First it was Baldwin Park. Then it was Arcadia. Now, it’s Monrovia – the latest casuality in bitter contract negotiations between sworn police officers and city officials.

It’s pretty much the same story, Star-News reporter Melissa Pamer reports:

The Monrovia Police Officers Association and city officials have been meeting since spring, trying to negotiate a replacement contract for the four-year agreement that expired June 30, 2007. They’ve been far apart the whole time, representatives of both sides said.

The situation became pivotal on Friday, when the police association’s lawyer informed City Manager Scott Ochoa that the city’s fourth offer – of a 16.5percent raise over three and a half years – was rejected.

Now, police have taken to the streets to bring their fight to the people.

Over the weekend, off-duty officers talked to Monrovians and handed out fliers at local grocery stores. On Friday, automatic phone calls went out to 11,000 households warning of a “crisis” and saying city officials have “ignored” the association’s request for “the resources to make our city more secure.”

Here’s the interesting part. It seems police are employing the recent string of gang shootings in their fight.

The attention comes as the spotlight on the city’s public-safety efforts was beginning to fade, after six weeks of calm followed a series of gang shootings in December and January.

References to “dangerous gangs” and “senseless violence” have been employed in the association’s calls for residents to lobby City Hall in support of increased public-safety funding.

What do you think? In poor taste or a good argument?