News

Foster endorsed by police group
Long Beach Police Officers Association
By Jason Gewirtz, Staff writer, Long Beach Press-Telegram 
11/16/2005
 
LONG BEACH - Mayoral candidate Bob Foster picked up the Long Beach Police Officers Association endorsement Tuesday, and pledged to add 100 officers to the force if he is elected in April.
But his opponents downplayed the endorsement and offered numbers of their own to add to the force.

POA President Steve James said the union went with Foster, the recently retired president of Southern California Edison, because of his positions on increased police staffing.

"Bob had the most factually based answer to those problems that we heard from anyone," he said.

The police union endorsement marks the second major backing Foster has received in recent weeks. He also picked up the endorsement of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

POA candidates have seen mixed results in recent years. In 2002, the union backed Dan Baker for mayor; he finished second. But in 2004, the POA helped Rae Gabelich and Patrick O'Donnell oust City Council incumbents by launching an aggressive walking campaign on their behalf.

Foster is running against City Councilman Frank Colonna and former City Councilman Doug Drummond. Although the race is nonpartisan, Foster is a Democrat. Colonna and Drummond are Republicans.

The police union interviewed each of the candidates. But James said Foster had the best approach to the group's top issue: staffing.

Police Chief Anthony Batts recently told the City Council that the department needs more officers. He presented several plans that would increase the force by as much as 309 officers.

Foster said he would add 100 officers during his first four years in office by reining in expenses and putting revenue such as oil profits toward the issue.

"You can't kid yourself," he said. "You can't start out with a price tag that's too rich."

In response, Colonna said he would work toward the chief's ultimate goal of 309 new officers. A trend of increased city revenue though hotel room and property taxes could help offset the cost, he said.

"To me, 100 officers is insufficient," he said.

Drummond, a retired Long Beach police veteran and former POA president, said the union has not supported him since he favored a plan to let sheriff's deputies patrol the city in the early 1990s. He said he supports additional police officers as well, but a number that lies between what Foster and Colonna are proposing.

Adding police officers, he said, means adding costs for their support services as well.

Candidates have until January to qualify for the April 2006 ballot. James said the union will wait to endorse other city races, but wanted to make a early endorsement for mayor.

"If you're not in the race now, you're really not going to be a viable candidate," he said.