Alex Villanueva Juvenile Probation Youth Justice: Healing Not Punishment

Defunding 2020: Yes, the LA County Supes Cut $145.5 Million from the LA Sheriff’s Budget & $49.1 million from Probation, Then They Killed the Probation Oversight Commission. (Unless…)

Celeste Fremon
Written by Celeste Fremon

At Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, prior to the vote on Los Angeles County’s 2020-21 budget, the fact that a critical program had been defunded at the last minute was not really discussed, and few beyond those on the board knew the program had been slashed.

More on the slaughtered program in a minute.  But first the LASD.

Most of the time at Monday’s virtual meeting was taken up by the drama around the $145.4 million that was being cut from the $3.5 billion budget of the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

(Interestingly, the money to be cut from the sheriff’s budget is a few million less than the $150 million that the LA City Council voted on Wednesday, July 1, to cut from the budget of the Los Angeles Police Department’s $1.86 billion dollar budget. Did we mention that the LASD budget is more than twice that of the LAPD?)

“This is literally balancing the entire county budget on the back of the LASD,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva wrote of the cut in a very unhappy public statement on the sheriff’s department website.

After that, he held an even more unhappy press conference on the same topic, Monday morning, the day of the board meeting.

In the statement and at the virtual presser, Villanueva said that it was the LA County CEO who had proposed that the following important LASD units be eliminated:

• Safe Streets Bureau (Gang Enforcement)
• Parks Bureau
• Special Victims Bureau (Sexual/Physical Abuse of Children, Rape, Human Trafficking)
• Community Partnership Bureau (COPS Team)
• Fraud & Cybercrimes Bureau
• Major Crimes Bureau

He also said the CEO wanted to “drastically reduce the Mental Health Evaluation Teams” (MET).

Yet, when questioned on the topic in the course of the board meeting, CEO Sachi Hamai explained that all that stuff the sheriff said about what she wanted to slash was not…you know….true.

According to Hamai, after the sheriff learned of the dollar amount that was likely to be cut from the LASD budget, he was the one who proposed cutting “unincorporated area patrol, the Parks Bureau, the Special Victims Bureau, Operation Safe Streets, and the Community Partnership Bureau [COPS], et al.

“These are the sheriff’s own recommended cuts,” not hers, Hamai said again, in case anybody missed the point.

Villanueva’s plan, she said, would have eliminated 1,125 vacant positions in the department and would have resulted in “894 potential layoffs.”

Instead, Hamai said, she cut the number of layoffs proposed by the sheriff “nearly in half.”  Then her staff identified an additional 437 vacant positions “instead of imposing the 894 layoffs as the sheriff had proposed.”

She also wanted to emphasize, said, Hamai, that any remaining layoffs would come entirely from custody operations — in other words, the jails — which she thought was a better choice “given the significant reductions in the jail population.”

(Readers may remember that, during the first months of the COVID-19 crisis, Sheriff Villanueva was successful in dropping the county’s jail population from over 17,000  residents to around 12 thousand, which is generally where it remains today, an accomplishment that has been rightly praised.)

During the meeting, the board and the CEO also clarified another confusing LASD issue, this one having to do with the initial rollout of the body-worn cameras for the sheriff’s department.  In the beginning, it turns out, the body cameras will not go to all the sheriff’s stations, but only likely to five stations, although eventually, the cameras will roll out to all the stations.

Furthermore, the East LA Station is reportedly not one of the stations that will be part of the initial rollout.

This last piece of news about East LA did not please the supervisors.

Learning that the pilot program won’t be East Los Angeles,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, “to me strikes at the very core of why this program is necessary.”

So what about LA County Probation?

When it comes to law enforcement budget-cutting or defunding in Los Angeles, the focus of racial justice activists and community leaders has been aimed at the LAPD  and, more recently, the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

Yet, there is one other major law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County, that has drawn far less attention.

That agency would be the LA County Probation Department, which in recent years has had a budget of close to a billion dollars, although in 2020-2021 the total will be slightly lower.

