As the City Council prepares to debate ways to close a $530 million budget deficit, LAPD officials insisted Wednesday that any money-saving plan will not include assigning officers to fill civilian jobs guarding city jails.

In a misunderstanding with the union representing civilian detention officers, a transfer order dated Sept. 1 assigned nine Los Angeles Police Department officers to the jail system.

But Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger said the officers will process registered sex and narcotics offenders at police stations where the jails are located.

"This is a temporary assignment and continuing the duties they are doing now," Paysinger said. "There is no plan to have police officers replace detention officers."

Paysinger said the LAPD plans to shift the duties of registering sex and narcotics offenders to detectives in local jurisdictions as the state releases prisoners in a cost-cutting measure of its own.

Because of the city's financial problems, it has been unable to fill scores of vacancies within the civilian force of detention officers. Brian Hollenbaugh, a detention officer and shop steward, said a citywide hiring freeze has impacted the nine city jails, which together process some 135,000 inmates a year.

Paysinger said LAPD Chief William Bratton, who is leaving on Oct. 31, has promised to delay the opening of the new Metropolitan Detention Center if there are not enough officers to handle the workload.

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Hollenbaugh said detention officers - who undergo some of the same training as police officers - are concerned about staffing shortages.

"If you don't hire more detention officers to staff the jails, this is a recipe for disaster," Hollenbaugh said.

After a monthlong summer recess, the City Council next week will continue debating how to balance its budget.

"What we will be doing is laying out options for the council on what it can do," Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller said.