The sheriff of the largest police department in the U.S. on Friday ripped the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for voting to terminate approximately 4,000 unvaccinated deputies.
''This is nothing but a power grab by the board. And it's shameful, and it's going to be harmful to public safety,'' Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told Fox News Digital.
The board, he added, has progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón ''in their back pocket.''
The board last week voted 4-0, with one member abstaining, to approve a proposal that would give the county personnel director overriding authority to discipline any employees who fail to comply with the requirement.
Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Holly Mitchell introduced the motion, saying countywide compliance with the employee vaccine mandate ''remains a challenge four months after its issuance.''
Less than 60% of employees in the sheriff's department are in compliance with the vaccine mandate, and Villanueva has declined to enforce it among his deputies.
''Unsurprisingly, approximately 74% of the more than 5,000 COVID-19-related workers' compensation claims filed by county employees as of Jan. 29, 2022, have been filed by employees in the sheriff's department,'' according to the motion. ''This data illustrates vaccinations' vital role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and thus, the urgent need to increase vaccination rates across the entire county workforce.''
Villanueva said the board couldn't care less about the opinion of the residents in reference to safety concerns.
''They're that powe- hungry in there, so walled off from normal life. While they were in the comfort and security of their homes during the pandemic, when there was no vaccine, our deputies were on the front lines out there answering calls for service. ... And now this board of supervisors wants to turn around and fire those very same people who sacrificed everything to keep public safety.
''It's just, it's really an immoral position these people have adopted, and just shame on every single one of them.''
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.