Council Upholds Veto of 100 Police Officers

The Los Angeles City Council today upheld Mayor Tom Bradley’s veto of its proposal to add funds for 100 more police officers to next year’s budget.

After a telephone lobbying campaign by the mayor, his votes fell into line and the move to override his veto was killed by a 7-7 vote. Ten votes were needed to overturn the Bradley decision.

The battle over the police was the most controversial of a debate on 16 mayoral vetoes of items, totaling $7 million, in the $2.125-billion budget sent him by the council.

7,000 Officers

The budget Bradley submitted to the council provided for a Police Department with an authorized strength of 7,000 uniformed officers. That proposal contained enough to continue a 100-officer increase earlier in the year.

The council voted to add $2.6 million for 100 more officers. It did this by reducing roughly the same amount of money that had been allocated for purchase of new unmarked cars.

No Money for Future Years

Councilman Joel Wachs, backing the mayor, objected to paying for the officers with money that is needed for new cars. And, he said, use of one year’s equipment money would provide no money for the police in future years,

As the debate opened, Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, chairman of the council Finance and Revenue Committee and leader of the override move, conceded that the mayor had won. “There are not enough votes to override, there never has been,” he said.

Councilman Hal Bernson, a Bradley foe, said there “has been sufficient arm twisting” by Bradley so that council members would “knuckle under.”