3-26-03
  
  The 2003-04 Proposed Budget, scheduled to be presented to the County Board of Supervisors in mid-April, reflects a $61 to $68.4 million budget shortfall due to the need to absorb various rising employee benefit costs, increased services and supplies requirements, and a reduction in anticipated revenue to the Sheriff's Department. As a result, the Department is eliminating 407 positions from our budget, including the remaining Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) personnel, partial closures of various custody facilities, the realignment of Trail Court Funding services and a reduction of overtime funding.

The Proposed Budget also reflects an additional $14 million reduction in other law enforcement programs and the elimination of an additional 173 positions due to the previously negotiated increases in salaries and employee benefits, and an anticipated decline in public safety sales tax receipts for the upcoming fiscal year.

Finally, the Proposed Budget reflects funding for the Office of Homeland Security, the voter-approved restructuring of the Sheriff’s Department, the Equity Training Program, and civilian investigator positions that will be fully offset by a reduction in overtime funding.

We anticipate the adoption of the 2003-04 budget by July 1.


Andrew L. Lamberto
Acting Assistant Division Director
County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department