West Hollywood voted Monday to defund the sheriff’s department.

The West Hollywood City Council passed their budget in a 3-2 vote with only Mayor Lauren Meister and Councilman John Erickson voting against the decision.

This will leave West Hollywood with at least 4 fewer deputies on duty.

The decision to reduce funding for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was proposed by City Manager David Wilson as the city is experiencing a significant increase in crime. LA County Sheriff’s department reported a 137% increase in crime in West Hollywood in February when compared to the same time in 2021, the New York Post reported.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti Ignores City’s Crime Crisis, Blames Mass Exodus On Housing Costs. Is He Really That Clueless? https://t.co/r7xEcTZAsi

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 29, 2022

The decision by the city council re-allocates the funds to a Block by Block program, where blue-shirted security ambassadors who are unarmed will provide supplemental law enforcement services.

“Prioritizing people’s safety doesn’t just mean people with badges and guns on the street,” Horvath said. “We have to find another way to keep our residents safe in a way that is affordable.”

“We need our deputies on the street, and we need more of them. We need them on foot patrol. We need them on bikes. We need to bring back whoever was defunded and even add more. Crime is up. People are yelling for more public safety, not less,” begged Ruth Williams, the co-founder of the West Hollywood Public Safety Commission before she passed away in June.

Other cities in and around Los Angeles County, such as Santa Monica, have become one of the “least safe” communities in America, according to survey data.

Over 160,000 people have left Los Angeles in recent years, mainly due to the rising cost of living and soaring crime rates.

We recently invited Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne on the PBD Podcast to discuss the recent vote to defund the police in West Hollywood.

West Hollywood leaders are planning to set aside money for other safety programs which Mayor Shyne discussed in greater detail with us.