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LA Mayor Villaraigosa names new homeland security chief
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has threatened to veto an early retirement plan he helped negotiate.
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Frank Stoltze/KPCC
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LA Mayor Villaraigosa names new homeland security chief
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Thursday named a federal prosecutor as his deputy mayor for homeland security and public safety. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze reports.
Frank Stoltze: For 14 years, Eileen Decker’s worked in the Los Angeles office of the United States Justice Department.
Eileen Decker: As an assistant U.S. attorney, I had the opportunity to work very successfully with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Stoltze: Recently, Decker’s focused on anti-terrorism as head of Justice’s national security section in L.A. She’ll oversee all public safety issues for the mayor. But she says L.A.’s budget deficit will factor into her new job.
Decker: The biggest challenge will be to maintain the level of police force and dealing with the budget issues – and trying to basically get more with less.
Stoltze: Some at City Hall say L.A. will have to furlough or even lay off police officers to address its $400 million budget shortfall.
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