Los Angeles’ influential police union is urging city officials to pause a contentious oversight review of the LAPD, which would increase political control over police policies. They argue that the city is breaching labor laws and misleading the City Council.
In a letter addressed to the City Council, the Los Angeles Police Protective League criticized what they termed “embarrassing systematic failures” by the City Administrator’s Office. They claim that the office did not adequately communicate with the union about proposed amendments to the City Charter that could dramatically alter police oversight and disciplinary processes.
Recent coverage by the California Post has highlighted this proposed overhaul since it first emerged at the Charter Reform Commission back in April.
This proposal would transfer considerable power over LAPD policies from the Mayor-appointed Police Commission to elected members of the City Council.
At public meetings, allegations surfaced that city officials had reached out to the union numerous times to discuss potential charter amendments impacting police officers.
“Someone in city government and/or employee relations groups failed to comply with the law and formally contact us to meet and discuss potential changes to the City Charter. They failed,” said LAPPL President Ricky Mendoza.
He continued, “They need to recognize their mistake, correct the public record with the City Council and adhere to the law. It’s really that simple.”
During a recent meeting with the City Governance Reform Task Force, city officials stated that they had emailed LAPPL Director Craig Lally about these reforms on several occasions. However, the police union reviewed the communication and found that none of the emails related to police oversight or officer discipline.
“The word police is never mentioned,” the union pointed out.
Rather, the emails seemed to focus on HR matters not relevant to the city, like civil service hiring changes and retirement issues affecting other bargaining units.
Additionally, the union highlighted an overlooked June 11 “last, best, final offer” email that had not been referenced in discussions with the City Council.
According to the LAPPL, the content of their communications did not touch on police operations, but rather on other city employees such as vocational trainees and clerks.
The league argues that the oversight was far more than just a clerical oversight.
The ongoing controversy arises as City Hall looks to implement a series of reforms that could potentially be included on the November ballot.
Under California labor laws, public agencies are generally required to consult with employee organizations on matters affecting work conditions before notifying voters about charter changes.
The union claims City Hall did not fulfill these obligations prior to advancing the proposed ballot measure.
Consequently, the LAPPL is asking the City Council to suspend any consideration of charter amendments related to police officers until appropriate labor negotiations can occur.
City officials maintain that these LAPD reforms aim to enhance accountability and modernize governance. However, the union expresses skepticism regarding the integrity of that process.
“If city officials do not adhere to clear legal standards and opt to conceal their missteps until the legislative process is over, the City Council should stop any further consideration of charter amendments affecting LAPPL members,” the letter stated.
As of now, the city administrator’s office has not responded to requests for comment.
