Tackling one of the city's major budget issues, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday proposed a two-year police contract that could save up to $100 million next year by slashing overtime and bonuses.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. But officials familiar with the discussions said a major element was the deferral of overtime to officers - $58 million this year and $100 million next year - and other cost savings.
The contract offers no pay increases, while bonuses for various activities are reduced and could be eliminated in the future.
Council President Eric Garcetti said the offer, which has been hammered out after more than six months of negotiations, would help the city determine how many officers it can hire this year.
"In this economy, no one is happy with what is out there," Garcetti said. "But I think we have reached a point with the (Police) Protective League that we have an offer they feel they can bring to their board and their membership."
Members of the police officers' union still have to vote whether to ratify the proposal.
"As in any contract negotiation, neither side got everything they want," LAPPL President Paul Weber wrote in an e-mail informing members of the offer. "We believe this contract reflects the state of the current budget crisis faced by the City."
Mayor endorses deal
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has been locked in a dispute with the council over its efforts to reduce police hiring, agrees with the contract offer, according to his office.
The City Council also delayed for one week considering whether to order the LAPD to cease hiring, until a monthly evaluation can be conducted on how many new officers are needed to meet the target in this year's budget of 9,963.
The department is already above that goal, at a current size of 10,005 officers, though the number fluctuates, with retirees going out and new recruits coming in.
The contract would not order officers to take furlough days without pay, as the council considers whether to stem new hiring.
"It makes no sense for us to put officers on furlough while we're hiring new officers," Garcetti said. "That would be ludicrous. Can you imagine what that would do to morale?"
Some council members have raised concerns about the cost of a 10,000-officer force.
"There is nothing magic about the 10,000 number," Councilwoman Jan Perry said. "It's a matter of what we can afford."
Garcetti said there has been a dispute with the LAPD brass over how it is managing the size of the department.
Perry said she was not completely satisfied with the Protective League offer, but she was limited in the details she could discuss.
Cost a concern
One area of concern, she said, is cost control - including making sure it was the city that determined hiring.
Debate over the size of the LAPD has raged the past two weeks, with a proposal to cancel the November class of recruits.
Villaraigosa and Police Chief Bill Bratton have said they were concerned it was the first step toward reducing the size of the LAPD, which is at a historic high in terms of the number of officers.
However, on Tuesday, Villaraigosa said he was satisfied with the budget proposal for 9,963 officers this year. Hiring for future classes will be monitored to make sure the city stays at that level.
