Crime in West Hollywood is at all-time high. So now the liberal hacks in charge of West Hollywood have chosen to "re-allocate" city funds to "social services" and cutback the LA County Sheriff Department. John and Ken talked to LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva who sounded off on this absurd action.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - A trendy Los Angeles County community has voted to reduce law enforcement funding despite escalating crime that was up 137% earlier in the year and public backlash.
The budget for the next two fiscal years will leave West Hollywood with up to five fewer Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies on patrol. At the same time the council approved increasing funding for a cultural arts festival.
The budget was approved by a narrow 3-2 vote with Mayor Lauren Meister dissenting as well as Councilman John Erickson.
"Most of the residents and businesses I have heard from are opposed to cutting the Sheriff’s budget," Meister told Fox News in a statement. "They are outraged that people and organizations from outside our city are dictating to Council how to run our city. The narrative that we can have 'either Sheriff's or social services,' or 'either Sheriff's or unarmed security teams' is false."
Over the past few months, residents and business owners have voiced opposition to cutting the police budget amid a crime wave across the county.
"Prioritizing peoples safety doesn't just mean people with badges and guns on the street," Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath said during the meeting. "We have to find another way to keep our residents safe in a way that is affordable."
Mayor Pro Tem Sepi Shyne amended the budgets to re-allocate funds for sheriff's deputies to the Block by Block program, which staffs unarmed security ambassadors who provide the city with supplemental law enforcement services.