EQUALITY WATCH : Balanced Force

The symbolism of the new hiring goals for female officers in the Los Angeles Police Department is powerful and positive.

The package of initiatives passed unanimously by the City Council on Wednesday is intended to boost the ranks of women from 13% to equal the percentage of women in the local work force; today women make up 44% of the local labor force.

The measures follow from recommendations of the Christopher Commission, which found widespread sexual discrimination and harassment in the LAPD.

The commission, formed in the wake of the beating of Rodney G. King, determined that female officers are often better able to peacefully resolve potentially violent situations.

The City Council measures also call on the Police Commission to make the police chief personally responsible for eliminating gender bias, discrimination and harassment from the department, and urge Mayor Tom Bradley to make gender-balanced appointments to the Police Commission and other bodies.

Both Police Chief Willie L. Williams and Bradley have expressed support for the commitment.

The biggest problem with this fine plan is the usual one: money. The city’s budget squeeze has necessitated a hiring freeze that applies to the Police Department as well. Proposition N, on the November ballot, would raise property taxes to provide for as many as 1,000 new police officers. If it passes, as we hope it does, many of those new officers would likely be women.