Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bellflower council endorses letter asking county to address sheriff vacancies and detention capacity
Summary
Councilmembers directed staff to send a joint letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors asking for action to reduce vacancies in the LA County Sheriff's Department and to address county detention capacity, citing local public-safety impacts and rising liability costs.
Bellflower City Councilmembers agreed March 24 to send a joint letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors urging action to reduce vacancies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and to support adequate detention capacity countywide.
City staff presented data showing the Sheriff's Department faced roughly 1,400 deputy vacancies and that liability costs associated with law enforcement had risen substantially over the past decade. "When they have 1,400 vacancies across the department that, has direct and, direct impacts on our community and the public safety in our community," a city staff presenter said, describing anticipated contract-rate increases tied to liability-trust-fund dynamics.
The staff presentation said contract municipalities are likely to see an increase in contract rates of roughly 3.5% to 4.5% plus an automatic 0.5% liability trust fund increase for the coming year. Staff outlined two county-level requests: increase deputy recruitment and retention to reduce vacancies and address detention capacity to meet criminal-justice needs while complying with court-ordered population and consent-decree limits.
Councilmembers discussed the interrelated effects of vacancies, overtime, fatigue and rising liability costs. "I have to imagine our liability increase is because of the the fatigue and overtime," Mayor Dutton said, adding that limited deputy availability has required the city to fund alternative patrols and other measures.
Councilmembers agreed to have the mayor sign and send the letter to the Board of Supervisors with the council's signatures. Council and staff asked that the letter be updated to include all five council signatures and that staff expedite delivery to the supervisors. The council did not take a formal roll-call vote recorded for this item; staff treated the direction as council consensus and will file and send the signed letter to county supervisors.
City staff and councilmembers emphasized the council's intent that the letter request both additional law-enforcement staffing and county-level consideration of detention capacity ahead of anticipated policy changes and implementation needs.
