Sheriff Triples Patrols, Vows To Work With Supervisors After They Take Over Emergency Services
Written by 991KBU on April 1, 2020
L A County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he has nearly tripled the number of active sheriff’s patrols across the county,
Usually 250 to 300 black and white cars on the street … the
The department now has 800 radio cars on the streets of LA County every day…. the sheriff says.
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“We have seven of our employees who are now affected by the virus … five sworn … two civilian.
“We have 49 better under medical quarantine.
“And 102 under a self-imposed quarantine.
“We have provided all of the necessary personal protective equipment, the gloves the masks the shields everything that is necessary out in the field.”
Yesterday … the L A County Board of Supervisors effectively removed the sheriff as head of the county emergency operations effort.
Malibu-area supervisor Sheila Kuehl said it wasn;t politics … it wasn’t all about Villanueva.
But the sheriff called it irresponsible … criticizing the timing during a global pandemic as “a brazen attempt to consolidate power.”
However … it was the county’s botched response to the Woolsey Fire in Malibu that caused the change.
And that was before Villanueva had taken control of the sheriff’s department.
When the deadly Woolsey fire erupted in 2018 … the evacuation of Malibu was a catastrophe.
Calls for mutual aid went unanswered.
Los Angeles County officials were unprepared … according to an after-action audit.
Yesterday … the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously took over disaster preparedness and response.
The sheriff’s office … and its current elected occupant …. yesterday was removed as head of the emergency operations center.
Before the vote … Villanueva said the supervisors had endorsed his opponent and this was payback.
After the vote … Villanueva pledged to cooperate.
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“Since the sheriffs department is no longer responsible for the emergency management operation of this crisis … our personnel who are currently at the County Emergency Operations Center are going to remain there.
“The ball is in play and we’re not going to let the ball drop at any time.
“When the Board of Supervisors develops a transition plan, we are more than willing to start replacing our personnel with their personnel as appropriate so will be waiting for them.
“But I want to reassure the public that we’re not going to drop the ball.
“Our job is to provide public safety in that remains our number one priority.”
L A sheriff Alex Villanueva.
