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LA Sheriff Villanueva May Get Back Some Of His Frozen Money

File: L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva at the graduation ceremony for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy class 433 at East Los Angeles College, Friday, January 4, 2019. (Kyle Grillot for LAist)
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The L.A. County Board of Supervisors may give Sheriff Alex Villanueva part of what he wants: They'll consider a motion next Tuesday that would unfreeze $83 million of Sheriff's Department funds.

Villanueva wants all $143 million the supervisors froze last fall in an effort to pressure him to eliminate tens of millions of dollars in red ink. He's still running a deficit.

The sheriff says he needs the money to keep processing rape kits, replace old patrol cars, keep search-and-rescue helicopters aloft, and maintain hygienic conditions in the jails during the pandemic.

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Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who co-sponsored the motion, says the $83 million "will totally cover everything he said he needed."

The money would include $7.6 million for face shields, gloves, N95 masks, paper jumpsuits, booties, thermometers and cleaning supplies.

READ OUR FULL REPORT:

LA Supes May Unfreeze $83M Of Sheriff's Budget For Coronavirus, Other Issues

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