Big cuts proposed for L.A. County sheriff, including jail transfers

The Los Angeles County Sheriff''s Department is considering dramatic cuts to its budget that would include downsizing the Pitchess Detention Center in northern L.A. County as well as moving hundreds of administrators and desk-duty deputies into street patrols.

L.A. County officials have told the Sheriff's Department they want reductions of $128 million or 9% of the nearly $1.3 billion the county budgets for the department, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore. These reductions would take place over the next 16 months.

"Sheriff [Lee] Baca is working in conjunction with the county supervisors to find the most effective way to make these drastic cuts," Whitmore said. "The sheriff is committed to not laying anybody off. His proposals will protect jobs."

Most of the savings -- about $58 million -- would be achieved through reductions in overtime, Whitmore said. As a result, Whitmore said, many of the uniformed deputy sheriffs assigned to administrative duties would be "working schedules that otherwise would be worked by deputies performing overtime."

The group would include the sheriff's command staff and even Sheriff Lee Baca himself.

"He may be a watch commander, he may go back out on patrol," Whitmore said. "Wherever the need is greatest, he will fulfill that role. The sheriff's message is clear. We're all in this together, we all have to make sacrifices."

Another significant move will be to transfer hundreds of inmates from the 1,900-bed north facility of  Pitchess to other jails in the county system. That would save about $26 million, although the facility would remain open with a significantly smaller inmate population.

Whitmore said the Sheriff's Department plans to eliminate 300 frozen positions at savings of $44 million.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[Sicmarc]

Hmmm,following the California state law and not harassing medical marijuana patients would save a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ but, I guess that would make to much sense and not "protect jobs" would it? Perhaps they should start arresting the police who break the laws they don't like? Harassing patients and dispenserys when you are supposed to be working is time theft as well.

[Norm Silver]

This is a big order for the Sheriff and his staff to work on. I wish them the best but the cuts are sure to affect service in some areas of law enforcement in the county.

[p.f. stone]

It is generally understood that L.A. County Jail facilities
are operated in a state of perpetual capacity or overcapacity.

That would mean that transfers from North facility to other facilities without
any net decrease of inmate population systemwide would amount to
greater overcapacity at the receiving facilities.

While some cost savings might result from this consolidation, there are other costs to operating above capacity which, although unscheduled, may be
anticipated.

Maybe we will be getting a net decrease in county inmate population,
but the Board of Supe's just isn't ready to state it in plain English.

[Larry A.]

ITS NOT ABOUT THE PUBLIC. ITS ALL ABOUT HOW TO KEEP THEIR FACES IN THE PUBLIC MONEY TRAIN. Keeping those cush, overly paid, overly perked public employee jobs. THATS what its all about.

"The sheriff is committed to not laying anybody off. His proposals will protect jobs."

[Mike Peck]

The Sheriffs department is full of lazy overpaid slobs. My old neighbor used to brag about "anytime he wanted to buy something new he'd just go work some overtime". The jail continually transfers inmates back and forth from Pitches to LA county for absolutely no reason other than the fact they get hundreds of dollars every time an inmate is getting or off a bus.

They could save millions by doing court by video conference, thereby eliminating the need for inmate transfers.

Not to mentiiion the fact that dozens of the Sheriffs are obviously using illegal steroids. Why are they imune from dr\ug testing? hmmmm.....

[Jose]

Hopefully this does not mean anything bad news for the city of Compton. The Sheriff patrols the area.

[Bill]

No wonder they are bleeding cash. Their 300 "frozen" positions average $147,000 each. How can that be?

[Tom Broadston]

Let Obama and Pelosi pay for the illegals in a Federal jail and we can save millions.

[RP]

The only thing this dullard of a sheriff will do is to make it far worse than it already is for those in his illustrious Auschwitz on Bauchet Street.

[SoCal]

The Sheriff is doing the best he can for the largest inmate population handled by a county jail system. Oh by the way, all you uneducated parrots out there do know that LASD is the largest full service sheriffs department on this planet right. Even at the highest pay level, a few overtime spots might buy a cheap TV at a swap meet. Like any job, OT is just supplemental income to make bills easier to pay. That is especially true living here in one of the most expensive economies in California. So before you throw stones into the pool of stupid comparisons to something you know nothing about, do some educated research. Especially when it deals with the people you rely on to come save you at the 911 level.

