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Areas Could Have an Extra LAPD Patrol Car or Two Daily
Photo: cliff1066
An internal LAPD audit has found that 115 of the 178 officers in desk jobs that should be filled by lower paid civilians are fit and healthy enough to be out on the streets. That's "roughly equivalent to removing one or two patrol cars from each of the department's 21 stations -- a significant handicap for a police force that is far smaller per capita than those in other major American cities," reported the LA Times. But a hiring freeze to save the city money has left many crucial civilian positions unfilled and although the department has been able to get some exemptions such as jail guards and DNA analysts, 640 civilian police jobs are still vacant. Imagine an LAPD not strapped for human resources, not missing the support of 640 full time workers.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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