A little-known Los Angeles police union program that reimburses officers for wages lost as a result of misconduct suspensions has been roundly criticized by law enforcement and management experts, who say the practice seriously undermines officer discipline.
"It tends to make the discipline process somewhat meaningless," said Merrick Bobb, executive director of the Police Assessment Resource Center.
He said the ability to recoup the docked pay "also sets up a presumption among officers that any punishment that is handed down is unwarranted. And that attitude is not good."
David Lewin, a UCLA professor who trained top New York police officials in management strategies, echoed Bobb.
"The practice is a bad one, and I don't think it's even a close call," he said. "What you're trying to do with discipline is to get people to correct their actions . . . but this is working at complete cross-purposes to that. The officers don't have the same motivation to eliminate their misconduct. It also sets a tone that I would be worried about. It gives rise to a mentality that 'If I can game the system here, I'll be looking around for places where I can game it elsewhere.' "
Los Angeles Police Department observers, however, also noted that the reimbursement plan did not arise out of nowhere.
The Police Protective League, which represents the department's 9,300 rank-and-file officers, began the program in 2001, when most officers viewed the disciplinary system as inconsistent and draconian, according to union officials and other police experts.
"I really do understand the history of unfair punishment and politicized punishment in the LAPD," said Connie Rice, a civil rights attorney and longtime LAPD watchdog. "It is completely legitimate for the union to zealously defend its officers, but I think this goes too far. . . . It undermines the department's ability to get across what it will and won't tolerate of its officers."
More than 7,000 officers -- about three-quarters of the union's membership -- pay $20 each month on top of their regular dues to participate in the policy, which covers up to 25 days of suspension each year. The pool of money is dipped into with regularity, with the union approving an average of five claims each week.
To receive the money, which can total several hundred dollars a day for higher-ranking detectives and lieutenants, the officer must opt not to appeal the department's punishment to an independent review panel. The union provides attorneys to officers who choose to fight their punishments.
