Local Elections : Valley Vote More Supportive of LAPD

During the months of intense campaigning against Charter Amendment F, the police reform measure, campaign operatives pinned their hopes on the San Fernando Valley and the conservative, pro-law enforcement bent of many of its voters.

The strategy nearly worked. Although Valley voters split on the proposal to radically change the Los Angeles Police Department power structure, they voted against it in far higher numbers than voters in the city at large.

Voters in the Valley couldn’t overcome the sweeping call for reform sparked by the beating of motorist Rodney G. King and last month’s riots. But election breakdowns by precinct, released Wednesday, made it clear that residents north of Mulholland Drive remain far more conservative and pro-police than those citywide, officials and political analysts said.

“Police are middle class and the Valley is the heart of the middle class,” said Councilwoman Joy Picus, who said her West Valley constituents are among the most conservative in the city. “But nothing they could have done would have made the difference.”

Traditionally, Valley residents have been staunch supporters of the Police Department and embattled Chief Daryl F. Gates, even in times when the department has come under heavy criticism, according to Picus, other Valley council members and political analysts. And because they tend to vote, Picus said, Valley voters can comprise 40% of the turnout in a city election.

Because of that, charter amendment opponents set up their headquarters in the Valley and focused much of their effort on getting area voters to turn out in force to reject the measure.

“We did our heavy phone banking in the Valley,” said Geoffrey Garfield, campaign manager of the Studio City-based No On Charter Amendment F Campaign. “That’s where we thought we’d get a sympathetic ear.”

They were right, to a degree. Citywide, voters passed the measure by more than a 2-to-1 margin. But on the floor of the Valley, voters were split almost evenly, with those in Councilman Hal Bernson’s West Valley district opposing it by more than 3,000 votes.

On Wednesday, the city clerk’s office released semi-official election figures by council district. Those districts located completely in the Valley were nearly evenly split, while those also with constituents on the Westside showed more support for the measure.

In Councilman Joel Wachs’ Valley district, voters favored Charter Amendment F 18,888 to 16,061. They supported the measure 21,050 to 19,514 in Picus’ district and 12,398 to 11,203 in Councilman Ernani Bernardi’s district. Bernson’s constituents opposed the measure 24,799 to 21,481.

In areas not entirely in the Valley, voters favored the measure 20,458 to 9,623 in Council President John Ferraro’s district and 37,485 to 14,862 in Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky’s district. Voters supported the charter amendment 33,039 to 16,058 in Councilman Marvin Braude’s district and 23,636 to 8,063 in Councilman Michael Woo’s district.

“It’s not too surprising that opposition to F was much stronger in the Valley,” Bernson spokesman Ali Sar said. “Generally, it is more conservative here than in the inner city, Hollywood and the Westside. People here are more opposed to change” and wary of political interference and takeover of the Police Department.

Political analyst and strategist Arnold Steinberg said opposition to the measure “doesn’t reflect geography as much as it does party. It is not where voters live; it is who they are. There are a lot of Republicans in the Valley, and they just support law enforcement.”

For example, a breakdown of election results shows that voters in the East Valley--which tends to be less affluent and far more ethnically and racially mixed--also opposed the measure to a far greater degree than voters citywide.

To political consultant Paul Clarke, however, geography does make a difference.

“When you become Valley-ized,” he said, “you have a different outlook. There is a mountain range between you and the people trying to do things to you. There is a natural suspicion. And Proposition F was perceived as something that was conjured up downtown.”

The fact that slightly more than half the Valley voters supported Proposition F shows that even the traditional base of support for police in the area was compromised, analysts said.

Rob Glushon, president of the Encino Property Owners Assn. and a supporter of the measure, said getting the backing of half the Valley voters was a victory.

“When it comes to police issues, the Valley always sides with the chief,” Glushon said. “It’s the first time that I recall where the Valley in very strong numbers was supportive of an issue that had been portrayed as a minority issue.”

Sgt. Dennis Zine of the Valley Traffic Division said police officers were especially disappointed.

“The rank and file officers on the street feel like the voters turned their backs on us,” Zine said. “It was not a vote of confidence for them at all.”