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Let’s Keep LAPD Officers on the Streets Where They Belong

How will public services be impacted as a result of the LAPD’s decision?

Just imagine having 200 fewer police officers on the streets to handle emergency calls. Criminals are opportunists. Once they know that there are fewer police officers on the street, those criminals will see more opportunities to commit crimes.
The LAPD is going to take approximately 200 patrol officers off the streets, 100 to work the jail, and then, another 100 to go through training to replace the others who are working the jail. That cycle will take place every six months.

How can we ensure responsible budgeting for public safety?

The LAPD’s decision to use police officers in the jails is a wasteful use of public tax dollars. Los Angeles residents voted to increase the trash tax and use the money to EXPAND the size of the police force to 10,000 officers and keep those cops on the streets.
The LAPD seems to have no choice but to use police officers to staff the jails, since city officials have frozen the hiring of detention officers. The LAPD has indicated that they don’t want to place police officers in the jails, but there is no alternative.

What’s the solution?

The most sensible solution is to end the furloughs of detention officers, who also play a critical role in the public safety arena. The next step is to lift the hiring freeze and retain adequate staffing levels of detention officers. This strategy is more effective in terms of salaries and retirement costs.

What can the public do to influence smart policy on this issue?

If you care about quality public safety in Los Angeles, please contact your City Council member. Tell the council to use the voter approved trash tax for its intended purpose — to keep police officers on the streets.

To read the CBS report on how hundreds of police officers are doing civilian work, click here. 

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0 responses to “Let’s Keep LAPD Officers on the Streets Where They Belong

  1. Dear Sir,

    As we all know your position is to fight for the rights of our fellow brethren employed by this great government of ours. Please let me say that I do not agree with this being an issue of controversy, staffing the jails with 200 sworn police officers is not a bad idea, from what I read and understood the sworn personnel would be officers finishing their 18 month probationary periods. This exposure to this part of their job would benefit not only themselves but the public in regards to having well trained officers on the street.

    A great example would be the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Dept. those deputies, if I am not mistaken start their careers in the central jail. Allowing newly trained deputies to have exposure to all aspects of what they might encounter on the street and become more proactive in their duties.