EDITORIAL COPS OR BUILDINGS? LAPD GETS NEW HEADQUARTERS, NOT MORE OFFICERS.

TO the critical mind, there may be something odd about a city government that's willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a new police headquarters, but is hard-pressed to spend a fraction of that sum to hire some desperately needed new cops.

Unfortunately, critical minds are a rare commodity on the Los Angeles City Council. In fact, by last count, there was a grand total of one: City Councilman Tony Cardenas.

In a brave act of bucking City Hall's go-along-to-get-along ethos, Cardenas cast the single dissenting vote against the council's plan to shell out $95 million for a temporary headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Yes, that's right, $95 million for a temporary facility - $51 million for a downtown building, and $44 million for renovations. The council expects to pay at least $215 million for the LAPD's permanent digs, a replacement for Parker Center that fits in nicely with the grandiose schemes for downtown.

``I need more information,'' Cardenas said of the dubious plan. ``There's a lot of questions that have gone unanswered.''

That's for sure.

First among those questions is: Shouldn't the city worry more about having cops than about having a snazzy building to put them in?

The LAPD has been understaffed for decades, yet city leaders refused to put up the cash for new hires in this year's budget, saying the coffers were dry.

Then, last week, the council agreed to accept a $20 million federal grant for hiring new cops, but couldn't identify how it would come up with $10 million in matching funds. The city might try to claim that past hires should count as ``new'' cops.

There are other unanswered questions, too.

For instance, is it mere coincidence that the building the city plans to buy is currently largely vacant - and owned by Hahn supporters Magic Johnson and Kenneth Lombard? Could this be one more case of City Hall's unseemly deal-making?

And if the new building is good enough to serve the LAPD temporarily, why can't it do the job permanently, thus freeing up the city to save money and hire more cops?

For that matter, why put the LAPD in a centralized downtown headquarters at all? For a massive, sprawling city like Los Angeles, wouldn't it be more prudent and economical to spread the cops out more evenly?

Those questions, however, are easier to answer. Rebuilding downtown - at the expense of everywhere else - has long been the dream of city leaders. A sparkling new Parker Center would complement their envisioned skyline nicely.

So why is it better to have a pricey and unnecessary police headquarters - as well a $95 million interim site - than, say, a police force large enough to adequately patrol the city's streets?

Amazingly, 14 out of 15 City Council members have endorsed this ridiculous plan. Credit Cardenas for the temerity to raise the tough questions, even if they never get answered.