In the past few years, probation has closed nine of its youth facilities, as the department’s youth population shrank yearly, and youth crime continued to dive. Yet, its budget did not shrink commensurately.

Furthermore, probation is set to get a brand new funding stream from the state next year when the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), California’s chronically troubled youth prison system, will be shuttered permanently. This means the kids who would have originally been sent to the state’s three lock-ups and a fire camp, will now remain in the various counties.

The upcoming shutdown also means that the state will give each of the counties a sizable amount of cash to keep the former DJJ kids closer to home. And since LA has traditionally sent the most kids into the state lock-up, it means that our probation department will almost certainly get the largest portion of that new state money stream.

Yet, when it comes to the 2020-21 budget, although probation took a cut of $49.1 million and 425 positions on Monday, according to the CEO, those cuts primarily came from the closing of two of its facilities, Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Challenger Memorial Youth Center.

(We’ll have more on LA County Probation’s use of $$ in an upcoming story.)

Killing the POC

What did take a drastic cut during Monday’s final vote, was the much-praised, supposedly soon-to-launch, LA County Probation Oversight Commission (POC) — namely the one entity that was to be given the power and the staff to oversee the nation’s largest probation department.

For those who need a reminder of why the POC is important, here’s the deal:

On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously — and historically — to create a civilian oversight body with the power to both watchdog and steer the nation’s largest probation department through the process of fundamental reform, which was primarily to be aimed most urgently at the youth side of the department.

The fact that LA County Probation urgently needed to reinvent itself was no longer up for debate.

Thus in 2018, a temporary blue ribbon “Probation Reform and Implementation Team”—or PRIT was tasked with researching and creating a detailed plan for how this new Probation Oversight Commission, (POC) ought to function.

In its 15 months of existence, the PRIT held a series of well-attended public listening sessions across Los Angeles County, which attracted sometimes up to a couple of hundred community members, justice advocates, invited subject matter experts, and an increasingly large group of working probation staff members.

Finally, a little over a year ago, the PRIT delivered a 28-page plan for creating the POC.

Then at the end of January 2020, the board delivered another historic vote when it gave the soon-to-be-up-and-running POC subpoena power, which was to be funneled through the Office of the Inspector General. To make this work, the OIG would be given some new, POC-dedicated staff members.

Yet, in the five months after the January vote, everything seemed to stall. First, the county dragged its feet on posting the job listing for the executive director of the POC, which was the first essential step in bringing the commission to life.

Then, a few weeks ago, WitnessLA heard from several sources that, in the face of drastic COVID-19 cutbacks, the POC might get zero funding. It would not exist.

“I think all of the supervisors’ offices want the POC to be funded,” one source told WitnessLA. “It’s just that the budget situation is so dire.”

In April’s preliminary 2020-2021 budget, which came out before the full size of the COVID-19 fiscal disaster had truly been apprehended, the POC was funded to the tune of $2.4 million, for an executive director and four other positions, plus start-up costs.  Not as much as it needed. But it was a good beginning.

In addition, the Office of the Inspector General, which is slated to be the investigative arm of the POC, was also to receive some extra funding in order to hire additional POC-dedicated staff.

At the meeting this past Monday, however, when the board actually voted on the “recommended adjustments” to the April budget, everything POC-related fell into the category of deleted expenditures, including the additions to the OIG. (You can see the listed deletions at the bottom of p. 7.)

And that was that. The POC was dead.

The nation’s largest probation department, an enormous agency that was still operating from a law enforcement framework, instead of a healing, “care first,” youth development model, would have no new oversight body that had the power to push it toward the kind of real reform that, if done correctly, would continue to proactively shrink the youth side of probation in favor of community-based solutions.

With Monday’s vote, meaningful oversight had vanished.

Not good.

Community betrayal

When WitnessLA passed along the defunding news to Saúl Sarabia, who served as chairperson of the blue ribbon PRIT panel, he expressed sentiments that captured the alarm of several other activists we spoke with about the matter.

