Message from Chief Beck Regarding Compensatory Time Off Policy

When the City’s $6.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 was approved, the Los Angeles Police Department was forced to cut $80 million by eliminating cash overtime pay for officers.  But the cuts don’t stop there.  The Department’s ability to make an additional $41 million in cuts rests solely on successful negotiations with the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL).  In anticipation of the expiration of the current compensatory time off (CTO) policy, which allows officers to accrue up to 400 hours of compensatory time off, the LAPD has requested an extension.

The main purpose of the request was to ensure that the primary service providers to the geographical Areas have the resources to continue to provide public service at current levels while a new agreement with the LAPPL is being negotiated.  If a temporary CTO extension is not agreed to by the LAPPL, the overtime threshold will return to 96 hours as of July 1, 2011.  

As of today, no agreement has been reached with the LAPPL.  As a result, I am obligated to make plans for changes that I do not necessarily want to make.  At this point, it is only my intention to prepare you for what lies ahead, if we are faced with the situation where forced time off must be taken at a lower threshold for our sworn personnel.  I will have no other option but to reassign personnel from specialized commands to patrol assignments, effective July 18, 2011, Deployment Period (DP) 8.

Please know that it is not my desire to reassign officers out of their current assignments, but it is the only way the Department can maintain the level of front-line resources that are essential for the protection of the public’s safety.  If I am forced to give time off at a less than 96 hour threshold, it will mean having far fewer officers available to respond to emergency calls for help.  

LAPD officers swore an oath to protect and serve those that live and work in this City.  I remain committed to fighting for the resources officer’s need to do just that, while keeping themselves and their fellow officers, safe. 

Comments

[Jeff B]

We need to work smarter. When an officer shoots a dog it triggers a lengthy and expensive investigation, that we can not afford. A field supervisor and watch commander know within minutes if the shooting was appropriate, so why do we spend those precious investigative dollars to produce a report that says, "Officer Jones shot a vicious dog."

The Department asks us to pitch in and we gave up being paid for overtime, a major change for my family and I. What major changes have the Department made to do more with less?

[citizen]

get over it chief.

[Jim Reed]

The City of Los Angeles is now entering the arena of big city Politics......such as Chicago etc. On one side, the fact that overtime is going to be there, especially in patrol, highlights the politics of the Mayor.

At the end of each budget period, monies not spent are, I believe, sent back to the general fund for Los Angeles. Why not take unused budget funds for the LAPD and immediately transfer them to a "temporary" overtime fund and pay down all those officers that need to drop the bank to say 30 hours.

Can this be done, YES, it can be done if the Mayor gives his blessing.

Think about this before one cries WOLF.

Jim Reed

[EN]

With the new LAPD contract looming, I don’t believe that the city will work with LAPD to get a new agreeable contract. I think that the city it a one way street with no word of honor. I know that this is a tuff time for the budget but I don’t believe it's as bad as they say. We are one of the largest cities in the country and earn a lot of capital in various private and public sectors. I strongly believe that the city is using scare tactics to get their way which is really a low way of getting their message across. Lapd has not seen an increase in pay in two years and a total of three percent in the five years before that and this with cost of living expenses going up. To top it all off they took the overtime away which was the only way some officers were making it. The only reason the last contract was ratified was because our mayor stated that he would remember our sacrifices for the new contract but like we all know now his word is no good. I say that LAPD police officers need to stay strong now more than ever and not be swayed by the mayors scare tactics. Everyone knows that being a Police Officer is dangerous and it takes a special person to be one and we all knew this coming in to this field. I believe that the city and the community need to realize all that we have already sacrificed and say that enough is enough.

[domain name registration]

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