The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-2 to place a measure on the April 2001 municipal ballot that would preserve on-duty officer representation in certain disciplinary proceedings, after public testimony and extended debate.

Why it matters: The measure affects how Los Angeles Police Department officers receive representation during internal administrative investigations and Board of Rights proceedings. Supporters said the issue is a check on due process for officers; opponents said the timing risks letting misbehaving officers avoid accountability if the vote is delayed or has low turnout.

Councilmember Jackie Goldberg moved to put the item on the April ballot; the motion was seconded and approved 12-2, with Councilmembers Pacheco and Holden recorded as the no votes. During public comment, sworn LAPD members urged the council to preserve the current officer representation unit. Officer Joe Ward said, “this unit is a vital importance to the Los Angeles Police Department, to the very core of it.” Officer Corina Lee told the council that representation provides a “check and balance” to ensure impartial hearings and that officers’ constitutional protections are preserved. Mike Laufer, who said he had worked at the Officer Representation Section for nearly 13 years, said, “Our role, again, is to see that things are done fairly.”

Council debate focused on timing and the scope of reform. Councilmember Holden argued for acting sooner on related reforms and criticized a delay to April as allowing further cases to “fall through the cracks.” Another councilmember, Rudy Savornich, proposed asking both bargaining parties to continue negotiations; that procedural request was discussed but is not recorded as a final council action in the transcript. Several council members, including Mike Hernandez and Cindy Miscikowski (spelled in transcript variants), said the matter is complicated by outstanding personnel and contractual questions and supported an April ballot date that would allow additional negotiation time.

Discussion versus action: The council’s formal action was to place the item on the April 2001 municipal ballot (approved 12-2). The transcript records multiple discussion points and at least one proposed procedural direction (requesting continued dialogue between parties); the transcript does not record a formal council vote to adopt any negotiated settlement or to change departmental policy at this meeting.

What’s next: With the measure placed on the April ballot, negotiations and reform discussions described during debate may continue outside the council; the council also referred some related reform proposals (the LAPD integrity assurance package) for further committee consideration.

Ending: The decision moves the question of officer representation from an internal council action to a citywide vote in April 2001, while council members and police representatives continue to press for additional personnel, fiscal and oversight work before broader reform is finalized.