“During the 15 months of public-listening sessions, various Los Angeles communities most impacted by probation’s kid-harming dysfunctions expressed skepticism that this new commission idea would ever come to anything,” said Sarabia.

 Gradually, the volunteer PRIT panel appointees, and the community members who showed up at the monthly meetings, overcame their skepticism, he said, “when the board of supervisors unanimously adopted a POC design with ‘teeth,’ including subpoena power through the OIG,” all of which “increased community confidence that the Board’s Justice Reform agenda was real.”

And now this.

“The challenge from the Black Lives Matter movement,” Sarabia said, “is that decision-makers like the board meet the moment – not by claiming that a loss of tax revenues demands austerity for all – but by acknowledging we have been pouring hundreds of millions each year to troubled agencies like probation, acting to divest from them as we reimagine public safety, and funding initiatives that can produce racial justice.”

Later on Monday, after the board meeting had ended, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas sent out an emailed statement.

“We …cannot afford to delay creating the Probation Oversight Commission and to expand the powers of the Inspector General, both of which strengthen accountability,” he wrote. “This is the time to further invest in community-centered solutions that give us the best and highest return for our communities.”

Well, yes.

But for that the POC needs a freaking budget!

Resurrection on the horizon?

Then, today, Wednesday, the fate of the POC may possibly have changed again.

WLA acquired a copy of a brand new motion authored by Ridley-Thomas and Supervisor Janice Hahn, that if passed, will direct the CEO to locate “ongoing funding in the FY 2020-21 Supplemental Budget” to restore the POC-related allocations in April’s recommended budget, “including staffing and supplies for the initial implementation phase of the Probation Oversight Commission as well as the dedicated Probation Department’s oversight unit within the Office of Inspector General — all accomplished by “curtailing additional vacant budgeted positions in the Probation Department.”

Oh, and the CEO should immediately begin “the recruitment and hiring” of the Executive Director for the POC.

No, it’s not at all a done deal. But as the motion pointed out, “Recent national and local events, have only reaffirmed the urgent need to establish oversight entities that can increase accountability for criminal justice agencies.”

Exactly.


Top photo, October 1, 2019, shortly before vote by LA County Board of Supervisors to create POC, an oversight board “with teeth,” via WitnessLA

63 Comments

  • https://www.dailybreeze.com/2020/07/01/villanueva-comments-on-cuts-to-special-victims-cyber-crimes-bureaus-were-false-oig-says/

    AV: Good peoples of Al-A Cowny, mira! Look what the pinche Board is making me cut by taking away my plata! I caneven buy the PINCHE camaras with the money they gave me but which I said I didn’ get!

    MRT: THAT is a DAMNABLE LIE. For 400…eh…I mean more than a year now you had that damn money! Maybe if I slapped you upside your fat fool head, something would shake loose and you’d remember…

    AV: Good peoples…and if THAT wasn’t enuf, the cabrona CEO (who is a WOMAN, and you know how I feel about womens…member Mandalorian?) said SHE never told me what pinche units to cut….like as if that was MY and mine shotcaller skippers idea! Pinche Pelon told me to get rid of all contract cities so we could keep busing cons around the county…cut them lose like a skin tag with a pelo tied to it (which I thought was funny coming from HIM). But I THINK I can’t do that…I’m shecking with my Cowny lawyers right now, but having trouble finding them.

    Sachi: I think it’s disingenuous for the Sheriff to say I was the one who suggested the programs cuts. Additionally, he’s a LIAR.

    Barger: For Pedro’s sake! Act like a Sheriff! Suck that gut in, step up to the plate, grab the bull by the horns and cut the god damned mustard! YOU WANTED this job, you sissy. Stop crying…it’ll all be over in three years (or less)….trust me.

    Huntsman: Yeah! What Sachi said! This is worst kinda dog fart whistle I’ve ever heard. Liar Liar, pantalones on fire.

  • Cutting a 3.5 billion dollar budget to 3.35 billion, guess that’s what witness la calls defunding the police. I don’t think that’s what the blm/antifa mob was demanding, but that’s politics for you.

