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LA Sheriff Villanueva Closes Two Patrol Stations, Makes Other Cuts
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva at the graduation ceremony for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy on Jan. 4, 2019. (Kyle Grillot for LAist)
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Blaming the Board of Supervisors for underfunding his department, L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said today that he’s being forced to close the Parks Bureau, two patrol stations, and specialized detective units that focus on sexual assaults, gangs and cybercrimes.
The two patrol stations being closed are Altadena and Marina del Rey. Those areas will be patrolled by deputies from nearby stations, the sheriff said.
Nobody will lose their job. Deputies and civilian staff who work in these bureaus and units instead will be transferred to other parts of the department, according to the sheriff.
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The sheriff said the closures will reduce administrative costs, but didn't provide further details on how savings will be achieved. He said the cuts will reduce spending by a total of nearly $200 million a year.
Villanueva had asked for $3.9 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Board of Supervisors tentatively approved $3.5 billion, saying the sheriff ran up deficits his first two years in office. In addition, the county is expected to see a $1 billion drop in sales tax revenue because of the coronavirus.
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