May 7, 2020
Good afternoon,
I continue to work with the County’s Chief Executive Officer to further identify more appropriate areas for budget mitigation efforts for the Sheriff’s Department. Unfortunately, we were not consulted on Sheriff Villanueva’s decision and do not have the details of his proposed cuts.
In addition, I was disheartened to learn that Sheriff Villanueva declined the request by the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission to attend this morning’s meeting to discuss his proposed cuts, including the closure of the Altadena station. This was a missed opportunity to share critical information with the Commission and dialogue with the community which these cuts impact the most.
This would have also provided the opportunity to clarify misinformation that is being disseminated regarding the Sheriff’s deficit. The total budget of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is $3.5 billion. His projected deficit for this fiscal year is $89 million (meaning the total we anticipate the Department to overspend by June 30). Sheriff Villanueva’s assertion that his Department is underfunded by $400 million is unfounded and has not been validated by those entrusted with balancing the County’s total budget.
Linked to this email is a letter signed by myself and the County’s Chief Executive Officer, Sachi Hamai, in response to the Sheriff’s announced cuts. This letter outlines the budgetary process and asks for a collaborative process with our CEO to discuss more appropriate curtailments that will not impact his ability to serve local communities. I am also sharing a motion, authored by Supervisors Shelia Kuehl and Hilda Solis and unanimously adopted by the Board of Supervisors, that provided direction on approved the budget cuts.
I would encourage you all to contact his office directly to voice your concerns. You may access the Department’s online comment form at https://lasd.org/contact-us/, email his office at sibmedia24hrs@lasd.org or contact him via telephone at (213) 229-1850 or (213) 229-1700.
I care deeply about our Altadena community and remain committed to ensuring the safety of our residents. I appreciate you continuing to reach out to me and my staff as we work through this very important issue. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Sincerely,
