DEPUTIES FREED FOR POLICE DUTY : FEDERAL GRANT TO FUND 70 CUSTODY ASSISTANTS.

Byline: David Bloom Daily News Staff Writer

Seventy Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies will be reassigned to work in community-oriented policing programs thanks to a $3.1 million federal grant accepted Tuesday by county supervisors.

The money will be used to hire as many custody assistants, who would earn less money than the deputies and take over their jobs running the temporary lockups in 18 stations, including those in Lost Hills, Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley, said Undersheriff Jerry Harper.

``At this point, we're thankful for anything we can get in this austerity-budget atmosphere of Los Angeles County,'' Harper said.

The grant is one of four the department has been awarded by the federal government in recent months that have allowed it to beef up and redeploy its budget-depleted forces, Harper said.

In all, the department has been able to add about 160 sworn and nonsworn officers to its 8,000-person force.

The custody assistants, who are not sworn officers, are paid about $55,000 a year each in salary and benefits, compared with about $76,000 in such costs for a deputy, Harper said.

The grant will pay for the custody assistants' salaries and other first-year costs, and might be extended if the county can't find a local funding source.