EDITORIAL SECURING THE LAUSD.

DEPENDING on whom you talk to, you get a very different sense of what's going on in the negotiations between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the union representing its police force.

The union, which is pushing for a 2 percent pay hike and other salary increases, says the dispute really isn't about compensation. ``Our big message is that the schools are unsafe,''says President Kevan Otto.

Not surprisingly, Eric Joss, an attorney representing the district, tells a different story. ``When they say it's not about the money,'' he says, ``that doesn't accurately reflect the tenor of their negotiations.''

Because negotiations are closed to the public, it's impossible to know who's telling the truth. But the district needs to bolster its security forces, and no doubt it could do that more easily if the union were to cut some slack on pay scales.

We will get a much better sense of both sides' commitment to making our schools safer when they reach an agreement, and the contract becomes available for all to see.