    The rest of the story is classic witness la. Cheering for a new bureaucracy to oversee the existing bureaucracy, because only then can we find true “community based solutions”. Which of course don’t exist because if they did you wouldn’t need the bureaucracies in the first place. Well at least blm is making money.

  • Oh…I see the victory was simply to get money taken away from law enforcement….city, county and school district police. What about the states university police and CHP to be fair? How convenient that the BOS and their accomplice Sachi Hami had already required LASD to slash 450 million dollars and after the defund the police protest movement came up with an addition cut of 145 million dollar cut for LASD. I guess this was a policy of appeasement and effort not to be outdone by LA City citing the LAPD budget being cut by 150 million dollars. So transparent and insulting to any intelligent person not to be able to see what happened. I’m curious what line item budget cuts were made to all of the other county departments beside probation?

  • Um… every entity be it public, or private has been asked to make cuts, and sacrifices. This is what happens when either sales, or revenues drop. This Sheriff is too dumb to run an agency like the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Private companies furlough or cut people. The same must be asked of Public agencies. Part of life you morons. Cut Deputies … life will go on and, we the taxpayers will save $ Millions on their pensions. Ask the Sheriff and his wife how much they make on pensions. Close to 400k a year.

  • On I’m sorry, the Sheriff and his wife make over 400K a year. How many struggling families in LA County make over 400k a year in retirement. Guess its called Public welfare.

  • If you want to go down that road, check out how much the department heads at DHS, DCFS, Public Works, DMH, County Counsel, LA Co Fire and other county “department executives” make in terms of pay, benefits and retirement?

    If you want to be fare you will. If it’s all about a deep hate for Sheriff Villanueva, law enforcement and LASD go somewhere and do some deep introspection.

  • I totally agree with you. All LA County Departments must be cut at least by 15%. There is too much fat which needs to be trimmed. The entire County is going through tough times. Like I said we will save on pensions by trimming on overweight fat.

  • If I recall correctly the Health and Welfare budget is $12 Billion. They have a combined 60,000 county employees. Yet the biggest drivers of crime are addiction. Can you say failure! Mental health issues and addiction are big drivers of homelessness. Yet this year homelessness increased by 13%. Again failure. Nursing homes have experienced most of the Covid deaths. I has gotten so bad, the BOS finally appointed and Inspector General. Again failure. Care before jails has always been an option however I think we can say these bureaucracies run by the BOS have failed. Now you believe they can step up and perform. good luck with that.

  • I have a great solution. Why are Deputies, LA CO Fire/Probation paid on hourly basis. Put everyone on salary just like the private sector. If they do not like those terms it is time to cut them. Let them find another job where they get FAT pensions for the rest of their lives. Yes I called them FAT because they are a drag on us taxpayers. Save me the entire … if someone attacks you … who will you call. Who in the world receives their max salary for the rest of their lives, and retires at 55. Who earns 200k -250k for the rest of their lives and, gets FAT… some of them are so fat their ankles and knees buckle. TIME TO TRIM THE FAT.

  • I think inmates with mental issues must be in Psychiatric institutions, just like inmates with substance abuse need to be in drug rehabs. However, if these inmates are not locked up in LA COUNTY jails, it is time to reduce the workforce at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Reduce the amount of Deputies and staff needed to run these institutions. I know the current Sheriff will not do it. He was funded and put there by the Deputy union. They financed over one Million Dollars to fund his campaign.

    Do you need more solutions to save us tax payers the burden of paying these over paid high school drop outs over 200k a year.

  • Would you feel better if they had college degrees? 200k is still 200k. Or are you just angry because someone without tuition debt is making more than you, even with that sweet pan African gender studies degree you’re still in hock for?

  • Funny how the CEO is saying she didnt propose those units to be dismantled. The Sheriff did. If the Sheriif really wanted to cut units out, I figured he would’ve cut the Executive Protection unit which has deputies be body guards for the BOS and CEO just to get back at them. That unit was not cut, therefore I will believe the Sheriff on this one.

