New L.A. Budget Is Ushering Cops, Firemen Out the Door
What will Los Angeles look like in five years? In ten or twenty? The answers may depend on some crucial decisions to be made at City Hall this month.
Like many American cities, Los Angeles is struggling with the effects of prolonged recession, and civic priorities are being reassessed with an eye toward declining tax revenues. Earlier this month, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the city council approved a municipal budget that leaves a $41-million hole in the LAPD’s already reduced funding, and they have offered Chief Charlie Beck no guidance on how they expect him to close it. Attention is now focused on the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union that represents rank-and-file officers. (Full disclosure: I am a member of the LAPPL.) Their current contract expires at the end of this month, and there is pressure being exerted on the officers to make concessions that will allow the city to save money.
But officers are asking how much more will they be expected to give up while receiving nothing in return. The city’s proposal to the LAPD, at least insofar as what’s been presented to date, is all stick and no carrot. And as one might expect, the cops are saying, “No, thanks.”
There have been no raises for LAPD officers in three years, this owing to concessions already made during the last round of contract negotiations. And among other accommodations made at that time, officers agreed to forgo cash payment for overtime in exchange for compensatory time off. But as a condition of that concession, the city agreed to return to the prior system of cash payment at the end of this month. They are now asking for an extension of the current overtime system, but they have not incorporated this request into an overall labor agreement to be presented to officers for ratification.
Last week the city council jabbed another thumb into the eyes of L.A.’s police officers and firefighters by voting to cap retiree health benefits at current levels, removing them from the collective bargaining process where they’ve traditionally been set. It’s interesting to note that the council deviated from its customary practice in that neither the public nor the LAPPL were provided with a copy of the new ordinance or the opportunity to comment on it until after it was passed, suggesting that they were not acting entirely above board. Be that as it may, it’s their responsibility to make decisions on how the public’s money is spent, and though such a move may make financial sense in the short term, one entirely predictable effect has been a surge of police officers and firefighters retiring sooner than they otherwise would so as to beat the July 15 deadline when the new cap takes effect. Will all those cops and firefighters and their accumulated experience be missed? Only time will tell but history suggests they will be.
And now the city is turning up the pressure even further. Chief Beck has told hundreds of officers in specialized assignments to expect transfers to patrol if an agreement on overtime isn’t reached soon. In threatening large numbers of officers with reassignment, Beck is transparently hoping to divide the LAPPL’s members and railroad them into accepting a raw deal. It’s a cynical ploy that isn’t going over well, and I fear it may lead to a level of friction between cops and management we haven’t seen in a long time.
From 1997 to 2002, the chief of the LAPD was Bernard Parks, a man well known for his autocratic, heavy-handed management style. In a move that was hailed throughout the department, Parks was let go at the end of his five-year contract, making way for the civic revival that accompanied William Bratton’s appointment to the post. The department had suffered badly during Parks’s tenure, losing hundreds of officers who went off to find better working conditions in other departments.
Listen, the fireman and the police can look to their unions to fund the difference. They have been paying into the union coffers for how long?
LA could simply say: Here is your salary, you save for your own retirement, LA will assist you on your health benefits.
The police and fireman say: Union you have the money that has been paid in, start to dole it out. If the union does not have the $, then the workers themselves need to have a discussion with the union.
Nobody looses their job.
i have a better way to save their jobs……take illegals off of social serv.
and you would have millons saved, then you can add more police and fireman to save la
Really?….The unions spend their money wisely buying legislative initiatives like Prop 14 and politicians. But, they have also emptied the public coffers to their own detriment. Pay cuts are now in order, delayed retirements and defined contribution plans are the future of first responders. We may well have a lot more victims in the mean time as they try to convince us to pay their ransom.
**Check out how to weaponize your vote to INSIST on a Cap, Cuts and a Balanced budget at http://www.libertysoup.org/Home.htm
Southern Californians liberals are you surprised? Are you shocked because you didn’t plug your border? Are you scratching your heads because the people who came across, regardless of reason, are now a PERMANENT fixture and a sucking drain on your resources? So much in fact that you cannot pay your police or firemen. Your vision of utopia is everything you made it. Now sleep in it.
There is a hidden positive with illegals: SOME have taxes removed from their checks, false ss #, and the money is never claimed. Where does that $ go? That $ being funneled into the correct channels may ease some of the issues for a short time.
