DIMG: Sheriff Lee Baca and Chief of Police William Barton Appreciates and Thanks Ramy El-Batrawi for His Support and Efforts on Behalf of the Initiative to Pass the ‘Public Safety and Homeland Security Sales Tax Initiative,’ Better Known As ‘Measure A’

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ — November 19, 2004 The Chief of police William Barton of Los Angeles, Sheriff Lee Baca, Then Mayor Hahn and the many community leaders who joined the effort thank Mr. Ramy El-Batrawi for his support and effort on Public Safety and Homeland Security — yes on Measure A.

“While the measure did not pass, it does not diminish my appreciation for your support of public safety” chief of police William Barton writes in a letter to Mr. Ramy El-Batrawi of DIMG. “I am encouraged by the fact that almost 64% of the voters in the city and majority of voters in each of the City Counsel’s 15 district supported the measure” Chief of Police William Barton added.

If it passed, Measure A would raise the LA County sales tax by a half percent, from 8.25% to 8.75%. The increase would have raised almost $560 million in revenue, which would have been used to add more sheriffs and city police, expand community policing, strengthen youth and adult crime prevention programs, and more. With the extra money it would have put at least 5,000 more cops on the county streets. The money would have been split between the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, the LAPD, and all 44 other independent police departments throughout the county.

As the state continued to take away funds from localities to help balance the state’s deficit, it had come at a time when local governments where also facing significant increases in retirement contributions, health premiums and other costs of providing services. This had meant that localities had made or will have to make cuts to existing programs and services, including public safety.

“I wanted to see the increase of funding for local law enforcement and was excited in the benefits of what the measure would have accomplished,” says Ramy El-Batrawi.

   Benefits included:    * Additional personnel for law enforcement, local anti-terrorism, homeland     security, intelligence gathering, and ‘first response “capabilities to     extraordinary emergencies.    * Standardized training for public safety services, local anti-terrorism,     homeland security, intelligence gathering, and “first response”     capabilities.  

DIMG

CONTACT: Ramy El-Batrawi of DIMG, +1-310-721-7269