  • I do not have tuition debt and, paid for my college degree by saving up. I am not a public welfare recipient like you.
    “African gender studies degree” really. So what did your Sheriff Alejandro get his degree in ; How to hire a women beater.

  • The sheriff got elected so it doesn’t matter what he has or doesn’t have as far as degrees go.

    As far as the welfare thing goes, the county determined it needs police, so they hire police. When you hire someone you must pay them for their work, slavery is illegal.

    I’m guessing that degree you saved up for isn’t working out the way you had planed. Try being more positive maybe it’ll all work out in the end.

  • I’m sorry this is happening to you. Maybe you should look for a better job, it must be hell being angry all the time.

  • Why arent all.of the other over budgeted county departments getting cut back too ? Is this purely a cop thing or is the county really trying to fund alternative programs ? There are tons of fat within the county that could be trimmed.

    Cutting back patrol services will only lead to higher crime rates. Criminals are already planning their scores.

  • Why, isn’t anyone talking, or even mention the fact that each BOS member has a very large discretionary fund that they can use at will to fund there pet projects. Why isn’t the CEO eliminating those special little pig banks. Talk about preferencial treatment.

  • So you support government employees scamming the system ?

    I was kind of angry and jealous when the CRASH cops of LAPD were “making” more than me from stolen drugs and drug dealer money.

  • fx,

    So, logical to you to lump hard working people all in the same basket with a minute number of people engaged in illegal behavior? The only thing you are accurate about is that you are angry and you are jealous. And by the way, CRASH was disbanded twenty years ago.

  • Probation staff do not receive a safety retirement and cannot retire at 55. Fine to be jealous and angry but at least be accurate.

  • LA County Taxpayer….

    With respect to folks with mental health issues and drug addiction needing to be held accountable for breaking the law in psychiatric institutions, I wholeheartedly agree. I’m sure you would agree there need to be consequences for ones actions and that some people need to be put away for the protection of society. However, shortly after the Sheriff was elected a meeting was held where the BOS scraped a plan, for which they had already spent 80 million of our tax payer dollars, to create a treatment center ran by the Department of Health Services which is in line with your care before crime arguement. This facility would have been ran and staffed by healthcare workers. These folks are much better educated and trained to deal with violent and mentally ill indicuduals. Why did this meeting occur without any LASD personnel in attendance, because the BOS was already against the Sheriff and didn’t want to play nice. Why was this plan scrapped when everyone has been shouting to the mountain tops we need more help for the mentally ill? The BOS succumbed the whims of a small vocal minority of protestors instead of putting the proposal on the ballot and letting the voters decide. At this time nothing has been done and LASD is stuck housing mentally ill inmates in facilities never intended for that purpose. Talk about the BOS speaking out of both sides of their mouths and setting up the Sheriff’s Department as the scapegoat for all their incompetence and administrative failures.

    Be angry and the Sheriff and deputys but think about a society where no laws are enforced? Good luck in keeping the things you value safe and secure such as your property and person. It will be like Seattle’s CHOMP/CHAZ or SPAZ or whatever they want to call it. The PURGE all day, all night, 365 days. May the better armed and skilled GANG rule the block. Maybe we can have our out of work law enforcement put their skills up for hire? Not the kind of America I want to live in.

  • Pensions have actually been trimmed ALOT! the last 7 years, with a cap. God bless the newbies who join law enforcement now days. Their pensions are minimal and are decreasing each year. In essence, they were defunded many years ago.

  • LAPD biggest thieves of all (Deferred Retirement Option Plan)

    LAPD Chief Michael Moore Must Resign
    He’s stolen over $1 million in taxpayer dollars through a program former LA mayor Richard Riordan has called “a total fraud.”

    Michael Moore retired, collected a $1.27 million pension, then the city hired him back. He receives $240,000 in pensions per year on top of his $350,000 salary.

    https://knock-la.com/police-chief-michael-moore-must-resign-a55516b1c107

  • Talk about thieves/police scamming the government

    Since its inception, 3,407 officers have entered DROP. Some are getting supersized checks as they walk out the door.