Great leaders + cookie jar = ?
That is assuming they get paid by check…
And don’t forget, they get a lot back (maybe more than they paid…) as “Earned Income Tax Credit.”
A great many do, Harry, and they aren’t filing for tax returns, either.
But they are still a huge drain on the economy.
You are forgetting the social services that LA willing give to illegal scum. You are forgetting the scum that hire illegals at a below market wage that steals jobs from poor citizens. Start with free medical care in the ER. Food Stamps, schools. Illegals do not pay their own freight and suck resources from citizens and LA willingly goes along with this trash. There are no good illegal aliens they are all criminals.
Nice. Not too vailed threat about a potential crime surge. That is what happens when an over extended civilization fails.
While I sympathize with the plight of the LA policeman I note that this is what happens when Democrats control the reins of government. They tax the productive members of the community driving them away while transferring that money to the non-productive elements in society. LA and similar jurisdictions have no money and unlike the Federal Government can’t print any. Until California voters abandon socialism things will only get worse.
I also like to note that the political jurisdictions that are going bankrupt, i.e., California, New York, Chicago, etc., are the ones that either prohibit or severely restrict their citizens right to bear arms will be facing increasing social chaos and rising crime rates in the near future. They will soon understand the purpose of the Second Amendment.
…and God Help those Cities/States if a low/no tax haven like Texas recognizes civil unions. Blue state direction on that issue is no doubt equally motivated by retaining the one “producer class” (double high income/no to low # of children) demographic that cant leave.
Consider that the state Republicans want to cap our pensions at 60% and make us work until 62 to get a pension. That doesn’t sound much better than the democrats to me.
Sounds about right to me but they didn’t go far enough. Should be more like 50% unless they make you increase your contributions.
me me me
more more more
now now now
You have a pension? Stop complaining! All my wife and I have for retirement is what we’ve managed to save for ourselves (401K and IRA). And some in government think we’re too stupid to be trusted with that money. They want to seize individual retirement savings and offer us lifetime annuities instead. If they want to see politicians swinging from lampposts, go ahead with that idea.
Here, here! I’m gonna work until whenever. I get a percentage of squat. Just what I can save (in fairness, I do get matching in my 403). The gravy train express for public workers has made it’s last stop. Hoorah!
OH! Dearie ME! You POOR baby! You might have to work until you are SIXTY TWO! OH the inhuMANity!!!!
Those heartless THUGS!!!!
Making da poor, poor baby work until he’s sixty TWO!!! How can they be so HEARTLESS?
Oh, dear, you poor, poor baby! Oh, dearie me!
Even sixty is too old to be jumping out of a police car and chasing after the bad guy. There aren’t enough of those “desk jobs” to keep an aging police force on the payroll. After too many years of running after the bad guys, being terrified by some punk with weapons, picking up the carnage off the streets left by drunk drivers, it is time to quit before one dies of heart disease or other dibelitating illnesses.
Just for perspective, how many times have you had to go the the emergency room for doing your job, exactly as your job description requires?? I’ve been there four times, which is probably about average for a police officer with the same amount of time on the job. This job breaks you down, mentally and physically. We don’t do it because it pays so darn well, we do it because it is a calling to help others. If it makes you feel better, we have a lower than average life expectancy, so even if I retire at 55, I won’t be a burden to you for long. I just hope than when you or a loved one needs an officer, you don’t have to rely on a 62-year-old man to come to your rescue.
Jack, the comparison of losing 20% of their pay with the cut in overtime is an unfair comparison, and is kind of an insult to those of us who had 10% of our BASE PAY cut due to furloughs, etc, over this last fiscal year. The officers did not have their base pay cut, they had the “extra” converted to time, that they were allowed to take, at full pay…not quite the same thing as those of us who were generously given an “extra, unpaid day off” each pay period. The civilian employees have not seen raises, either, and most of us just had our arms twisted into an agreement that allows the City to take more money to pay back ERIP and pay into retiree medical, etc.
You dont dothe job that we do. Taking life and death risks everyday. So dont try to compare the sacrafices. you are comparing apples to oranges
Yes, but then again, you guys are not sworn, selected from among thousands who risk their lives every day. If you want a police pension, then apply, become selected and serve as a police officer. Other than that, hands off.
