I may not have liked the man, but on this issue I think I'll trust former Chief Daryl Gates rather than present chief Bratton....

I wish someone (maybe the weekly) would compare LA's figures to cities like Chicago, SF and New York and see the difference.

New York has laid off 3,400 officers and yet crime is down 40% since 2002. What Bratton is claiming might be true, but it may be true in other big cities as well, which means he is lucky.

Gwennie, New York had 5 times the cops per capita L A has so you're way off. Just like the Councilmembers who argue that since Bratton's done such a good job fighting crime with a too- small force, he can make do with even fewer, and arguing that anyway, cops may have nothing to do with the lower numbers. (So I guess if we have NO cops or just a few hundred, crime will stay the same?)

Fact is that by attrition alone from those retiring there will be 460 fewer cops within a year, so if they freeze hiring the force will continue to shrink. Even as the councilmembers demand MORE cops for their districts. As did Bill Rosendahl in December when Bratton laid out realities -- as statement of fact, not "threat." Rosendahl just wants it both ways, wanted to grandstand for more cops in front of the people but now is trying to look like a hero for agreeing with Parks and SMith to swipe the trash fee hikes imposed on homeowners that were PROMISED for cops only, into the General Fund. To try to make up for their own mismanagement as Budget Committee members.

Sorry, but this just confirms that all the negative articles on Bratton show this paper's bias against anyone associated with Antonio. Today's witnessla.com has a good analysis of why these hit pieces don't add up and are just plain biased politically, written to conclude a pre-ordained "finding."

And Joe Mailander's street-hassle.blogspot.com lays out (5/20) how biased against Weiss both the Times and Daily News were, essentially lobbying for Trutanich in giving him a free pass.

That's the big story here: the extreme political bias of all 3 major papers and how that is skewing public opinion.

I hope we get more Policemen, I also hope we can start deporting illegal alien gang bangers too. I doubt in 1956, a star athlete and High School Senior like Jamiel Shaw would be shot and killed as he walked home from school in a hate crime. That type of thing didn't happen back then, did it?
I would give Bratton a little more credibility if he wasn't so closely in line with this preposterous Mayor, has proven to say and promise anything at all -1,000 police men, a million trees... then do nothing except increase his staff to 90 something people? Villaraigosa just doesn't hold up to any scrutiny whatsoever. You could probably put his wax figure in hi office and just play his recorded catch phrases all day and have the same results.