    This police commander got $800,000. This deputy fire chief, $939,000. And since our first report two years ago, a few DROP members hit the million dollar mark, walking away with seven-figure checks.

    Not many people in L.A. know about this so-called “retire for a day loophole

    https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-connected/drop-the-billion-dollar-pension-perk-still-getting-no-political-play-0

  • Ok, do you really not believe the BOS and judges wouldn’t have some form of body guard/special protective unit dedicated to their exalted arses? Do you the county aristocracy would just travel around and only be afforded the same level of protection as the average commoner? Stop relying on CSI for all your information relating to law enforcement operations.

  • What a lame article. So some expensive software says LAPD stops black and Hispanics more than whites.
    City of LA demographics has blacks and Hispanics making up somewhere between 55-60% of the city. Sounds like the software works but I could’ve told you that for a lot cheaper.

  • What?? Did I just read the above WLA article correctly? Did that very smart lady CEO, Sachi Hamai, just call Sheriff Alejandro Villanueva a liar? Again? Not only did she call him one by pointing out all of his Bull$#it, she is able to back it up with actual logic, reasoning and FACTS! Something that is completely foreign to Lt. Villanueva’s wildly spinning ethical moral compass.

    All of this will be saved and stored for the next campaign season. 1 Term Failure!

    #RecallSheriffV

  • @AV Clown Show
    Do you share the same passion to recall the board of supervisors, who in a recent motion that is to be voted on Tuesday basically called deputies racist.

    “LA County has been facing an epidemic for years—systemic violence, brutality and racism at the hands of law enforcement.”

    That is opening line of the motion, If you want you can look up the rest.

  • Look, there is that Grumpy clown again. You are starting to remind me of a protester, that really has nothing to do. maybe its time you go back to mammas basement. #heisstillyourSheriff.

  • HMMM, or Mrs.HMMM (just from my interpretation) I absolutely agree… there must to be help for the County’s population with mental and substance abuse issues. I disagree with your statement about people with mental issues committing crimes. You of all people know that their brains are fried, and have no idea what the hell they are doing. They run around naked on the streets of LA for God’s sake. So tell me why, oh why would the Sheriff’s Department need to be a part of it. This must be a function of the County’s Department of Health Services, not the Sheriff’s Department. Like I have mentioned before.. if the amount of inmates decreases in County jails it is time to cut the number of Deputies and save us tax payers a lot of money.
    Maj Kong: I have the money to fund an entire campaign.. and trust me I will put in a lot more than your damn Deputy union put in and, it will not be for this clown who is the Sheriff…. what’s his name Alejandro. I will do it for the betterment of every resident of LA County. You can save your scare tactics for some uninformed person ….”oh the bad guys are coming and, only we the Deputies can save you… oh wait Jesus Christ sent us to save you or the taxpayers want more COPS”. If only the tax payers knew how much they were losing.. not just them, but even their children would pay for you leeches. This pillage of tax payer Dollars will not happen at the expense of our Schools, Parks, Streets, Community Services. So yes I will spend my money for a better tomorrow. You can communicate this message to your Dumb Sheriff. By the way does he even know to speak in English. It must be the Puerto Rican in him.

  • I was in agreement with you on many points but drug addicted and mentally ill people who harm others, steal or kill need to held accountable whether it be in a purpose built mental facility or jail if nothing else is available. It’s pretty weak to use the example of someone roaming around naked which is most benign instance of demonstrated mental illness or drug induced self-influcted brain damage.

    The comments about Sheriff Villanueva surprised me. specially coming from someone as financially well off as you. You seemed to mention the Sheriff’s name being Alejandro with contempt? His ancestry is Puerto Rican and Polish I believe, is their anything wrong with his Perto Rican ancestry? Is their something wrong with he speaks? With all the people in California who speak with accents from all over the world. How do you survive? You sound like a typical either far left condescending liberal racist who are in denial or far right white supremacists. Either one is dangerous and is the same in my book.

  • Ouch Taxpayer! It’s PolishRican. That’s mean to exclude part of Alejandro’s heritage. Especially in then day and age of being Culturally Woke.