Hands off?? We have sworn sitting inside doing civilians jobs. Many make a career of staying inside. The biggest threat to their life is the paper shredder, the stress of where to go for their 2 hour “No Code 7″ and what to spend their uniform check on since many NEVER wear a uniform. Sure there many are hard working officers out on the streets risking their lives but there are hundreds sitting inside scamming the system.
“There have been no raises for LAPD officers in three years”
Jack, my business went under. Your guys still have jobs. Quit whining.
“Last week the city council jabbed another thumb into the eyes of L.A.’s police officers and firefighters by voting to cap retiree health benefits at current levels, removing them from the collective bargaining process”
Jack, the people of California are out of money. What part of out of money don’t you get?
“Will all those cops and firefighters and their accumulated experience be missed?”
Tell you what Jack, get your union guys to send a message to the legislature that shall-issue concealed carry is going to be needed to fill the gap between what the people need and what police force we can afford. Firefighters, less time spent at the station hanging out, more time spent running controlled burns to lower the danger to our communities from wildfires running into populated areas.
Government employees of all stripes got too good a deal for years. Retire on 80% pay with medical at 50? We cannot afford that Jack. Any solution that requires citizens to work until they are 75 to pay for public servants that retire at 50 or 55 is a non-starter. Deal with it.
Whining, I don’t think so. If you want a police pension, I dare you to become one. I think you are the one whining.
An after thought: The welfare state socialism as practiced always short changes the primary function of government, i.e., provide security to the population. The military and the public safety forces always pay for the welfare state.
If the LAPD would take out the trash one illegal alien at a time rather than issuing expensive littering tickets the budget in LA might improve to the point that a reasonable budget and tax base could solve some of these problems.
WOW. This should get interesting when the newly released 45,000 felons return to the city of the angels. This might have some effect on crime. Just sayin….
Makes me wonder if the timing isn’t a coincidence. It would allow the powers that be to blame the uptick in crime on the prisoner release “forced” on them by the Supreme Court rather than on their budgetary policies.
LA is not a small city, nor is it terribly poor. Where the he’ll is all the money going, and is anybody there asking about it?
Would you like more cheese with that whine? You make the assertion that the decrease in crime in L.A. was due to the activities of the Police Force, PROVE the connection. You can’t!!! In fact that trend is national, and much the same for locals without your lavish police pay and benefits! Can you tell me why that is so? There are, however, other population statistics that figure in. First, the post war baby boomers had reached their peak criminal offense years, and those so inclined were, decreasing in number due to being dead, incarcerated, or otherwise retired! The statistics on age/criminality are fairly stable, a fact you should, and probably do know! Second, the Boomers tended to marry later, and have fewer children, also later. Thus the volume of wild and crazy guys dropped off radically. Being a military retiree I find it difficult to commiserate with you or your union.
Ok, bro….we’ll all just take our madatory time off the same two weeks….you pick the 14 days and we’ll see which direction the crime rate goes…But please….don’t bother us on our time off, and don’t bother calling 911.
Thanks Robert for being an retired arm-chair general. How long have you pushed a black and white around? 0. I am also a Marine Officer with 25 years, and have bee there done that on both fronts. So yes, enviornmental factors play in a national trend, but unless you’ve been there and done that, been selected to become a police officer and have been in that alley at 2am (and yes I have combat time as well) then stay home and watch the history channel, because you are not in this game buddy.
The liberals always threaten to cut police in order to frighten the people into accepting higher taxes. Sometimes they do cut them then act surprised when crime increases. Of course then they have to hire new cops, train them up, etc. If crime goes back down, they will then cut the “excess” cops and the cycle starts over again.
As others have noted, this seems mostly to be happening in big liberal hives that already have high crime and few or no gun rights for the citizens. And they wonder why those who can’t afford to live in gated and privately patrolling enclaves are fleeing the cities leaving behind only the super rich and politically connected, a shrinking middle class and a growing underclass.
C’mon guys, quit blaming the “illegal aliens”. It’s only 20 billion
($20,000,000) a year in California for incareceration,welfare(food stamps),education etc (and they don’t pay taxes). I am outta here in 19 months. This liberal state will get no more of my money unless I come back and visit and pay a little sales tax.
