October 1, 2024
Attorney General Rob Bonta
Office of the Attorney General
1300 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-2919
RE: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department - Penal & Vehicle Code Enforcement Dear Attorney General Bonta,
The California Contract Cities Association (CCCA) is a local government advocacy association currently representing 80 cities and nearly 8 million residents in Southern California. CCCA was founded in 1957 to represent the collective interests of all 42 cities that contract for law enforcement services with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
We have recently been apprised of ongoing negotiations between your office and Los Angeles County that could severely limit LASD’s ability to enforce penal (PC) and vehicle code (VC) violations throughout Los Angeles.
We are deeply concerned the results of these negotiations would limit LASD’s ability to enforce existing laws in our communities. As you may be aware, not every city in Los Angeles and Southern California contracts with LASD. These restrictions are very likely to adversely impact public safety in our cities and would create a disparate application of the law throughout Los Angeles County. This could potentially cause confusion among neighboring jurisdictions, as it could be difficult to ascertain which laws are enforceable across jurisdictions.
Holding LASD to a different set of rules than all other law enforcement agencies in California is a disservice to deputies and to the communities they serve. Each of our 80 member cities place public safety as their highest priority, which is the primary reason these negotiations are so concerning.
CCCA fully supports progressive policing policies in accordance with applicable constitutional guidelines and holding law enforcement accountable when these tenets are violated. A significant part of the move toward more progressive policies should include state funds for training and technology.
We look forward to meeting with you to discuss our concerns further in Los Angeles or Sacramento at your convenience. We are certain our concerns are valid and appreciate your partnership in ensuring our residents and communities have the resources they need to uphold the highest levels of public safety.
Yours in service,
Marcel Rodarte, Executive Director Jennifer Perez, President