Even with a sluggish economy and the prospects of a more than $400 million shortfall, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vowed Monday to oppose any reductions in the Los Angeles Police Department budget this year after seven straight years of reduced crime rates.
Celebrating a drop in homicides to the lowest levels in 30 years along with reductions in all serious and gang crimes in the city, Villaraigosa joined with LAPD Chief William Bratton and other law enforcement officials to assert that he will continue plans to expand the LAPD.
"We will not be deterred from growing the LAPD," the mayor said. "I will not back down from the idea that we need to continue to put police officers on the street to make Los Angeles safe."
In his first year as mayor, Villaraigosa pushed through an increase in the trash fee, with the money going to expand the LAPD.
Bratton said it was those policies that increased the size of the LAPD from 9,200 officers when he came on seven years ago to 9,854 officers today, allowing the opening this past weekend of two new stations in the west San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles.
"The benefit of all those officers starts happening in 2009 and 2010," Bratton said. "We have 300 new officers in the academy who will graduate this year and go on the streets to protect the people of Los Angeles. As this country goes into the recession, this department has never been in a better position to defend the city." With crime already at historic low levels, some council members have suggested delaying the hiring of more officers and looking at other ways to save money by limiting LAPD spending.
Villaraigosa said he will continue to oppose any such cuts.
"I have said that I will not be deterred in this effort and I think a majority of the City Council will agree with me," he said.
There were 381 homicides last year, a drop from 395 in 2007 and 648 in 2002, when Bratton was named chief. Los Angeles also now has one of the lowest homicide rates compared with other major cities, Deputy Chief Charles Beck said.
Beck provided detailed breakdowns of the homicides, saying 161 of them occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight and 94 were on a Saturday night or Sunday morning. Also, despite the numbers averaging out to more than one homicide a day, Beck said there were 145 days last year when no slayings occurred.
The figures showed the fewest violent crimes in the city since 1967 and overall crime at the lowest point since 1961.
Beginning in 2007, Villaraigosa and Bratton made gang crime their top priority and they have seen significant drops in gang-related crimes. Last summer, when the city opened eight parks to nighttime activities, there were only 18 gang homicides in July and 20 in August, numbers not seen since 1966 and 1970, respectively.
Bratton said the mayor will release a more detailed plan dealing with prevention and intervention programs later this month, one that is expected to result in further reductions in gang crime.
"We have done well with suppression," Bratton said. "Now is the time to add the other legs to the stool and deal with the root problems."