CA police lost my sympathy years ago when I saw them protecting – PROTECTING – that illegal mob that closed downtown LA.
Lolly, you think the line officers like protecting the illegal masses? Sadly, we HAVE to do what the illegal alien arse kissing mayor tells us to do. The citizens (???) voted for the immoral scumbag. This is what we got.
How many layers of unneeded LA administration making huge salaries are there? How many in the whole state of California? How many businesses has California lost in the last decade alone due to over-regulation and high taxes? How many illegals are receiving welfare (including medical services, schooling for their children, etc)?
Until those issues are addressed, things are only going to get worse. My advice is to get out of California as fast as you can.
I’d begin to have sympathy for Mr. “Dunphy” if he showed much interest in being a part of the solution and not the problem. If he were an Oathkeeper–which movement I don’t remember him commenting on–for example.
From what I’ve seen of them, urban LEO salaries and retirement compensation need to fall by 50 to 25% for them to be rational. It isn’t just union teachers whom are not giving us our money’s worth, and police also should feel the same economic uncertainty as the rest of us.
What we have in the average policeman is someone with a ginned up two year degree who never shows any evidence of being smart enough to actually earn a real one. They stand up for and dupport idiocies like these:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110621/NEWS01/110621029
and
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/06/tsa-swarms-8000-bus-stations-public-transit-systems-yearly
Just taking a paycheck along with the same people doing and supporting the above means you aren’t worth the salt.
If Mr. Dunphy can show where he’s listed to his superiors the unconstitutional laws he won’t enforce, and the unconstitutional behaviors he’ll testify against, I’ll begin to think he’s a right guy.
LA Union Firefighters and Police get to negotiate their own Pension benefits – If the firefighters and Police were playing with their own money I coudl understand it – but they are taking money from the taxpyers – something the police and firemen do not seem to care about. This union rep article keeps blaming LA – the unions typically wants more and more money from the tax payer while trying to blame the City for not giving it to them.
If the union really does care about the taxpyers or viability of the system reason would rule. But keep in mind the unions really don’t care – the union just wants money.
From the sound of it – the City should give the uions exactly what they want – declare bankruptcy – to include the pension and health benefit systems and leave all retiree’s with nothing and then start over. The unions should not object – after al they can unionize the Police and Fire departments and start over – the retirees? Unioons do not care – they do not pay dues.
If you wnat a list of union retirement funds that have problems go here:
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/criticalstatusnotices.html
The full list for 2011 is not out yet.
Ummm, the LA Police and Fire Pension is NOT on that list because of the recent 12.5% increase in the amount EVERY officer and firefighter is paying into the system, and will continue to pay until the pension system is 100% funded. FYI, it is one of the stronger public pension systems, so despite the outcry, it is not in danger of breaking the bank.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer(not)liberal city.Eat s**t and die libtards!
I like Jacks columns and usually find them insightful, funny and informative. In this case however, I don’t agree. The Police and Fire departments (for the most part) receive higher wages, benefits and retirement payments then most people. I understand that their job is tough and sometimes dangerous but let’s not overplay the danger in the race to get a bigger raise or benefit. I’m sure that most people couldn’t do a cop’s job (I know I couldn’t) however I’m a little tired of listening to the nonstop litany of how dangerous it is and that this is the only thin blue line protecting us from the barbarian hoards. As been noted before, while no raise has been given to officers in the last three years the at least have jobs and their layoff rate isn’t very high. I’ll include a link on LAPD compensation so people can have a look for themselves. Note that it does not include Benefits or Pension. Also note that around 3 years ago the starting wage was dropped by about 10K per year.
http://per.lacity.org/psb/lapd_salary.htm
the money went to police misconduct, law suits file by the public been unfairly mistreated by the police cause the city millions of dollars that where the money is wasted badly police need to be laid off to make up for all that money that got wasted on bad law suits by bad police.
Public sector jobs are bleeding this nation dry with the bloated pensions, high falootin’ wages and other assorted bennies.
WE ARE GOING BROKE.
Don’t you f*ckwits get that?
I think this country could do better with less police and more people armed to the teeth to protect themselves so they don’t have to call the damned police in the first place.
