El Monte police offer up 10 percent pay cuts

News of layoffs within the El Monte Police Department is traveling fast.

I’ve already spotted coverage of a protest at City Hall Tuesday night on two news stations, and our own Rebecca Kimitch is working on an in-depth story on the issue for tomorrow’s paper.

In the meanwhile, here’s the news we have so far: We’ve been reporting for some time now that El Monte police fear they could lose as many as 17 officers if the city can’t figure out another way to reduce the budget and deal with a growing multi-million dollar deficit.

Last night, the El Monte Police Officers Association asked instead that the city cut police salaries by 10 percent to avoid layoffs.

Apparently, the deal is being discussed. Layoffs, pay raises and hiring freezes at police departments is always a touchy issue, with law enforcement agencies often arguing that low benefits and a reduced force can lead to decreased public safety.

What do you think? Should the city layoff officers, or will a 10 percent pay cut suffice?