiring 10,000 officers, a Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa campaign promise that is nearing completion. Proponents of the hiring freeze say it doesn't make sense to hire officers and then furlough them.
But outgoing Chief William Bratton said yesterday at a Los Angeles Magazine event and interview that such a freeze is not such a good idea. And if that should happen, the city "should refund part of the trash fee hike it promoted for funding police," according to LA Observed's Kevin Roderick, who attended the event.
He also thinks L.A.'s political system is "unfortunate" where the balance of power between the Mayor and City Council is much different than in New York City, where the Mayor holds more power. He's frustrated that he has "to go through about five city council committees to hire anybody." Not only that, he believes politicians out here hold grudges, which holds things back.
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Chief, you quit for a private job in New York. It's okay if you butt out of LA politics now.
Actually he has good points. I've lived here for a while now and it's not hard to see how more efficient NY works over our own system. This article doesn't nearly go over all the points he had but the one good point I agree with is we need to remove the people in office that still retain the 80s/90s mentality of managing this city cause it isnt working. Holding grudges and building new layers of bureaucracy is not solving problems.
Wow. I have just finished reading "L.A. Noir" by John Buntin, and this story + photo perfectly fit the mood of the book.
You're wrong on one point.
" Specifically, it would affect the goal of hiring 10,000 officers, a Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa campaign promise that is nearing completion."
The Police Department has already hit 10,000 sworn, several months ago actually. See the most recent LAPD COMPSTAT Report, which shows the total sworn as of 9/26/09 at 10,005.
There will be an additional recruit class of 40 hired on 10/12, which should leave the Police Department above 10,000 through the end of the year. If Police hiring is stopped for now, the Council will revisit the issue in January to consider starting another class to keep the total above 10,000.