Sheriff’s Dept.Budget Audit

Re “Let the Light Shine on Sheriff Block’s Budget,” editorial, April 20: Unfortunately “increasing the amount of budgetary information that is readily available” to the Board of Supervisors, as suggested in the auditor-controller’s initial audit of the Sheriff’s Department, is not the answer. Voters in Los Angeles earlier this month agreed that their charter is in need of a complete overhaul. The same situation exists in the county. Problems with the Sheriff’s Department continue to occur because the sheriff is an independently elected official. Your editorial correctly pointed out that the supervisors are “loath to take on or even question the politically powerful sheriff.” The concept of an elected sheriff is no longer viable. Cities don’t elect chief law enforcement officers for the good reason that law enforcement is a professional task requiring a professional reporting to a chief executive officer (usually a city manager).

Dividing the sheriff’s budget into “seven distinct budgets” will not change the political-administrative relationship between the board and the sheriff. If anything it will only add to the inability of the board to effectively monitor the spending of all county departments. The simple fact is that a five-person board of supervisors cannot administer county government. The board should set policy based on the political realities of its various constituencies. Carrying out the board’s policy must be given to a single-person executive authority. These goals can only be attained by an overhaul of the county charter.

ROBERT J. BANNING

Pasadena

* Thank you for your editorial on Sheriff Sherman Block. As a citizen, I am concerned that our elected officials are terrified of this man, and that the county is just starting to get some accountability from his department. I am outraged at the salary (and raise) that he commands. I fear we have a mini-J. Edgar Hoover on our hands.

SAMUEL J. COHEN

Irvine