Both measures on the March 8 city election ballot propose to
amend the City Charter rules governing the fire and police
departments pension plans.
Charter Amendment 1 seeks to include port police officers in the
same pension plans the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los
Angeles Police Department uses.
Port police officers are currently enrolled in the city’s
civilian pension program and are the Harbor of Los Angeles’
own police force.
While they don’t face the same type of risks as LAPD
officers, the industrial marine environment is a very hazardous
place, said Daniel Aleman, president of the Los Angeles Port Police
Association. There were only three port officer-involved shootings
in the last five years, but with 42 percent of the nation’s
cargo entering through the port, it has been identified as a
potential terrorist target.
But “nobody knows who we are,” Aleman said.
Pat McOsker, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles
City, said the inclusion of the port authority officers into the
pension system is a simple issue of fairness.
“Police work is police work, and they ought to enjoy the
same benefits,” he said.
The port believes that with more attractive pension benefits,
they will be able to recruit the most qualified officers to better
protect the port.
If passed, Charter Amendment 2 will alter the fire and police
pension program in three ways.
First, retired police officers and firefighters under age 55
will be allowed to return to active duty by terminating their
pensions.
Currently, only retired employees hired before Dec. 8, 1980 are
allowed to be rehired, with the approval of the police or fire
chief.
Many believe Los Angeles’ current fiscal situation has
prevented the city from hiring sufficient police and firefighters,
and see Charter Amendment 2 as an inexpensive way to fill these
vacancies with experienced police officers.
City Councilmember Dennis Zine said it costs “$100,000 to
train a new officer. This change will reduce those costs to a
negligible level.”
Second, the current rule that allows the Council to provide a
health subsidy to retired officers and firefighters is capped at
the level that active workers receive. The amendment will grant the
City Council the authority to set subsidies by ordinance,
independent of active worker subsidies.
The amendment’s third stipulation would equalize a pension
savings requirement between the fire and police pension system and
the civilian system.
The fire and police system currently requires a salary
contribution of at least 8 percent, while the civilian system
requires a maximum of 6 percent. This measure would allow the city
to pay up to 2 percent to make up that difference.
Neither amendment faces any official opposition.