"Mayor gets earful about LAPD schedule, LAX plan"

Wednesday, October 27, 2004
 
Mayor gets earful about LAPD schedule, LAX plan
By Rick Orlov
The Los Angeles (CA) Daily News


Mayor James Hahn found himself on the defensive Wednesday over his $11
billion plan to modernize LAX and his continued support of a flexible
workweek for police officers.

During his monthly "Ask the Mayor" show on radio station KFWB-AM (980), Hahn
took several calls about the Los Angeles Police Department's flexible
schedule. City Councilman Bernard Parks, a former police chief, has made the
flexible workweek a key issue in his challenge to Hahn in next year's
mayoral election.

Hahn said the schedule that allows Los Angeles police officers to work three
12-hour shifts a week has helped improve LAPD morale while reducing crime
citywide.

"If it hadn't resulted in a drop in crime, we wouldn't keep it," Hahn said.
"It has given the department flexibility. Criminals don't work on a 9-to-5
schedule and we need to be able to have officers on the street when crimes
are being committed." 

Parks maintains that the schedule has not affected morale and instead has
reduced the number of officers able to respond to emergencies.

"Morale is such a nebulous thing that most people don't know what they're
talking about," Parks said afterward. "This schedule is bad because it
reduces the number of officers on the street and provides less protection
for the public."

Hahn also told listeners that he was proud of winning City Council approval
last week for the Los Angeles International Airport modernization plan.

Final council approval of the plan is expected in December, with the Federal
Aviation Administration expected to sign off early next year and
construction starting shortly thereafter, he said.

Hahn said the master plan contains provisions to lessen the airport's
impacts on neighboring communities.

"Growth is going to happen," Hahn said. "We are now at about 60 million
passengers a year and if we do nothing, there is going to be expansion. With
this plan, we are limiting it to 78.5 million passengers a year and can take
steps to ease some of the problems."

The plan calls for improving runways, renovating terminals and building a
new rental-car facility and a people-mover from the Green Line station into
the terminal.

The project also has been a major issue in Hahn's bid for re-election in
March, with all his major challengers opposing the plans.

Hahn said passage of the LAX plan will now allow him and other city
officials to concentrate on the years-long effort to get a master plan
approved for Van Nuys Airport, the nation's busiest general-aviation
facility.

"It has taken too long," Hahn said. "I was frustrated when I was city
attorney about how long it is taking. I think we can start to come to some
agreement and push it forward now."


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