800 Face Layoffs At Riverside Co. Sheriff’s Office

Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff announced the possibility of at least 800 layoff notices being issued to employees throughout his department on Friday as part of an effort by county supervisors to close a massive budget gap.

Sniff said the county CEO?s office recommended his department cut between $40 million to $60 million from next year’s budget, a recommendation he said would “crater” the department.

?These cuts are extremely deep and have severe ramifications for communities all across the county,” Sniff said. “The Sheriff?s Department is determined to be a partner with the Board in dealing with our county?s fiscal challenges, but our operations are massive, far-ranging in impact.”

Due to the size of the budget cut, Sniff said more than 500 full-time staff would be laid off after July 1, and nearly 800 notices would be required.

Two years ago, the sheriff’s department had 1.2 patrol deputies for every 1,000 residents of Riverside County. That was reduced to one deputy for every 1,000 residents in budget negotiations that year.

If the CEO’s recommendations are approved in June, that number would be reduced to three-quarters of a deputy to every 1,000 residents.

Sniff feared the result would mean increased response times, end the department?s efforts on the gang and sexual predator task forces, close half of the county-wide drug teams that deal with dispensaries, reduce patrol aviation service hours, and close several sheriff?s patrol stations.

It would also force more deputies to book inmates at the jail in Indio, resulting in more overcrowded conditions, he said.

The first wave of layoffs would involve 100 sheriff’s deputies and correctional deputies whose last day would be July 13. Those employees would be notified starting May 16.

“This is devastating for the county,” said Riverside County Sheriff’s Association spokesman Pat McNamara.”Show me a citizen anywhere in the county who feels the response times when somebody calls for service are satisfactory. This is a major county. We should be adding positions, not reducing them.”

Sniff said he is concerned about losing the trust of the residents of Riverside County and hopes they understand that it is inevitable that public services will be disrupted by the sheer magnitude of the reduction in staff.

?We will await the decision of the board on what funding they ultimately approve next year for our department,” Sniff said. “We will vigorously execute their decision as part of the county team. We will professionally make the best of whatever outcome occurs, but we all understand that the budget reflects the public?s priority on how their taxpayer dollars are allocated and spent.?