Lakewood : Sheriff’s Matching Fund Grows

The Lakewood City Council has allocated $4,910 to be used by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as matching funds for a federal grant to upgrade the Lakewood station’s Street Criminal Apprehension Team.

In order to receive the $222,222 grant, which is administered by the Office of Criminal Justice Planning, the six cities served by the Lakewood station must match 10% or $22,222 of the grant, Sheriff’s Capt. Elmer Omohundro said.

Each of the six cities is being asked to contribute a share of the funding based on its rate of narcotics-related crimes and arrests, Omohundro said. So far, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens and Artesia have agreed to contribute to the fund. Cerritos, Paramount and Bellflower will consider it at their next council meetings.

The money would be used to add a deputy to the task force and to buy surveillance equipment, Omohundro said. The task force was started in January, 1986, and is aimed at curbing drug-related crimes like burglaries and robberies. According to Lt. John Anderson, burglaries in the station’s jurisdiction have decreased 21% between 1986 and 1987.