The LAPD didn't get hit as hard as other departments in the City Council approved city budget, but the current plan does slow down hiring new officers. Now the Los Angeles Police Protective League has submitted their ideas to save the city money in order to get back on track of getting more officers on the streets. There are 16 in all, but some are not very specific to the department like installing wind and solar energy on government buildings. However, there are a few ideas that seem to have potential:

- Have all three pension funds combine their administrative staffs for member services; examine using a single investment bank and actuary; negotiate fees with consultants; and examine all ways to reduce costs by using the same custodian, accountants and audit firms. We estimate that combining these services would save the city $60 million per year.

- Ask the court to allow the City of Los Angeles to stop paying the federal monitor for overseeing the portions of the Consent Decree that have already been found to be in compliance. The LAPD has been in compliance with 95 percent of the Consent Decree requirements for five years, yet the city continues to pay over $2 million per year to the federal monitor, Kroll Inc.

- Implement a 4/10 schedule for all non-public safety entities, closing offices on Mondays or Fridays. The State of Utah has implemented this schedule and experienced significant cost savings - for example, energy costs are reduced by not heating or cooling offices on closed days. In addition, traffic is reduced on those days, which would be particularly beneficial to the quality of life in Los Angeles.

Have any ideas of your own that the LAPD could do to save money?