City Council Vague on Police Furloughs
The city is $405 million in the red and needs to cut costs.
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:48 PM PST
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Will they or won't they furlough police officers? The City Council today authorized its chief labor negotiator to move forward on a tentative contract agreement with the police union that could help reduce Los Angeles' budget deficit by $50-$100 million.
But when asked whether the proposed deal with the Los Angeles Police Protective League includes furloughs, City Council President Eric Garcetti cited confidentiality rules in declining to answer yes or no.
Overall, the city is $405 million in the red and needs to cut costs.
Garcetti did say, "I don't think the city is prepared to take police officers off the streets to balance our budget. We feel we can work with them in other ways for other sacrifices."
That may include elimination, deferral or conversion of certain bonuses, allowances, salary increases, overtime pay and time off.
The LAPPL will present the proposed two-year contract to its 9,900 members over the coming weeks, then put it to a vote. If the deal is ratified, it will be sent back to City Council for final approval.
If the deal is rejected, "our options become fewer and fewer, and we'll need ever harsher options to balance our budget," Garcetti said.
The city administrative officer had previously recommended forcing police officers to take 18 furlough days, laying off 300 cadets and discontinuing police hiring, as a last resort.
Under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's call for "shared responsibility and sacrifice," the Los Angeles Police Department was supposed to cut costs by $129 million. The proposed deal with the LAPPL, if approved, would significantly reduce that deficit.