/rant off
The police prevent very little crime. Like my brother-in-law the cops says, “we mostly just clean up the messes”. Personal protection is your primary responsibility. So buy a gun and learn how to use it. The cops just show up to zip up the body bag.
Jack, this is Rick for NYS courts. FYI, the readers of this blog hate us. I got personally attacked yesterday by someone named Lolly, who apparently hates cops and unions. We thought perhaps since we provided a vital service, keeping people safe that maybe we could have a comfortable life, with the some nice benefits. But no way, Jack. The Conservative movement seems hell bent on making sure that not only do the People at large hate government, which in many cases is a legitimate position, for example when it comes to stuff like subsidies for wars in Libya, etc, but just as has been done in the past, we are the baby being thrown out with the bath water. I predict that we’re going to have a national crime wave, soon. They will regret their choices. Stay strong.
Eric, NYS courts.
Aww, Rick, I seriously doubt anybody “hates” you. And this article is about a Progressive City Council that is quite willing to throw you under the bus! That really shouldn’t come as a surprise, but whatever…
As i didn’t read Lolly’s comment I can’t comment on that, but what you have got here is a very large bunch of folks that are frustrated beyond reasoning with the layers of deceit that have covered up poor planning and scapegoating for years. Everybody in government wanted their piece of the pie, and nobody wants to give up anything. While this is kind of understandable, some of the methods to achieve “everyone’s piece of the pie” have been questionable and underhanded. I truly feel sorry for those employees that bargained in good faith, and didn’t ask for the moon, just a fair salary and fair treatment(AND there are LOTS of those!)
This really has little to do with political philosophy(though a great number of conservatives are in the “I told you so” mode) Both sides are upset and wondering why government is sc$*@ing over it’s citizens. The conservative wants less government period. The progressive wants more government, but doesn’t want to be responsible for paying for it. The bigger question is which side can bring things back into balance.
“a national crime wave”? You really think that folks are going to commit more robberies, murders, and mayhem because they are tired of the Us vs Them philosophy that regular folks get from you safety types? Please don’t make me laugh! Most folks are going to go about their lives trying to avoid any entanglement with “safety” types. Or they will finally get tired of the overwhelming number of laws that really weren’t necessary in the first place. Then you might get mass civil disobedience, but that could hardly be considered “a national crime wave”
Maybe you should first look to yourself, and decide why it is that you think you deserve special “rights” over the vast number of citizens that are not only paying your salary,but truly deserve to be treated by you as having the same rights as you, not looked down upon as subject to your condensation.
Rick,
I don’t hate cops. I like most of the cops I know. Here comes the but, don’t blame civilians for what ever happens to your benefits, blame the politicians and your union. Tax payers have taken some pretty hard financial hits in the last few years. You can’t expect them to just pay more in taxes to make you whole. Both NYC and LA waste million of dollars on illegal aliens and BS social programs. I’ll say again don’t write some littering ticket when you could take out the trash one illegal alien at a time, almost every tax paying citizen would thank you and it just might free up some money to help you pension.
…now if you could just get the elected officials on board with your plan.
Actually, I didn’t attack you (or your teacher sister) per se. I was attacking THE POLICE en masse. I was attacking THE TEACHERS en masse. Both are union and both have betrayed their public trust.
You have no idea how badly you folks have BLOWN it with us – the public. I used to be one of those die hard police and teacher defenders. I grew up during a time when the police were our FRIENDS. Where teachers actually taught the basics. Boy! Hasa THAT devolved over the years – now I’m just tired of the whining!
BTW – your comment to me that I’d drop my eyes if I ever saw you (?)(cause you’re suce a big burly scary guy!) made me LOL! Coz, you see, I’m just a small girlie and it never did cross your mind that I might be a woman.
That’s me – lolly. Home ill the last two days with 103 fever – and mighty cranky about it!!!
Yea, were are in trouble here in LA. The interesting thing about the police union is that they support liberal politicians who are doing their best to detroy our economy. Why? Because they are “pro-labor.” So, you support the politicians who have and continue to detroy the capital based economy with their socialist goo and then you want the people to pony up more money. Me thinks the union is a bit confused. These liberal politicians have also pushed a social engineering agenda of affirmative action that has lowered the bar so low that really, ANYONE could be a police officer in LA. I mean if you have a pulse and draw air, you could do the job. Just look at the force now as compared to the 40′s, 50′s, 60′s and 70′s. You don’t even have to graduate from high school to become an LAPD officer. You don’t have to be in shape or even know how to spell. You can be 50 years old and still get on. What is so special about that. There are lot of cops that are nothing more than gloified secretaries. The force has changed and so I don’t buy the “it’s a tough job.” It used to be when there were standars, but not now.
