Greuel Pledges 20% of New Revenue for First Responders and Emergency Preparedness
LOS ANGELES - Today, Wendy Greuel joined with Frank Lima, President of UFLAC, and first responders from around Los Angeles to announce her plan for keeping the streets, neighborhoods, and schools in Los Angeles safe. Wendy’s plan prioritizes Public Safety and outlines a clear pathway to fund additional resources in the years to come.
Greuel’s plan pledges 20% of new revenues to be put aside to increase the number of police officers, firefighters and paramedics; reduce 911 response times; expand crime prevention programs; and develop a neighborhood-based emergency preparedness system. The plan would not raise taxes.
Following their recent respective endorsements of Greuel, today members of both the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles Police Department spoke in support of Greuel’s plan as “a comprehensive blueprint.”
“We need a Mayor who will prioritize public safety and ensure that police and fire departments have the resources they need to keep residents across the city safe,” said UFLAC President Lima. “The Council has cut the fire department down to the bone through ongoing budget reductions that reach over $80 million. Other mayoral candidates sat on the sidelines while these cuts were implemented. The New Deployment Plan has led to increased response times and permanent closures to Fire Trucks, Fire Engines, Ambulances, Paramedics and Inspectors throughout the city. These cuts are a dangerous gamble and put residents’ and our firefighter's safety at risk. Angelenos need a leader who won’t gamble with our safety—they need a Mayor who will put our safety first.”
“It’s about time that we have a candidate who will put forward a specific plan to keep all of Los Angeles safe,” said Greg Meyer, a retired officer with the LAPD. “Wendy’s plan will make sure that Los Angeles will not let public safety slip, even in tough economic times.”
“L.A.’s Police and Firefighters understand that keeping our city safe isn’t just about getting tough on crime – it’s about giving first responders the resources they need to do their job. It’s time for action, for a plan,” Greuel said. “That’s why I’m announcing this public safety plan this morning – so we leave no part of our city behind. I’ll be a mayor for all of Los Angeles, and I’ll fight to keep our streets, neighborhoods, and schools safe.”
Wendy’s plan will: ● Set aside 20% of revenue growth for hiring new police officers, firefighters and expanding crime prevention programs.
● Devote an additional 5% of new revenue to create a Public Safety Trust Fund to be used for public safety emergencies and to sustain the increase in LAPD and LAFD personnel during economic downturns.
● Expand LAPD to over 12,000 officers and LAFD to 4,000 firefighters and paramedics by 2020.
● Work with the City Attorney, neighborhood councils and Police Chief to implement a Community-based policing and prosecuting model throughout our neighborhoods to reduce crime and expand prevention programs.
● Enhance the Gang Reduction Youth Development Office (GRYD) by creating a specific Bureau of Youth Crime Prevention to coordinate with parents and school police officers to secure local campuses from gangs and guns while expanding afterschool, mentorship and job training programs to steer kids away from gangs, drugs and guns.
● Work with private sector businesses such as grocery stores to develop emergency plans to distribute food and water in times of crisis; Include program to provide auxiliary power to neighborhood schools and help facilitate expeditious delivery of basic necessities and shelter during large-scale emergencies;
● Plan coordinated efforts with schools, hospitals, and senior homes to ensure safe evacuation routes to ‘Emergency Shelters’ which would allow the City to identify most at risk population during a time of emergency;
● Direct the Emergency Preparedness Department to work with the City’s CERT program in training a CERT Team of neighborhood leadership and medical professionals in each neighborhood of the City to ensure each community is equipped with trained volunteers, volunteer health care professionals that can provide immediate assistance to victims, organize additional volunteers at a disaster site helping the most vulnerable, and coordinate efforts with our first responders.