LA County Sheriff's Department to exceed $500 million in overtime pay, Luna says

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is on pace to have a record amount of overtime spending, surpassing last year's mark of nearly $500 million.

"Our employees are working more overtime," Sheriff Robert Luna said. 

Concerns have been raised after Deputy Daniel Chavira died in a multi-car crash near Santa Clarita. The 21-year-old's union said he was going home after a double shift at the North County Correctional Facility. Investigators have not determined if fatigue played a factor or caused the crash.

However, Luna acknowledged that deputies at the detention center averaged about 56 hours of overtime a month over the last four years. He added that the Eaton and Palisades fires required deputies to work more hours. 

"Because we are under multiple settlement agreements and consent decrees that we've had for years, there are specific requirements for staffing," Luna said. 

Since the pandemic, the number of staffers leaving the department has outpaced those joining.

"There are about 13,000 people in custody right now," ACLU attorney Melissa Camacho said. "Before COVID, there were 17,000. So, I think there is a question: What was the staffing level at 17,000? What is it at 13,000? Were there adjustments made."

In 2022, the department had more than 9,500 sworn members. However, that number had dropped to just over 9,000 by the end of 2024. Luna said it's difficult to retain deputies when other departments offer better pay and bonuses. 

Despite that challenge, he said recruitment has increased by 30%. 

"I want to reduce mandatory overtime by 20%," Luna said. 

In a letter to the Board of Supervisors, Rosemead's Mayor Margaret Clark expressed her concern about the number of overtime hours deputies are subjected to. 

"We have seen firsthand the physical and mental fatigue our deputy sheriffs are experiencing due to excessive overtime demands," she wrote. "Many of them work nearly 100 hours of overtime every month."

Luna said he implemented a moratorium on new county contracts to manage the workload. The department has also expanded its wellness programs to help deputies deal with stress.