Residents who live in the City are responded to faster by the Sheriffs department than their neighbors in the unincorporated areas, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.  In the City of Santa Clarita, the average response time for emergencies is 5.5 minutes, while unincorporated residents see an 8.1 minute emergency response time. Priority calls average an 11.7 minute response time in the City and a 15.7 minute response time in the unincorporated areas.  For routine calls, the response time averages 44.7 minutes in the City and 58.2 minutes in the unincorporated areas.  This response time has decreased steadily since 2001, despite the increase in population and vehicle traffic.

 

"If there is an intruder in your home, two or three minutes can make a big difference," commented Ken Pulskamp, City Manager. The City of Santa Clarita is spending over $14 million on Sheriff services this fiscal year, which includes a variety of special teams, deputies on school campuses, community interaction teams and more than five times the amount of law enforcement patrols per square mile every day. In the City, there is an average of 16-17 patrols on the streets each day for the City’s 52 square mile area.  The County of Los Angeles pays for 5 patrols during the day for a 500-square mile area

which runs from Kern County to the Ventura County line.

 

"The City is working on next year’s budget and we looking at looking at making even further increases in public safety," explained Pulskamp. While the population of the Santa Clarita Valley has increased, County law enforcement services and personnel have not been added commensurate with the increase in residents.  The City has continued to increase its contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs department each year to assure that adequate law enforcement personnel are provided and response times are adequate.