Angry Simi Police Take Protest to Council - Los Angeles Times
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Angry Simi Police Take Protest to Council

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Times Staff Writer

Angry Simi Valley police officers packed a City Council meeting Monday to protest threats to replace their department with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department because of a labor dispute with the city.

“As a police officer and a citizen of this community I am outraged,†said Officer Tony Harper, speaking before a crowd of more than 200 colleagues, relatives and friends. “It hurts me deeply, it depresses me and it breaks my heart.â€

For the record:

12:00 a.m. July 19, 1989 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday July 19, 1989 Valley Edition Metro Part 2 Page 9 Column 2 Zones Desk 1 inches; 25 words Type of Material: Correction
An article Tuesday about a labor dispute between Simi Valley police officers and the city incorrectly reported the date on which negotiations reached an impasse. It was June 29.

The council took no action, but at the end of the sometimes raucous meeting, Mayor Greg Stratton urged police to resume negotiations, which reached an impasse July 29. A meeting has been scheduled for today.

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“We just want to get them back to the table,†Stratton said.

Last week Stratton, frustrated over the stalled negotiations, threatened to ask the council to disband the force and contract with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for protection.

Most Opposed

Most speakers opposed the idea.

“As a taxpayer and a registered voter, I would like our police officers in the field to be the highest paid in the nation, and the pay raises offered them by this City Council is a dirty joke,†said Gary Arbitter, an auto parts dealer.

“And if anyone on this council says we should hire the Sheriff’s Department, I will personally consider launching a recall drive against that member,†he continued, drawing wild applause.

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With its reputation for a low crime rate and affordable housing, Simi Valley has long been a residential haven for police, and boasts of more peace officers and firefighters per capita than any other city in the state--almost 1 in every 36 employed adults, according to 1980 census figures.

But the city’s own police force--plagued over the years by allegations of misconduct--has worked without a contract since July 1, when its two-year agreement expired. Negotiations broke down mainly over pay and officers’ demands for a workweek of four 10-hour days.

Salary Survey

Officers also resent the fact that the city conducted a salary survey for the police chief and other department heads--comparing their compensations with counterparts elsewhere--but won’t do the same for the rank and file.

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“If that’s the measuring stick used for the chief, we’d like to be similarly compared,†said Sgt. Gary Collins, a spokesman for the Simi Valley Police Officers Assn., or POA.

Chief Paul Miller said his salary rose 8% to $73,668 in February but declined further comment, saying he was caught between his force and the City Council.

A salary survey has been offered to the union in the third year of a proposed four-year contract, said Personnel Director Laura Wylie. The city’s proposal, which included a 24% increase in salaries and benefits over four years, was rejected by the POA, which said it ignored higher pay scales and better incentives offered by comparable departments.

Base Pay

Patrol officers in Simi Valley now receive a base pay of $26,472 a year, and sergeants get a minimum of $34,600 a year for a week of five 8-hour days.

If the city switched to the Sheriff’s Department for protection it might save as much as $3 million a year, according to city and county figures. The city’s Police Department costs $10 million for the 1989-1990 fiscal year, 38% of its $26 million budget. Meanwhile, the city of Thousand Oaks, with a roughly comparable population of 100,000, has a $7-million annual contract with the Sheriff’s Department.

One speaker at Monday’s meeting favored hiring the Sheriff’s Department--not to save money but because he considers it more professional.

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“You deal with the county and then deal with these people and you’ll see the difference,†said machine-shop owner Larry Wilkin, who said local police ignore many valid complaints while harassing innocent citizens.

“These people are their friends, relatives and children,†he said of the crowd’s unfriendly reaction. “This is not the opinion of the city.â€

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