Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s patrol stations will need to be closed because of budget cuts, Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Monday. He said the budget has been strained by coronavirus response but it was already less than needed.
Patrol stations in Altadena and Marina del Rey will be closed effective July 1 to save $12.2 million, the sheriff said in a news conference.
Those communities will not be left without any law enforcement, however. Altadena will be patrolled by the Crescenta Valley Patrol Station, and Marina deputies will report to the South Los Angeles Patrol Station. Villanueva said the changes will largely affect administrative personnel, CBS.
Like all agencies throughout the country, the LA County Sheriff’s Department is grappling with the sudden expenses of the coronavirus pandemic. Villanueva says more than 1,100 employees have been quarantined and 84 have tested positive.
However, the budget approved by the LA County Board Of Supervisors for the sheriff’s department is $400 million short of “the actual cost of providing public safety,” according to Villanueva.