You would know this because?
Aww, Jack. You had to know when the going got rough financially that the Progressive(& for a very long time!) LA City council would sell you out. They do not care about the citizens of LA, they do not care about the public employees of LA, safety or not.
They care only for whatever unicorn theory will keep them in office! Folks are complaining en masse about “bloated” Public Employee salaries and benies? (Of course, don’t let folks look too closely at bloated management, and bloated management pay and benefits! Up where I live is a medium-sized city that just asked(? more like ordered!) rank and file(non-management)employees,including safety to take another 2% cut in pay(3rd year in a row) & lose 10% of their numbers to boot. Meanwhile ALL of management got a 10% bounus last year & plans are for the same this year…go figure!)
Make it LOOK like you, a dedicated City council member, are doing something about it! That will keep citizen’s eyes off of the fact that the city council has approved every project that will help with their re-election, whether it was of help to the citizens or not! And they are sure not going to cut those programs/projects/extraneous management positions!
You are just the lastest scapegoat!
If they would get back to basic police work they would find that they have more than enough.
This is but a piece of the Globalist Plan to destroy America. By seriously disrupting the economy local governments are left unable to maintain order. But order must be maintained. But nobody has the bucks to do it except the Feds. Thus a justification for the Obamathugs, Pink Shirts, or whatever they may be called. In the process of “fighting crime” they eliminate or gulag their political enemies- you and me.
Coupled with the demonic court rulings on “overcrowding” and massive unemployment the communists amongst us create a boilerpot ready to explode in
criminal activity. Then they have manufactured an excuse for federal intervention. Here comes Auschwitz.
The city has control over how their money is spent. If the cops and firemen are being shafted, it’s because the city wants them shafted. It’s an old, old government funding game: fund the nice to haves and leave the got to haves to scream “We need more funding.” Trouble is that the populace has heard this before and are getting tired of the game. Cities will see it first but, look out Congress, it won’t be long before voters are letting them know that they see and don’t like that particular game.
It’s about time the Cops etal wake up and take control of their crooked union.
Stop giving the union money direct from the paycheck
Stop giving the union carte blanche to buy liberals
Grow up coppers and take care of your own destiny – your union boss could care less about you – they want your bucks
Let me see if I have this straight… LEO’s (cops) are being given overtime so they have to take time off? Why not just have them work their regular hours and not work the OT so they don’t need to take compensatory time off. It works out the same and there’s less need for accounting to fiddle with the timesheets if it’s done the same as it did when I worked for the city of LA. If they can’t do their jobs without working overtime then what good does it do if they take off to make up for it??? Stupid. Like Daylight savings time, you can’t make the day longer by cutting an hour off one end and tacking it onto the other end.
Chris, if I am hot on the trail of the fiends who raped, tortured and murdered your loved one, do you really want me to hang it up at end of watch and go home? If I have fifty robbery cases, never yet worked, and the oldest is from a month ago, when should I call it quits for the day?
And, if I am a uniform, and they say they haven’t got the money to pay me, shall I patrol your area all night long for free? Do you work for free?
In the “old days” we had assigned watches, but court time was on us, and we stayed until our arrests were booked and our reports turned in. Overtime did not exist because we were salaried professionals; not hourly employees. That sometimes meant that we worked from, say, four to twelve, finished up at three, had to be in court at eight, sat all day- case continued at three; and back on the street by four; and here comes tomorrow. We survived it. Maybe because we didn’t know any better. Maybe because some us went hungry during the Depression
and knew that a steady job is hard to find. Maybe because we had a mission to accomplish. Maybe the current crop could suck it up and give a little more than they get. Maybe we could all do that.
This is one of the oldest scare tactics our politicians use on the public, to put fear into the public. Then the people will say go ahead and raise our taxes, we need our firemen and police. What our politicians do not do, is cut back on secretarial positions,lay off a few garbage men and street sweepers. LA could cut back on some of the gardeners that take care of the plants a long the freeways or just everybody take a 5-10% cut in pay and benefits. No they want to scare the taxpayers instead of our politicians doing their jobs. Believe me the police know how to work the system to milk the overtime pay.
