News Update

Kern County sheriff, short of staff, to pull officers from schools in six districts

Tensions over whether to keep armed officers continue to roil districts in Los Angeles County following the shooting death of a teenager by a school safety officer in Long Beach Unified last month.

But in its neighboring county to the north, Kern County, it’s the sheriff’s department that will give 90-day notice this week that it’s pulling its officers out of a half-dozen districts.

The problem is bodies, not dollars, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told Bakersfield.com. “It’s simple and boils down to the fact that we don’t have staff. We don’t have enough staff for local patrol.”

The department currently has contracts with Greenfield Union, Standard, Taft City and Edison elementary school districts. It also has contracts with Wasco Union High and Taft Union High school districts. The school districts all had contracts for one school resource officer each through June or July.

Youngblood, who will tell county supervisors Tuesday of his intent to end the contracts, said his first priority is making sure a deputy is available in communities to respond to 911 calls but that deputies would be available when schools call to request their assistance.

“I don’t want the public to think that we’re not going to be there,” he said.