The Los Angeles City Council will be considering the approval of a four-year contract with the union representing the officers, detectives, and lieutenants of the Los Angeles Police Department. This contract aims to address the issues of retention and recruitment within the department.
The proposed deal includes a 6% raise in the first year, a 4% raise in the second year, a 5% raise in the third year, and another 5% raise in the fourth year. Additionally, it offers increased health care benefits and patrol incentives. The agreement has already been approved by Mayor Karen Bass and a majority of the Los Angeles Police Protective League members.
Before the council’s vote, the Personnel, Audits, and Hiring Committee will hold a special session to discuss the proposal and potentially provide a recommendation.
It is important for the council to approve the labor agreement in order for it to be finalized. According to the LAPPL’s Board of Directors, the contract focuses on providing raises to retain current officers and attract qualified candidates to join the police academy.
The cost of this agreement to taxpayers is estimated to be around $384 million over the next four years, with $123 million allocated for this fiscal year, according to the city administrative officer’s report.
The starting pay for new recruits would be $86,193, which is a 12.6% increase from the current starting salary of $74,020. New officers who remain with the LAPD for at least three years would also receive bonuses of $15,000, while those who transfer from other agencies and stay for at least three years would receive $20,000 in bonuses.
The mayor’s office reports that the LAPD has seen a decline of over 1,000 officers since the beginning of 2020, and the agency is expected to lose even more due to retirements and resignations in the coming year. The department has also experienced a significant number of officers leaving for other agencies within their first few years of duty.
In a meeting with the Police Commission, LAPD Chief Michel Moore stated that the department currently has 9,011 officers and 2,621 civilian professionals. He addressed concerns about how recruitment issues have impacted the department’s ability to address crime challenges, such as organized retail theft, property crimes, and assaults with deadly weapons. The shortage of officers has limited the department’s response to calls for service and has affected public engagement.
The proposed labor agreement has faced criticism from Melina Abdullah, the leader of the Los Angeles Chapter of Black Lives Matter, who sees it as problematic due to the LAPD’s history of policing Black people in the city. Abdullah believes that the city should be investing in housing and afterschool programs instead. BLMLA, along with other organizations, held a news conference to condemn the labor agreement and recent LAPD shootings, expressing their dissatisfaction with city officials.
Chief Moore shared that there have been 19 officer-involved shootings in the department so far this year, compared to 25 in the previous year. Violent crime has seen a 7.9% reduction, with a 24% decrease in homicides. However, property crime has increased by 1%, and personal thefts, particularly in retail stores like Target, Nordstrom, and Warehouse Shoe stores, have risen by 20%.
Chief Moore emphasized the importance of the multi-year contract proposal for attracting new recruits and retaining a professional workforce. He expressed hope for the council’s support in approving the proposal.
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