The board of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday voted support Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s proposal to hike residential trash fees to raise money to help fund the hiring of 1,000 more police officers.

“It’s reasonable for us to increase the trash fees as a cost recovery measure,” said Rusty Hammer, president and chief executive of the L.A. Chamber. Hammer added that Los Angeles is one of the most under-policed cities in the nation, with more than 400 known gangs causing 20 percent of all violent crime in the city.

Last month, Villaraigosa called for raising residential trash fees from the current $11 to $18 for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and then up to $28 by the 2009-10 fiscal year. That would generate $26 million in additional revenue next year and $128 million by 2009-10.

The City Council must still approve the trash fee hike.