Divided council gives modest boost to LAPD hiring, amid tensions with mayor

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Months of tension between Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and members of the City Council burst into public view Friday when the council rebuffed the mayor’s request to significantly increase police hiring.The face-off between the mayor and some council members has been brewing since the council voted in May as part of the city budget to reduce LAPD hiring to 240 officers this year — half of the 480 officers requested by Bass — in order to close a $1-billion budget shortfall and prevent layoffs of other city workers.

Then, when Bass signed the budget, she mentioned she had reached an agreement with Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson to find additional money to restore police hiring.The duo said they would find the money within 90 days.The 90 days came and went.

Then another 90 came and went.All the while, the LAPD continued hiring.As of this month, nearly halfway through the fiscal year, the LAPD has already brought on all 240 new hires accounted for in the budget.

To continue hiring officers, the City Council would need to allocate more money.Against that backdrop, Bass sent a letter to the council Wednesday, calling on them to fund up to 410 new hires over this fiscal year, which ends in July.

Some council members balked, saying they feared the hiring would cause a continuing deficit, since the new police officers will be on the city payroll for decades to come.California The council provided the funds to recruit 240 police officers next year, down from the 480 proposed by the mayor.

Bass’ hiring plan for the L.A.Fire Department was also scaled back.Bass’ push was backed by Councilmember John Lee, who called on his colleagues to fund the 410 hires by peeling $4.4 million away from other parts of the city budget, including the Human Resources Benefits Fund, the Police Health and Welfare Fund and the Innovation Fund.The cost of the extra hires would jump to $24...