  • Alex Villanueva is absolutely The Worst Sheriff in L.A. County History.

    #WorstSheriffEver
    #AllieTheClown

  • “but think about a society where no laws are enforced” does Villanueva follow the laws.

  • Oh look kids its the Grump Clown again. His whole life is dedicated to WitLA, but then again maybe he is IOD and being watched, and cant leave the house.. Now I know you are in mammas basement.
    #Heisstillyoursheriff

  • I know! That’s why many are willing to “safe-surrender” him to the ELA Bandidos. My guess is they will hold onto him tightly until 2022. Once he loses, it’s off to the pound for him and BiBi. Then Mr. Bigglesworth will have to find a new hole to brown nose.

  • Are cops stupid, mentally ill, or sadistic ?

    AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department has fired two of the three officers who took photographs depicting a choke hold in front of the memorial for Elijah McClain, who died after a confrontation with officers in August 2019.

    A third officer was fired for his response to the photos that he received in a text message, and another officer involved resigned Thursday, before his punishment could be handed down.

    https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/aurora-police-press-conference-photo-scandal-elijah-mcclain/73-76d412ee-fe35-4613-aa12-e4884dd57c74

  • I suggest an epidemic of the blue flu. It would be interesting to see what happens when those defunding the police have an emergency and nobody shows up.

  • @Really-Nope. It’s an actual unit. Just like how the BOS have the deputies working at HOA block all traffic for them so when the get off work, they can have their drivers head straight to the freeway without having to stop at stop lights and stop signs.

  • Fx, None of the above, they’re just stuck dealing with reality which makes them less sensitive than you are. Ironically it allows people like you to live in a fantasy world, free to indulge your vanity. Deep down you know this, which explains your hostility towards them.

  • Just like at your place of employment, law enforcement hires from the human race, so yes – some people get on the job that are stupid and immature. That should be no surprise to anyone. The actions of these dolts does not represent the majority – that have their heads in their hands when they read of such ignorance. The good news is that the system worked – they were terminated.

  • Always an excuse and denial for ignorant and immature acts by idiots.

    Not doubt the Fraternal Order of Police will spend millions to get their jobs back.

  • Ct, so you’re a rich guy who hates Hispanics (espically Puerto Ricans apparently) and can’t understand why they could possibly be put into a position of responsibility. (In other words the class you fancy yourself to be in.) Great example of the BLM corporate “allies” though, not the revolution it’s been cracked up to be though, is it?

  • EDITOR’S NOTE:

    Dear “Not in the Car,”

    I deleted a couple of your comments, not because what you were saying was a problem, but because of the wall-to-wall foul language you used to say it. Feel free to resubmit without so many bleep-worthy expressions.

    Thanks in advance

    C.

  • So why is Villanueva trying to re-hire all the bad apples who were fired. Did they not go through the system? It does work. Guess it does not work when you do not like the outcomes or if it does not benefit you.

  • No use in complaining. Certain posters are allowed complete unfettered reign with profanity..U now have an F-bomb count?….MAGA!!!!!!!

  • Life goes on. I get it. How about we Just take our experience, knowledge, and training and move to another state where they can appreciate a California trained law enforcement officer. The pay may be a little less but think about the reduced cost of living. California is too expensive anyway. With there tax on everything. And a lot of states welcome California trained officers and probation staff. That other writer is correct. Being a civil service worker you get paid by tax payers dollars. If their ain’t enough. Money being collected then layoffs usually is next in order for basic civil services to the public must survive. California is turning into a socialist state and more social programs will be needed to serve that population. And where will that money come from… I know, let’s put a tricky proposition on the next ballot so home owners with their new found millions in equity, can pay with higher taxes.

  • WLA a just reported that defund Police protest cost the probation dept some $49mil in cuts. But the BOS gave the newly hired Probation Chief $350k a year.

  • Didn’t tax payers jump on the band wagon during the BLM protest to “defund the police”. I even heard one guy at a rally shout, give the money to the community so they can police themselves.

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