The perpetually left-footed dance between Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown and the county Board of Supervisors proceeded apace last Tuesday, October 18, over runaway overtime costs, an epidemic of departmental burnout, and ongoing recruiting shortfalls.
Most of the supervisors delicately pushed, prodded, and all but tried to bribe Brown into trying something new and different to address what Supervisor Das Williams described as the “existential threat” the staffing shortage poses to the department.
Supervisor Gregg Hart was less temperate, accusing Brown of continuing to do the same things that haven’t worked for the past five years. “I’m not getting a sense of urgency,” a visibly frustrated Hart exclaimed after Brown explained what steps he intended to take.