LA County board asking voters to divert $490 million of Sheriff's budget to social causes

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LA County board asking voters to divert budget in move sheriff calls 'defunding' the LASD

The LA County Board of Supervisors voted to put a measure on the ballot shifting up to $490 million of the county's budget to social services in a move the sheriff likens to partially defunding his department.

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted 4-1 to put a charter amendment on the November ballot for voters to decide whether a minimum of 10% of the county's unrestricted general funds should be set aside annually for housing, jail diversion, mental health and other social services, as well as alternatives to incarceration.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger opposed the measure, saying it would unnecessarily restrict future boards and make it harder for the county to manage through economic downturns.

The county CEO has estimated that roughly $360 million to $490 million would be set aside under the measure.

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Sheriff Alex Villanueva has called the measure a defunding of county law enforcement.

After an earlier vote by the board, Villanueva took to Twitter to voice his disapproval, saying the agenda item would defund his department and "change public safety forever."

"If you don't want your streets to look like a scene from Mad Max, use your VOICE to tell the board what you think," the tweet read.

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Some estimates are that up to 1,000 LEO's could be laid off in LA County, with some precincts merged and a significant drop in police presence.

LA county has had some problems with homelessness and a spike in crime lately. A number of judges and folks in the DA's office have taken a softer approach to crime. The combined revolving door they've created with a serious drop in police protection has the potential to be a catastrophic blow to public safety.