Defund Malibu Police? Not Quite, But City Council Wants To Pay Less For Deputies’ Coverage
Written by 991KBU on June 9, 2020
It’s not necessarily defunding the L A sheriff’s office … but the Malibu city council wants top pay less to the LA County sheriff office for law enforcement.
Malibu pays 8 point 5 million dollars to the L A County sheriff’s office this year … the biggest line item in the city budget.
The cost keeps escalating … up 6 percent this year alone.
Cities have to pay into a special fund to pay off lawsuits against the sheriff’s office … filed for deputy abuse cases.
And malibu also has to pay 713 thousand dollars a year extra for the beach team … the special sheriff’s overtime contingent that patrols the millions of people from L A who swarm Zuma and other beaches every summer.
Council member Skylar Peake wants a cut … in Malibu’s payments
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“I would like to us figure out a way to cut our sheriff’s budget by five or 10 percent.
“I don’t know if that’s possible are not in any way shape or form but I think we could asked them to be more efficient.
“To get even 5 percent out of that is a substantial amount of money.
Huge long range budget problems are facing the city.
One looming problem.
Malibu residents have been clamoring for years fro the reopening of a sheriff’s substation in Malibu.
The idea was sold to the public as a why to better use deputies …
To have local deputies report to work in Malibu… save them having to drive back and forth over the hill every day from the Lost Hills station … and put them on the streets for more hours over here.
Now … the sheriff says that instead of saving money … the new malibu substation will cost $3 million dollars a year more … a 35 percent increase in an already-hefty law enforcement bill.
Councilman Mikke Pierson.
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“And the sheriffs substation was mentioned?
“Right at this point the way our budget’s going … that’s just can have to be on hold … which is that what any of us want.
“It doesn’t help make the city safer in any way shape or form.”
Last night’s budget discussion stretched into the night … with popular city program after popular program delayed … out on the back burner … because there is not enough money or staff to get the job done.
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