Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco delivered a stark warning to the Board of Supervisors this week, saying hundreds of sheriff’s department positions could be eliminated if the agency does not receive additional funding in the county’s 2026-27 budget.
Speaking during the opening of budget hearings Monday at the County Administrative Center in Riverside, Bianco said the department requested roughly $250 million beyond what was included in the proposed spending plan. According to the sheriff, about $138 million of that amount is needed simply to maintain current staffing levels.
“This is a massive number that we cannot recover from,” Bianco told supervisors. “The proposed budget for us is absolutely disastrous.”
The sheriff said failing to secure the requested funding could force the department to eliminate as many as 622 patrol deputy positions. If cuts were focused on administrative and support staff instead, the total number of positions affected could climb to around 1,000.
Bianco said any reductions of that scale would likely need to be phased in over several years to avoid severe impacts on public safety. He warned that unincorporated communities could feel the effects first as resources are shifted to maintain law enforcement services for the 17 cities that contract with the county.
The budget shortfall would also affect major projects, according to the sheriff. Bianco said it would leave little chance of fully opening the Benoit Detention Center in Indio, moving forward with upgrades at the Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center or building a new hangar for the department’s aviation unit at March Air Reserve Base.
Supervisor Jose Medina acknowledged the financial pressures facing the county and said all departments would need to share in the burden of spending reductions.
“The pain needs to be distributed across the county departments,” Medina said. “As important as public safety is, it cannot be helped not to feel some of the pain.”
Supervisor Chuck Washington also pointed to previous budget compromises while discussing the sheriff’s concerns. During a brief exchange, Bianco said he had previously refrained from publicly discussing jail funding issues because he was encouraged to avoid the topic during earlier budget hearings.
District Attorney Mike Hestrin also appeared before the board, requesting an additional $14 million above the amount recommended by the county Executive Office. Hestrin said the funding would help maintain current staffing levels and cover labor-related costs.
The district attorney noted that retirements and recruiting efforts by neighboring counties have reduced staffing levels in Riverside County. He said his office currently employs 228 prosecutors and continues to face growing workloads tied to state mandates.
Part of Hestrin’s proposal includes creating a specialized cryptocurrency and cybercrimes unit. He said financial fraud schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated and often target senior citizens, making quicker investigative responses necessary.
Riverside County Fire Chief Robert Fish submitted the smallest request among public safety agencies, seeking an additional $900,000 to expand the county’s nurse navigation program. The initiative allows trained nurses to assist some callers over the phone, reducing unnecessary emergency responses.
According to Fish, the program has successfully resolved about 3,000 medical calls since its launch in October, helping keep fire personnel available for more serious emergencies.
County Chief Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said the county faces a projected $66 million structural deficit heading into the next fiscal year, even before considering the additional public safety requests.
Van Wagenen recommended continuing a targeted hiring freeze and relying on reserve funds while county leaders work to address long-term financial challenges.
“Growth is flattening,” Van Wagenen said. “We have to prioritize.”
The proposed county budget totals approximately $10.34 billion, representing an increase of about 3.5% over the current fiscal year. County officials project reserve balances will reach roughly $650 million by the end of the year.
Supervisors are expected to continue budget discussions this week, with tentative approval of the spending plan scheduled for June 23.
Source: City News Service
