Police hiring dispute escalates

Appealing to the neighborhood activists who agreed to pay for a police buildup, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Saturday threw down a challenge to the City Council's plans to slow police hiring.

The council is scheduled to debate Tuesday whether to reduce police hiring because of the city's projected $400 million deficit.

But even as other city services face steep cuts, Villaraigosa vowed to maintain past commitments to build up the police force.