LAPD WANTS HUGE BOND ISSUE ON BALLOT.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

LAPD Chief Bernard C. Parks wants a $639 million bond measure for the November ballot, including $268 million to replace the downtown police headquarters and $32 million for a new East Valley Bureau, officials said Monday.

Voters would be asked to shoulder $1.46 billion more in bond debt and taxes for the police measure, a $644 million proposal from firefighters and a $178 million proposal from library supporters.

These 30-year bond measures would add $83.51 a year to the tax bill of a home assessed at $162,000 - about $1 for each $2,000 in assessed value.

Mayor Richard Riordan and council members, who must decide whether to place the measures on the ballot, were trying to gauge how much debt the voters might support and how to make sure the promised projects would be done, a problem with past bond measures.

``Both of those issues have to be (resolved) for the mayor to support this,'' said Riordan spokeswoman Noelia Rodriguez.

Richard Close, co-chairman of the secession activist group Valley VOTE, said he opposes building a new police headquarters when there is a chance that the San Fernando Valley will secede from Los Angeles.

``I think it should be put on hold until it is determined whether the Valley will become a separate city,'' said Close, who is also president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.

Close said he fears that city officials are rushing to incur more debt to make Valley secession more difficult and less appealing. Whatever officials' motives, Close predicted voters would reject such a large bond measure, given the history of mismanaged bond funds.

``They've already raised our property taxes to pay for police stations that were never built, so there's a real credibility gap there,'' Close said.

Voter rejection of a 1995 police bond measure is blamed, in part, on the city's failure to keep a 1989 bond-measure promise to replace the West Valley police station and to build a sixth police station for the San Fernando Valley.

Both projects were shelved because of cost overruns on other police building projects. Both are back on the list for the proposed new bond measure.

Council members, who have yet to formally receive Parks' proposal, voiced skepticism that voters would approve such large requests for money.

``I think the city would have a better chance if it did chunks smaller than that - and show it can do a good job with that money before going back for another chunk,'' said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg.

Councilwoman Laura Chick, who represents the West Valley, also was skeptical, although she said the projects on the list are essential.

``I am concerned that in this era of public distrust of government, this is an awful lot of money to ask for,'' Chick said.

Los Angeles police Deputy Chief Greg Berg said the $639 million list identifies the most pressing of more than $1 billion in needs. ``We want to move forward,'' Berg said. ``Many of our facilities are pretty old and deteriorated.''

The mayor has expanded the police force by nearly 2,800 officers, to its largest size in history, but new police facilities have not kept up.

Over seven years, the proposed measure would finance a $30.2 million replacement for the cramped, aging West Valley Police Station. More than 367 officers and other workers are assigned to that station, built for 107, Capt. Lee Carter said.

``Absolutely, it has got to be done,'' Carter said about replacing facilities for the station, where he is commanding officer.

In addition, the bond measure would provide $6.2 million for a new West Valley jail capable of holding 48 under arrest. It would replace a 40-bed jail.

The bond measure also proposes $9.2 million for a sixth police station in the San Fernando Valley and $32.6 million to buy the Department of Water and Power's Anthony Office Building in Sun Valley to house a new East Valley Bureau and other city departments.

Parks recently recommended that the city lease part of the old Alemany High School campus for the sixth station, but the station might still be located at the Anthony Office Building if the bond measure is approved.

Most of the police bond money would be spent to replace centralized facilities, including Parker Center, the LAPD's 43-year-old headquarters.

Bond proponents want $101.4 million for a new 379,000-square-foot headquarters for both police and fire departments on the Parker Center site. The proposal also calls for $62.3 million to build a 512-bed jail and $20 million for a 1,268-car parking garage at the site.

The bond measure also would pay $38.7 million for temporarily relocating police workers out of Parker Center during five years of construction.

In addition, $129 million would be provided to buy and renovate a downtown building for police operations.

LAPD WISH LIST

A proposed $639 million bond measure for police projects would add about $36 to the annual tax bill for a home with an assessed valuation of $162,000. In return it would pay for projects including:

$30.2 million replacement for the West Valley police station.

New West Valley jail for $6.2 million.

Sixth San Fernando Valley police station for $9.2 million.

$101.4 million to build a new quarters for police and firefighters on the Parker Center site and $38.7 million to relocate workers during five years of construction.

FAILED PROMISES

Previous Los Angeles bond measures that have failed to carry out their intent include:

A $176 million measure in 1989 that was supposed to, but did not, deliver a sixth police station in San Fernando Valley, a replacement of the West Valley police station and a new station in the mid-Wilshire area.

A $232 million bond measure in 1992 that was supposed to pay for two new 911 dispatch centers. Six years later, neither has been built.

CAPTION(S):

2 Boxes

Box: (1) LAPD WISH LIST (See Text)

(2) FAILED PROMISES (See Text)