Police chief says crime this year hinges on LAPD hiring

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck Thursday warned that crime will go up if the City Council refuses to continue hiring officers who'll replace the ones that retire.

At the second news conference this week touting the city's falling crime rate, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck urged the City Council to fulfill its commitment to maintain the force at around 10,000 officers.

"If we go back on that, we’ll go back on these gains," Beck said.

The gains have been impressive. The number of homicides last year dropped below 300 for the first time in more than four decades.

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"This is the ninth year of crime reduction in Los Angeles – no other big city has that," the chief said.

He noted that the department has suffered budget cuts already, reducing overtime and postponing the purchase of new police cars.

Some members of the City Council want to shrink the size of the LAPD to help address a more than $300 million budget deficit – including Budget Committee Chairman Bernard Parks, a former police chief.

Councilman Grieg Smith, a member of the budget committee, sided with the chief and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “One thing every citizen will agree on, is we want a safe city,” Smith said.

The mayor took that as a good sign. "If Grieg Smith is for it, the writing is on the wall.”

But the City Council has yet to begin debating next year's budget. It's still grappling with a shortfall for the current fiscal year as overall tax revenues remain flat or in some cases are still falling.

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana has said police cuts hinge on a deal to raise money by privatizing city parking structures.

Villaraigsoa rejected that. He said cuts must happen anywhere but in the size of the LAPD.

“I can’t tell you it's going to be easy. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be the hardest road we’ve ever traveled," the mayor said.

The mayor declined to detail where he’d be willing to cut, but to date he’s reduced library hours, trimmed the fire department and furloughed city workers to prevent deeper cuts in the LAPD.