Mayor James K. Hahn praised the work of police chief Bill Bratton and pledged to find a way to hire more police officers as he gave his State of the Valley speech at VICA’s Committee Fair. “The LAPD has done far too much with far too little for far too long,” Hahn said in his speech at the Airtel Plaza at Van Nuys Airport. “I’m urging the city council to put a measure on the May ballot to more 1,200 more police officers on the street.” The City Council is evaluating a measure that would ask voters to approve a half cent increase the city’s sales tax to pay for new police officers. A similar, county-wide measure was defeated in November. Hahn said his administration has focused on improving the quality of life in the Valley, and pointed to the creation of 80 neighborhood councils, a new police station in the North Valley and reductions in the city’s business tax as evidence. The mayor’s speech was postponed for about 20 minutes as he returned from a Glendale press conference. He asked for a moment of silence in remembering the train passengers who were killed and injured in Wednesday morning’s commuter train disaster before beginning the address.
