Budget
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Budget
In October 2020, the Civilian Oversight Commission created the Budget Ad Hoc Committee to evaluate the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s (LASD) annual budget prioritization process. The Committee's role is to monitor LASD budget operations, gather information, conduct analysis, and make recommendations for Commission consideration. If recommendations are adopted by the Commission, they are submitted to LASD, the Chief Executive Office (CEO) and the Board of Supervisors (BOS), when appropriate. Recommendations are based on the review of LASD’s historical budget submissions and spending, collaboration between LASD and the CEO, stakeholder feedback, public comment at Commission Meetings, and examining LASD’s annual budget proposals. The Committee intends to review LASD priority requests each fiscal year.
LASD Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025
The Commission's Budget Ad Hoc Committee has reviewed the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s annual budget prioritization process for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. All public comments were reviewed by the Commission's Budget Ad Hoc Committee and shared with the full Commission, LASD, Chief Executive Office (CEO) and the Board of Supervisors (BOS) throughout the budget prioritization process. The Commission adopted the recommendations in this staff report at the March 13, 2024 meeting.
The Commission also hosted a virtual conference on February 8th to discuss the County's budget process and the Sheriff Department's budget priorities and unmet needs for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. This conference brought together County leaders, law enforcement professionals, community partners, academics and members of the public to discuss the County's budget process as well as the Sheriff Department's budget priorities and unmet needs.
The ultimate budget decisions rest with the Board of Supervisors. Learn about LASD's Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget with these resources:
- Letter to the CEO on LASD Budget Priorities for FY2024-25 (3.19.2024)
- Written Public Comments (1.30.2024 – 2.15.2024)
- LASD Budget Staff Report (Adopted 3.13.2024)
- LASD Official Budget Request – Budget Priorities & Unmet Needs
- LASD Official Budget Request – Cover Letter
- LASD Official Budget Request Presentation as presented to CEO
LASD Budget for FY 2022-2023
The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission asked for public comment through a survey on LASD Budget Priorities and Unmet Needs for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. All public comments were reviewed by the Commission's Budget Ad Hoc Committee and shared with the full Commission, LASD, CEO and BOS throughout the budget prioritization process. A staff report was presented at the March 2022, Commission meeting with recommendations. At the June 16, 2022, Commission meeting, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) discussed urgent concerns related to LASD that resulted in the Commission passing a motion requesting that a letter be submitted to the CEO and the BOS recommending that:
- The BOS provide funding for LASD Unmet Needs Item #5-Computer Aided Dispatch Replacement Project, which includes seven (7) positions and a Net County Cost of $13,143,000
The CEO and BOS were also provided with a copy of the staff report with recommendations that included that LASD submit the following annually:
- A written budget mitigation plan and/or budget status report to CEO, BOS and the Commission.
- A written report on Provisional Financing Uses (PFU) spending (spending plans and reporting funds spent) to CEO, BOS and the Commission.
Documents:
- Letter to the Sheriff: Request for LASD's Plans on the Computer Aided Dispatch System Replacement, Budget Mitigation, & Provisional Financing Uses (PFU) Spending (June 24, 2022)
- Letter to the CEO: Request to Fund LASD Computer Aided Dispatch Replacement Project for FY2022-23 (June 24, 2022)
- The Sheriff's Department's Underreporting of Civilian Stop Data to the California Attorney General (OIG report, June 10, 2022)
- Commission Staff Report (3/17/2022)
- LASD Cover Letter (1/18/2022)
- LASD Presentation to CEO (2/24/2022)
- LASD Budget Priorities and Unmet Needs (FY 2022-2023)
L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Budget: Priorities & Unmet Needs
The virtual conference, hosted by the COC on March 24, 2022, brought together County leaders, law enforcement professionals, community partners, academics, and members of the public to discuss the County's budget process and LASD’s budget priorities and unmet needs for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
L.A. County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission Chair and Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law & Policy Executive Director Sean Kennedy provided the opening remarks, and the event was moderated by Civilian Oversight Commissioner James P. Harris. Speakers included L.A. County Chief Executive Office Senior Manager Sheila Williams, who explained the County’s Budget Cycle. Next, LASD Administration Services Bureau Division Director Conrad Meredith discussed LASD’s budget challenges and opportunities, and Dignity and Power Now’s Policy and Advocacy Director Ivette Alé highlighted AB 109, LASD public relations and electronic monitoring expansion. View the Webex recording.
Commission Budget Priority Recommendations for FY2021-2022
The Budget Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the LASD FY21-22 Budget Priority Requests and then sent a memo recommending support for specific budget priorities to the Commission. As a result, the Commission sent this letter of Budget Priority Recommendations to the CEO and this letter to the BOS. The Commission’s support of specific budget priorities does not imply support of non-referenced priorities or an increase in the department’s total budget. Amongst the items submitted in LASD’s FY 2021-22 Recommended Budget Request Priorities, the Commission supports funding for the listed items in the following priority order:
- Body Worn Cameras (LASD Priority #3)
- Mental Evaluation Team (MET) Restoration (LASD Priority #7)
- Integrated Co-Response & Crisis Intervention Bureau (LASD Priority #8)
- Veterans Mental Evaluation Team (MET) Expansion (LASD Priority #9)
On October 5, 2021, the BOS approved the Supplemental Budget Recommendations Final Changes for FY 2021-22. Among many budget highlights, those directly related to the Commission's recommendations include:
- Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Project — Adds $9 million to LASD, partially offset with $1.0 million of funding previously set aside in the Provisional Financing Uses budget unit, for the completion of the BWC project roll-out
- Veterans Mental Evaluation Team — Adds $2 million and 6 positions to LASD to expand the Mental Evaluation Teams to provide services to veterans