Two Cities Join L.A. Sheriff’s Task Force on Crime
Bellflower and Lakewood are the first among six Southeast cities to help fund a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crime Task Force.
The councils of both cities have voted unanimously to participate in the program conducted by the Lakewood sheriff’s station.
Other cities served by the Lakewood station, and which can join the program, are Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens and Paramount.
According to station commander Capt. Stephen O. Batchelor and Sgt. Edward Milkey, who both coordinated a May-to-July pilot program, task force officers made 282 arrests during those months for drug dealing, burglary, theft and robbery.
Annual funding requests for the four-man task force will be based on the percentage of arrests in each city, said Batchelor, who said Bellflower would be asked to pay $59,921, and Lakewood $59,277 for the first year, the highest amounts to be sought among the cities.
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