DEFICIT MAY PREVENT MORE SCHOOL POLICE GLENDALE COUNCIL MUST MAKE CHOICE.

Byline: Jennifer Hamm and Donna Huffaker Staff Writers

GLENDALE - Faced with recent deadly gang violence on a Glendale campus, the City Council now begins weighing a solution - more officers at schools - against another problem, a looming deficit.

Police and residents have asked the council to earmark $2.4 million to pay for more officers, following the fatal stabbing this month of a student at Hoover High School.

However, council members must consider that request against a projected $1.37 million deficit that the city faces a little more than a year from now.

``I've got to tell you I think additional police staffing is absolutely necessary,'' said City Manager Jim Starbird at a special budget study session last week with the City Council.

But Councilwoman Ginger Bremberg said her colleagues must be careful to not act based on their emotions. ``It's our responsibility to remain calm, objective,'' she said.

Bremberg cited concerns about a deficit predicted by city budget planners in the fiscal year 2001-02. Rising expenses and declining revenue are at the source of the possible deficit, according to city officials.

Starbird and Police Chief Russ Siverling said the need for more police officers has been there for years and must be addressed.

Others agree.

``It's not a knee-jerk reaction at all,'' said City Councilman Sheldon Baker. ``It's long overdue, long overdue.''

Starbird suggested that the city look at paying for more officers and searching for new sources of revenue in the coming year.

The City Council will continue to hash out its 2000-01 budget until late next month, when council members are expected to approve it.

Siverling asked the City Council last week for money to place one sergeant and three more school resource officers, known as SROs, at the four high schools. Siverling wants two SROs each at Hoover and Glendale high schools and one each at Clark Magnet and Daily Continuation high schools.

``The original intent of the SROs as a `cop on campus' for students to get to know and appreciate, has long been removed by the need for security on campus. With increased school populations, diverse groups and the presence of gang members, the SRO's primary duty has evolved into keeping the peace on and around the campuses,'' he said in a proposal to City Council.

In the last two years, two Hoover High students have been killed just off campus, after classes ended.

SROs usually stay at the school until 4 p.m. or later, said Sgt. Rick Young. But with 3,000-some students, it's impossible for one officer to keep an eye on everything.

``For the Montrose Farmer's Market, where 5,000 to 8,000 people usually attend, we assign five to eight officers. To be safer and to be more effective, we need more officers at school and we need them to stagger their hours,'' Young said.

Four new police officers will replace staff who will be reassigned as SROs, Young explained.

Earlier this month, Hoover senior Raul Aguirre was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned with a tire iron. Police say Armenian gang members committed the May 5 attack, in which another youth, a Latino gang member, was assaulted.

Aguirre, who was not in a gang, tried to help his friend when he was stabbed twice in the chest, twice in the back and bludgeoned. The attack occurred in front of at least 40 students, some of whom attended Keppel Elementary.

Altogether, Glendale needs $2.4 million to cover the cost to the city for Siverling's proposed staffing plan.

The department, which recently received $800,736 in federal grant funds for 12 police officers, will also use $80,000 from the school district to pay for one school resource officer at one campus for one year.

The federal monies, from the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services Universal Hiring Program, will fund $25,000 toward one officer per year for three years.

Siverling hopes federal COPS money can also fund four police officers assigned to the gang detail, four officers assigned to the domestic violence team and one to the special enforcement detail.