Facts Remain--Police Stations Outdated : The rejection of Prop. 1 only delays needed modernization

On Thursday, we said that the defeat of Proposition 1, the police facilities bond issue, was another big setback in the effort to modernize the Los Angeles Police Department. The measure would have created or replaced four police stations, including a brand new facility in the San Fernando Valley. Well, what now?

The facts remain. They will have to be faced if we ever expect this department to rise to our performance expectations. It’s going to cost a lot of money to reverse years of neglect. The new police stations we would have gained are just the tip of the iceberg.

Police Chief Willie L. Williams, for example, carried a very telling sheet of paper around with him in the days before the Tuesday vote. One column showed the current amount of usable space the LAPD has in its 18 police stations (about 248,000 square feet). The second column showed how much space the LAPD really needs right now (more than 430,000 square feet). The third column causes the real antacid moment: how much space the department will need in the coming years (more than 565,000 square feet, or more than double current amounts).

Sure, it’s time to seriously study alternatives. Would it be economically feasible to lease current office space to alleviate some overcrowding? Would mini-mall and shopping center managers welcome a standing police presence by donating some empty space? Would such space be suitable for police station or substation needs?

The answer will be yes, in some cases. Such options will be limited, however, and will in no way solve the space problem. We will have to pay for more stations, period.

And there’s more evidence that the LAPD is pushing the envelope on its facilities and equipment. Again, the news is not reassuring, but it cannot be avoided. We must find the means to replace at least some of the LAPD’s aging helicopter fleet.

In a city as vast and as geologically unstable as Los Angeles, police helicopters are extremely important. They are essential for patrolling, rescues and keeping the peace when natural disasters render freeways and surface streets unusable. On a routine basis, our all-too-small police force now relies upon assistance from choppers.

According to facts obtained by Times Valley Edition reporter Julie Tamaki, LAPD helicopters were called in more than 43,150 times in 1994, or more than 118 times a day. On average, LAPD air crews also initiated or assisted in nearly 23 felony arrests per day last year.

The problem: 11 of the LAPD’s 16 choppers are ready for the auction block. Three have logged more than 32,000 hours, among the highest totals in the world for Bell 206B models. That far exceeds industry standards. By contrast, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department tries to replace its helicopters after they have logged 10,000 hours of flight time.

The LAPD’s choppers are well-maintained and aren’t about to drop out of the sky, but this is getting ridiculous. The cost of replacing the oldest three ($4,871,250) is clearly necessary.