Riverside County budget cuts will dismantle sheriff's specialized units, Bianco warns

• Funding gap: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco says the county funded only $13 million of a requested $138 million in "stay flat funding," leaving a $125 million shortfall for current staffing.
• Position cuts: The sheriff plans to eliminate 622 positions through attrition and retirement, with 200 cuts expected by the end of the year.
• Specialized teams: Gang and rural crimes task forces, robbery and burglary suppression, and homeless outreach teams are expected to shut down by year's end.
• Dispute: County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen says the sheriff's budget actually increased by about $50 million to $1.23 billion.
• Local impact: Benoit Detention Center in Indio is running at roughly one-quarter capacity, and infrastructure projects may be delayed.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is publicly warning that budget constraints will force the dismantling of his department's specialized investigative units and leave deputies focused almost entirely on 911 calls. The conflict centers on a $10.3 billion county budget approved in June and a widening disagreement over how much public safety funding the sheriff's office actually needs.

A $125 million shortfall in "stay flat" funding

During a Board of Supervisors budget hearing in June, Bianco requested $138 million in "stay flat funding" to maintain current staffing levels. According to Bianco, the county allocated only $13 million of that request. The resulting $125 million gap, he said, leaves him no choice but to eliminate 622 positions over the next three to four years through retirement and attrition. He expects 200 of those positions to be gone by the end of the year.

"This is truly a dismantling of the Sheriff's Department, and will impact the level of service residents receive," Bianco said in a telephone interview. "I'm going to have my hands full maintaining morale over the next couple of years."

Dispute over the numbers

County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen pushed back on Bianco's framing. He said the sheriff's budget increased by about $50 million over the previous fiscal year, from roughly $1.18 billion to $1.23 billion. General fund support also rose by about $7 million, from $482 million to $489 million.

"An unfunded request for additional funding is different from a reduction to the department's existing budget," Van Wagenen said in an email.

Bianco responded that the county's calculation does not account for rising costs the department must absorb, including union contract increases, workers' compensation and internal service funds. Those rising expenses, he said, consume dollars that otherwise would pay for existing staffing and operations.

"I don't care what wordsmithing is done by the executive office or the Board of Supervisors to make themselves feel better or misinform Riverside County residents," Bianco said. "They purposely and knowingly defunded the sheriff's office, forcing me to reduce staffing at unprecedented levels."

What gets cut

Bianco said the funding shortfall will dismantle specialized investigative teams. The list includes the gang and rural crimes task forces, the robbery and burglary suppression team and the homeless outreach team. He anticipates all specialized teams will be shut down by the end of the year.

"We are now simply going to answer 911 calls," Bianco said. "Our ability to investigate and be proactive in crime solving and crime prevention has substantially diminished or completely been eliminated."

The department will still have enough homicide investigators for new cases, but not enough to work cold cases. Bianco also said 89 deputies will be reassigned starting Aug. 20 to work in the 17 cities that contract with the department for services. In addition, 180 to 200 correctional deputies are now working mandatory overtime to meet state-mandated jail staffing levels.

Local California context: Indio and county facilities

Indio's Benoit Detention Center is already affected. Bianco said the funding constraints leave him unable to fully staff the facility, which is operating at roughly one-quarter capacity. The budget gap also could delay modernization of the Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and construction of a new hangar for sheriff's aviation operations at March Air Reserve Base.

Background: A county budget under pressure

The Board of Supervisors approved a $10.3 billion budget on June 23, using $66 million in reserves to close a general fund imbalance and avoid immediate layoffs. The county ended the fiscal year with $584 million in reserves, down from a projected $650 million. To address slowing revenue growth and roughly $700 million in additional funding requests from departments, the county imposed a hiring freeze and tighter spending controls.

Health and hospital services account for 30% of total appropriations, and human services account for another 19.4%. Together they represent nearly half of county spending. The broader public safety portfolio, including the Sheriff's Department, district attorney, public defender, probation, emergency management and fire departments, accounts for 23.1% of total appropriations.

Conclusion

The dispute is not just about accounting. It will shape how quickly deputies respond, whether cold cases get solved and how jails stay staffed. Riverside County residents, especially those in contract cities, should watch upcoming board decisions and public safety budget hearings closely.