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Murder Rate Continues to Dwindle as City Staff is Asked to Develop a Layoff Plan that Includes Police
Photo by bcmacsac1 via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
Perhaps the most sobering news that came out of yesterday's 11-hour L.A. City Council budget committee session was a request to see a layoff plan that included police and firefighters. The current proposal to layoff 1,000 employees, which was not recommended by the committee late Monday evening, left public safety jobs off the table, but Councilman Bernard Parks, the former LAPD Chief, wanted to see the "grimmest picture" possible, according to the LA Times. The council is faced with a $208 million budget shortfall this year and will be up against a $484 million one come July 1st.
It's been a Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa mantra to keep the number of sworn officers current, if not growing, and according to his Chief of Staff they have other plans in regards to saving police money. "On the mayor's part, public safety and, in particular, the police department, is his number one priority," Matt Szabo told Fox 11 News. "The last option is taking police officers off the street. We have a number of proposals out there to restructure how we manage city government more cheaply and more effectively, and reducing the LAPD is not in the city's best interest."
Meanwhile, killings in Los Angeles were down 40% compared to January last year, according to a Times analysis. In fact, homicides were down across the county. 2009 saw extremely low murder rates and if this trend continues, 2010 could be yet another record breaking year.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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