"It's a bad idea," Beck said. "The continued hiring of police officers is the lifeblood of this organization. Without it, the safety of the people of Los Angeles is at risk.
Beck said dropping crime rates over the last several years prove that the police department has already found the right strategy for balancing safety and finances, but a union spokesman told the L.A. Times that many officers are being used to fill civilian jobs.
The union wants to see those posts filled, and use the money saved to restore overtime pay for police officers.
City News Service contributed to this report.
