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Copyright ã POLICEPAY.NET,
Inc. 2002 All Rights Reserved Los Angeles County To Pay Police Officers $100 Million By Michelle Pronovost Editor “These officers are finally getting the
justice they deserve,” says Ms. News Online of the L.A. County police
officers. The officers, a department of approximately 500 police officers
that patrol hospitals and parks, won $100 million, the largest settlement in
the history of L.A. County, in a racial discrimination suit. The police
officers felt they were being paid less than the Sheriff’s Department for
performing the same duties, and believed it was due to the fact that while
the Sheriff’s Department was Caucasian in majority, the police officers were
predominantly minorities. According to Ms. News, “the county will be
required to pay about $100 million in back pay and upgraded pensions as well
as another $140 million over the next 25 years in increased salaries.” “During a two-week trial that ended June 6,
the officers told a jury how they battled street-gangs, restrained
often-violent psychiatric patients and lost six officers in the line of duty.
However, they were compensated more like security guards than police—with
salaries beginning at about $30,000 compared the $42,000 for Sheriff’s
deputies. In addition, these officers do not receive safety retirement and
their families are not taken care of in the event of death in the line of
duty,” says Ms. News Online. According to the Los Angeles Times,
Supervisor Mike Antonvich “called the decision ‘boneheaded’ and predicted
that it would be overturned on appeal.” One of the arguments the city will employ in
appeal is the estimation that to provide this pay hospitals would have to be
shut down. According to Patty Bellasalma, attorney for the police department,
this is not a valid issue. “The issue with the hospitals has been going
on for ten years and that debt has been there for ten years.” According to
Bellasalma, there has been more than one waiver issued by the federal
government in the past and the board of supervisors failed to solve the
situation or go to Washington. Bellasalma says that the hospitals imminent
shut down “in no way has anything to do” with the back pay for the police.
However, she did remark that those in support of the police officers were
informed that “it would be handled this way in publicity” to create a counter
argument. Bellasalma does not believe the verdict will
be overturned in appeal. “There are no issues that could be used in appeal,
and there were no major disputes about evidence. The county did not present
evidence in response or present an expert to dispute the figures.” She also
remarks “the underlying issue is that they serve a predominantly poor,
minority population—predominantly female at that.” There is hope that the L.A. County police
officers will merge with the Sheriff’s Department. Bellasalma says that merging
is “in the perceivable future now.” Bellasalma remarks that “phase two of
consolidation is to merge after the creation of the Department of Public
Safety.” She is unsure what effect the merger would have on the two
departments, however, as they are involved in a dispute. Representatives from L.A. County have claimed
that if the verdict is not overturned in appeal, the county may be forced to
disband the department. Bellasalma says such an act would “have a devastating
affect.” “The areas they provide community policing for
are all hospitals and clinics, welfare and mental health facilities, safe
havens and county parks. The unit is deployed if there is ever any chemical,
biological or nuclear attack, where the hospital and police would need to
work together.” In addition, these officers constantly protect doctors,
nurses and patients. Bellasalma is confident the department will
not be disbanded, however. Los Angeles County’s total percent increase is
approximately 30% to 35%. _______________________________________________________ Michelle Pronovost (405) 840-0044
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The
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