[Tab Cocovillea]

I thought it was his job to protect the public, not protect jobs. Cut the waste NOW!

[Maxers]

I recently got pulled over right down the street from my house in Sherman Oaks for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, on Dec 23 (wonderful Christmas gift). Two cops were in the car, because I guess Sherman Oaks is known for its violent crime, like Compton or Watts or something, that two are needed for each car.

I get the ticket last week in the mail and it is for $581. If I want to attend traffic school jack on another $150 to that. I just could not believe it, I even joked to one of the officers at the time "What is this going to cost me, like $300? If I only knew...) I almost started crying... I am a corporate sales rep, and I am making about 70% less this year than I did just two years ago. Yet these politicians act like being laid off or fired is just beyond consideration.

I own two cars, one is a 1995 Toyota Celica. I get my tag renewal bill in the mail and it is for $185. For a car that is fifteen years old, and probably worth $4K.

So in the last month I have given the state and LA County almost a thousand dollars of my extremely hard earned money. Just for the right to drive.

We pay the highest sales tax in the entire country. They tax and police us to DEATH, and in the end still wind up billions in the hole.

And when it comes time to making cuts, it is always for the services that the average tax payer uses the most-- cops, fireman, parks, etc. Everything else is untouchable, it seems. And like Sicmarc says, the new DA focuses his attention on closing down pot dispensaries and oversized billboards. Its so unreal its hard to really grasp it...

Interesting to see just how much they think we will swallow...

[Ricky Huerta]

Stop the hate. Those deputies work very hard, and do a job you guys are obviously not brave enough to do. Sitting behind your keyboards is a lot easier than delaing with criminals, unless you are one - then you're too biased to deserve a posting...

[Paul Survey]

The real key here is to stop enforcing victimless crimes. If no one gets hurt by a predator and there is no victim, there should be no enforcement. An enlightent society allows leniency to individuals who have personal issues with substance abuse. This catagory of demographics has to deal with their own extreme pain and sorrow. They self medicate to cope and maintain. This is an issue to be dealt with by the medical community, not law enforcement. People who indulge in controlled substances on occassion, are not predators. They are no different than the high power players who self medicate with their 3 martini lunches.

[Julian B Duron]

Sheriff Lee Baca will do what he has to do to keep the Public safe. Job #1 public safety. If it means old war horses have to come out of the barn so be it! The Sheriff knows all agencies are tightening the budget belt and his department is no different.
This citizens greatest concern is; if Los Angeles County jail system starts an "early release policy" of inmates. Will CCW Carry Concealed Weapon laws be relaxed so that law abiding citizens may apply for CCW Permits? Better a GUN a hand that Officer in the phone.

[Tom]

Why doesnt the Sheriff cut some of the brass at the top. LASD is top heavy and he should take a lead from Sheriff Hutchens in Orange County who cut half of her brass. Sheriff has civilian field deputies who work for him that make over 100,000 a year and they do nothing for public safety. They are political hacks that mile the county in their county car and gas. No, there wont be concessions at the top, it will all be put on the street cops. Typical politician stating he will work a shift. What a joke. I would love to see him go out on patrol and work a shift by himself and see what we got through. He will skate in 2010 but he is done in 2014. His successor is just 2 stars away from him

[TheBigPicture]

They need to hire civilian jailers which make about 1/2 of what a Deputy makes...

Also, put those people in custody to work...They can do a lot of thing they hire county employees to do...for nothing..

There is a tremendous waste in typical Law Enforcement efforts witch could easily be rectified...

[Rob]

128 million??? plain and simple...there is no way there was 128 mil in crime last year.True crime has a cost,but if you look at the stats,not counting court incured cost's,it falls way short of 128 million.To have a county office to claim that amount of overtime is outragious.It seems they are bilking the county.There is no justification for that amount of money.Since the riots and 9/11 things have been way out of control.No oversight,no accountability,and there is nothing to show for it,execpt higher taxes,and poorly trained deputies with alot of overtime that is undeserved.