Sacramento County Considers Cutting Deputies While City Is Ready To Hire Cops
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's a tale of two budgets as the the sheriff's department tries to avoid even more cuts while the police are considering hiring more officers.
Neighborhood watch groups are on alert with fewer Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies patrolling the streets.
"You feel like you've been made more vulnerable," said organizer Judy Johnson.
Full-time deputies were let go in 2009 due to budget cuts. Four years later, not only have those positions gone unfilled, but more layoffs could come if additional money doesn't flow into the county by September.
"As large as the county is and as few officers even now, cutting it just seems like the wrong thing to do," Johnson said.
Sheriff Scott Jones vowed to not let that happen when he took office. He remains confident several million dollars will be found.
"I'm hopeful that will continue to work, and they'll continue to work, and hopefully at the end of the day we will get to where we need to be," Jones said.
Jones vowed when he took office to not let that happen- on Monday he remained confident several million dollars would be found.
But while the county hopes for more cash, the city of Sacramento is counting its money.
The voter-approved half-cent sales-tax measure means an additional $26 million can be spent. That extra money will help the city hire 70 new police officers.
"We are going to be much better than what people have seen the last three years," said Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn. "I think Measure U is really coming through for the kinds of restorations people want to see."
Both the county and city still need concessions in pension negotiations they say will ensure officers stay on the streets.