Demographics is destiny.
With that many illegals, (who are a major drain on taxes) soon the LA PD will be expected to act like the Tiajuana PD = lousy pay? No problemo just shake down the poor and powerless.
Cool it Dude….Your not allow to say the word “illegal” it’s not very PC….it’s “undocumented”, hard working Hispanics, looking for a better life on “OUR” dime.
This already happened in our county.
We have a high crime ghetto/city nearby run by criminals,several of the police officers and politicians are convicted fellons.The county deputies helped keep crime levels down bordering the ghetto.
The county police/union fought for a raise,had arbitration and the officers won.The county said sorry we are broke and laid off a large portion of the officers.The sheriff gave out an e-mail address-site to report all crimes except murder,armed robbery etc.
This encouraged the ghetto rats to play free for all burglary in unprotected rural areas.The county received state funds to bring the officers back on active duty when crime escalated .
The ghetto politicians saw a chance for free funds and promptly claimed they were broke and laid off their firemen and police officers.After much whining,screaching and threats the government sent a nice big check .
Lydia, I do not believe you. You cannot name the city, county and state where you falsely claim all this happened. Politicians do tend to be sociopaths; but your scenario is not credible.
And Lolly is just a liar. She has never seen “police killing people for no reason” or “standing by and just watching assaults”. She is a dingbat cophater.
Rev.21.8, Lolly and Lydia. Don’t go there!
I saw them stand by on TV in Wisconsin and LA – with the rest of America. And on videos right here on this sight. I’ve also read of several stories – right here on this sight – where police have essentially executed innocent people. Get off your high horse and admit the police of the past are gone!
Maybe the Mayor should have kept some of his “freebee” sports tickets and put them up on e-bay for sale to help offset the deficit HE helped to create!
When of the unusual aspects of the refusal to pay overtime also occurred in the 80′s. Officers started business’s and side jobs to supplement income. When times better, the officers list thier allegiance to the Dept forever and continued on with new careers!
The primary duty of the mayor and city council is to provide security to LA residents. The LAST place they should cut is police and fire. Apparently, social programs take priority over police, but then what can one expect in a city run by progressives.
And of course, we can expect no relaxation of LA restrictions on citizen concealed carry, while police are laid off..
California voters, you are reaping what you have sown. Those LAPD officers who can, should move to other departments. The hell with LA.
Yet another reason not to join the LAPD. I feel sorry for those hard working
members of the department who are caught up in this political mess.
I retired from the department in 1990 after 30 years of service. Had
today’s restrictions been in place back when I decided to become a
member of LAPD I would have decided otherwise. At the time I was sitting
number one and two on the waiting lists for hire to two other local
police departments and would have chosen one of those.
Gary, proud retired member of LAPD
Alot of the comments and responses remind my of my early days in the Department, when people would say “Man, I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do your job for a million bucks. Understandably, when the economy goes south, many of those folks say “you make how much a year? And vacation days and sick days too? Sign me up! I could say with some certainty, most members of the LAPD did not join to become rich and well off. Heck, if you would of asked me what type of retirement plan I had when I signed on, I wouldn’t been able to answer. I came on to be a cop and put bad guys in jail, and I knew this job, this profession was special, because it was process one had to go through and not everybody got in. As time passes and one gets married and has kids (if not already) you start to look at those benefits closer, because now you do need to see how many sick days you have or vacation days you have accrued. You also start to look at the pay scales and promoting, because you know at the end, your pension is based on your highest pay scale. I tell potential candidates who are applying that it is not wrong to state you want to joing LAPD (among other things) because the pay is decent. nobody expects you to do it for free.
One of the prior comments stated they did not want to hear the “dangerous” card anymore as some police are glorified secretaries. True, not all the force is working the street or in investigations, but statistically, the live span for cops isn’t as long as other professions. I don’t think working graveyard shifts or swing shifts driving in some parts of our city elongates ones life. Or getting called out in the middle of the night for a shooting or homicide that will stretch out to 10 hours into your weekend with the little sleep you had. I currently have 21 years of service, but the earliest I can retire is in two more years (age 50) when I can draw 59% of my salary, a far cry from the 80% that one of our less informed clients earlier stated. Check out the site for Police and Fire Penisons, its all there. Are there over paid admin, office types in our Department? You betcha. A common complaint is the bureacratic fat that permeates within the deparmtment with all these “specialized” units doing god knows what, but I digress.
