The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to draft a ballot measure to have the authority to remove Sheriff Alex Villanueva from office, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reports.

BREAKING: The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 today to order county attorneys to draft a ballot measure that would give them the power to remove the elected sheriff from office “for cause”.
Supervisor @kathrynbarger was the lone dissenting vote. @FoxNews

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 12, 2022

This is the exact opposite of what so many Democratic politicians preach today: “Restoring and strengthening our democracy.” Democracy, by definition, is a way of governing that depends on the will of the people. One person, one vote. But apparently, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors doesn’t think that democracy is important, even as Democrats are campaigning on “preserving democracy.”

The Board of Supervisors voted to draft the ballot measure 4-1 in order to potentially have the power to remove not only Sheriff Villanueva but also appoint a Sheriff of their choosing. The one Supervisor who did not vote in favor of this was Kathryn Barger, the lone, common sense, centrist Republican. The same four people who voted for this measure also voted to defund the police. Barger was the lone person who refused to defund the police. Now, the Supervisors want to take down the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department by ousting Villanueva.

Supervisor Barger said this about the vote today:

“This proposed Charter Amendment sets a dangerous precedent and creates a slippery slope for the Board of Supervisors to override the will of the voters. The Sheriff of Los Angeles County, as in all other counties across California, is a constitutionally elected officer, democratically elected every four years. Considering that the current Sheriff is less than four months away from their election, the timing of this action seems highly political.”

She added:

“If the goal of this Board is ‘Promoting Accountability and Community Safety Through Check and Balances,’ then this action should include all County elected officials – the Assessor, the District Attorney and the Supervisors themselves. A Charter Amendment focused on only one office undermines the credibility of the Board and its underlying intentions.”

Barger has a valid point. Why is Sheriff Villanueva the only one this rule applies to? Especially when disgraced DA George Gascon has handcuffed the police and law enforcement by allowing criminals back out on the streets to commit more crimes. Voters will get to decide whether Gascon should be recalled in November. That is what democracy is all about. But with this move to oust Villanueva, the Supervisors, with the exception of Barger, are showing that they do not believe in Democracy.

Barger concluded:

“I remain concerned that this action, as approved by the Board today, dilutes the voice of Los Angeles County voters and deepens voter apathy.”

Sheriff Villaneuva responded to the Board of Supervisors:

SHERIFF VILLANUEVA’S RESPONSE TO AGENDA #12 – PROMOTING ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMUNITY SAFETY THROUGH CHECKS AND BALANCES OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF pic.twitter.com/9Et5DAD66W

— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) July 12, 2022

Several times, Villaneuva and the LASD have been threatened. As RedState’s Jennifer Van Laar reported, a gang member attempted to murder two Los Angeles County Deputies.

Recently, we reported that Sheriff Villanueva announced the LASD received a “criminal threat against the lives of our deputies,” and it is clear that there is a war on police and law enforcement, and it must stop. Police officers work hard every single day to protect the citizens; the least we can do is show our appreciation.

Nobody is perfect; everybody makes mistakes. If people believe the department needs improvements, they should vote for improvements. That’s what democracy is all about. But if the citizens of Los Angeles vote to uphold this measure, the voters will be stripped of their opportunity to elect a Sheriff. If Villanueva wins in November and the measure passes, the Board of Supervisors will remove him from office. The citizens of Los Angeles should take a stand by overwhelmingly voting against the proposition and truly preserving our democracy.