Compromise plan for police hiring OKd

The City Council on Friday backed away from a proposal by budget chairman Bernard C. Parks to cap the net gain of police officers this fiscal year at 226.

Parks had said he wanted to keep the city within its budget. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, however, had threatened to veto any cap, saying he should have the ability to increase hiring. As a compromise, council members voted 11 to 0 to allow the Los Angeles Police Department to exceed its hiring goals on the condition that the mayor give them a hiring timeline to help anticipate funding needs.