Additionally, if you do decide to work the whole 33 years to get that all mighty 90% pension, the odds are against you. Our police psychologist told me that it was ill advised to work past 30 years as you do not live as long. And if you do 35 years, you are definitely pushing your luck. It’s sad to read in the obits on how some guys just retired a few years ago and six or eight year later, he’s dead. Do you think the city will give the guys family a refund or bigger amount. I dont think so. I’ve always believed the city want us to work more years, because that affects our longevity at the end. I recognize we are civil servants, but understand why it’s called a THIN Blue Line. Like Jack, I am a LAPPL member and dont alway agree with their position. I personally could stay where I’m at money wise. I think we can do MUCH BETTER with the resources we currently have in impacting Part I crimes in the city.
Look, I have an uncle who is a fireman and a cousin who is CHP. I have always thought highly of the police – until the last few years and it’s all your (not you personally, nor mu cousin, per se) fault. I see police all over the country enforcing tyrrany, when I had always trusted that they would choose our side and not the side of the thugs. But I see police killing people all over the country for no reason while standing by while the thugs assault honest citizens.
In short, you’ve lost my trust and if you’ve lost me then you can be sure there are tens of millions just like me. Too bad. You’ve built up a tradition of trust over hundreds of years only to throw it away over money you could have found another way of saving for.
Boo freakin hoo.
I have no retiree health care. I’ve had no income for two years.
Cry me a freakin river, Dunphy. Just cry away.
Boo freakin hoo. Be freakin happy you have a freakin job in these times. Or not. Quit, and try your luck out in the real world.
Bill, there is no world more real than that of Brother Jack.
The only reason you can sleep in peace is because he is out there, all night, keeping the creeps from eating you alive. Every day he experiences life threatening incidents- to keep you safe. Every day he experiences hate, discrimination, rejection, from ungrateful persons like you- and he still comes back and lays it all on the line for you- and in spite of your ignorant, stupid, hateful, self-destructive attitude. Be ashamed!
That’s not true. Police very rarely “stop” crime. They usually arrive after the fact to “clean” up or take a report. The only thing standing between us and the thugs is the 2nd amendment. If someone steals our property we still have you – to take the report. We’ll never get the property back, but the report helps for insurance purposes.
While I agree that police and firefighters are a necessary part of society, I have to say, that I do agree with most of the reviewers. You reap what you sow.
Dunphy, White tiger at al, maybe you should check out your ‘great state of California’ and its policies. Did you know that your state’s (and by extension, your city’s) policies are pushing out more and more businesses, due to excessive taxation and regulation? Did you know your state (and by extension your city) is expending billions into programs designed to help illegals? Money that should be spend on growing the local economy, helping the legal citizens, funding the fire and police departments?
Maybe you should check how much of your dues your union used to elect the people who now tell you to take another pay cut. Check what their policies are. What programs they’ve been supporting with their vote. I’m sure, once you do that, you’ll notice a disturbing number of programs that are money drains, like funding schooling for illegals, medical for illegals and everything else they do so they have the support of illegals come voting time. California doesn’t have a voter ID law, if I remember correctly, right?
I hear lifeguards in Cali make a nice living, what was that one making, 200 grand a year? Keep supporting the ‘progressives’, guys, Cali has already lost more companies this year than it did for the whole of last year. With all the productive people leaving the state, it won’t be long before all those unfunded liabilities sink the place before the Big One does. You think it’s bad now? Just wait a year or two.
Let’s see. Dunphy says, “Like many American cities, Los Angeles is struggling with the effects of prolonged recession, and civic priorities are being reassessed with an eye toward declining tax revenues.” Hmmm. Let me rephrase that more accurately: Like many American cities, Los Angeles is struggling with the effects of prolonged liberal government, and civic priorities . . . etc.”
California was a fine place in 1955. It’s a sack of dung in 2011, all thanks to Democrats. I don’t give a good damn what happens to California or Californians.