CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / PROP. 187 : L.A. Police Panel Joins Foes of Measure : The commission adds its voice to other groups and government bodies in opposition to the plan that would deny many tax-backed benefits to illegal immigrants.

The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday joined the chorus of groups and government bodies on record against Proposition 187, voting to oppose the hotly disputed ballot initiative that would deny public schooling and most tax-supported health care and other benefits to illegal immigrants.

Enrique Hernandez Jr., president of the commission, called the proposal “immoral” in voicing his opposition.

“It’s going to make it almost unbearable for police to do their job in the city,” Hernandez said of the state proposition, which enjoys a strong lead in the polls with less than three weeks before Election Day.

Along with proscribing public benefits, the proposition would require that law enforcement agencies statewide question all arrestees “suspected” of being illegal immigrants about their residency status and then notify U.S. authorities of the identities of those believed to be undocumented. That requirement would appear to be in conflict with current LAPD regulations, which state that “undocumented alien status in itself is not a matter for police action.”

Deidre Hill, commission vice president, labeled Proposition 187 “racist and divisive,” concluding that it was “the last thing we need in the city of Los Angeles.”

A motion expressing opposition to Proposition 187, sponsored by Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, passed by a 4-1 margin after a brief discussion.

The sole dissenter in the anti-187 vote was Commissioner Herbert F. Boeckmann II, who acknowledged that the measure was “not a panacea, not a cure-all,” but added that it was inappropriate for the commission to take action on it.

“I don’t see it as that strong a police issue,” said Boeckmann, who attributed the proposition’s support to frustration among voters about illegal immigration.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Ronald C. Banks, sitting in for Chief Willie L. Williams, said that the proposition would likely increase juvenile delinquency, since tens of thousands of youths would be banned from public schools. The deputy chief also cited a likely “erosion ofcommunity trust” and a threat to community-based policing, as crime victims and witnesses alike might be hesitant to approach police, fearing arrest because of immigration status.

In addition, Banks said, the costs of putting Proposition 187 into effect would likely be “enormous.”

William King, a retired U.S. Border Patrol chief who was a proposition originator, said the commissioners were “dead wrong” in their action. “The rank-and-file officer knows Proposition 187 is a good idea,” King said.

The issue of police-immigrant relations has long been a charged one in Los Angeles and other areas with considerable populations of newcomers.

Starting in the late 1970s, as large numbers of illegal immigrants arrived in Los Angeles, pro-immigrant advocates fought to have police cease picking people up solely for immigration violations. The result was a series of actions, in Los Angeles and elsewhere, that limited police questioning of suspects about their status and also circumscribed police cooperation with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Proposition 187 sponsors, including King and several other former high-level INS officials, deliberately sought to bolster police-INS cooperation and increase the use of police resources in identifying illegal immigrants.

With the vote, the police commission joined the Los Angeles City Council, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles Unified School District in opposing Proposition 187.

The anti-187 votes have a largely symbolic value, but, should the proposition pass, the commission could be called on to vote on implementing procedures. The City Council might also choose to draft legislation affecting police enforcement of the measure.