PATROLS NEAR FULL STRENGTH NOW.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department report requested by county supervisors shows that patrols in unincorporated areas of the Santa Clarita Valley are close to designated levels.

During March, deputies assigned to the unincorporated areas of the Santa Clarita Valley from the local sheriff's station were at work 95 percent of the time in the territory they were expected to serve. This gave them a 95 percent compliance ratio for service in those unincorporated areas.

``I think we provide very good service to the entire Santa Clarita Valley policing area,'' said Capt. Don Rodriguez, station commander. ``We'd like to be at 100 percent.''

The March results were the first figures reported since the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors asked for such information after complaints from residents who said they weren't getting adequate services.

``This is just a one-month snapshot,'' Rodriguez said. ``You're going to see it vary. I think (what) we need to do is take a look at it over a longer period of time.''

Currently the unincorporated communities of Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, parts of Saugus, Sunset Pointe, Val Verde eastern Canyon Country are served by deputies in 13 patrol cars and by an additional nine deputies and two sergeants in the Community Oriented Policing Services program.

Two of the 13 patrol cars are assigned to Pyramid Lake and two in Gorman. Of the others, two patrol on the early-morning shift, one during the day, four at night and one in Val Verde, while one is assigned to community-relations service.

The nine deputies and two sergeants in the COPS program work varied hours, typically on special assignments in unincorporated areas, but can respond to calls for service in the communities they serve.

Los Angeles County supervisors have received complaints from residents of communities without city government who claim deputies are taken away from unincorporated territory to serve in cities that pay under contract with the Sheriff's Department for municipal police protection.

``We're hoping over time to see a pattern, to see the unincorporated areas getting the time they are supposed to,'' said Jean Huston, justice deputy to Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. ``I'm hoping that it will be closer to 100 percent.''

County officials said cities get the service they pay for. Santa Clarita paid about $11.1 million this year for sheriff's services.

The report to supervisors, however, also showed a 95 percent compliance ratio in the city of Santa Clarita.

``The city buys the level of service they are comfortable with,'' Rodriguez said. ``But we cross jurisdictional boundaries. We always send the closest car to any emergency. It's a partnership with the city.''

Within the city, the department patrols 50 square miles and protects more than 158,000 people. In outlying areas of the Santa Clarita Valley, deputies serve about 55,000 residents spread over 600 square miles.

``The (unincorporated county) population is one-third the size of the city's,'' Rodriguez said. ``It's a large area but is mostly uninhabited or sparsely populated.''

Through its contract, the city pays for 75 deputies, including officers in higher ranks, and eight civilian personnel.

The city contract calls for 33 deputies working on general crime, 23 on traffic, six deputies and a sergeant who deal with juvenile crime, five school deputies, one community-relations deputy and five deputies and a sergeant in the Community Interaction Team.

While city government pays for considerably more intensive service inside its borders, Rodriguez said the level of service in the unincorporated area is sufficient. Nevertheless, he has requested three additional deputy patrols for the outlying communities.

``I say the majority of the time, we are OK,'' Rodriguez added. ``We have a very safe community, have very little crime in the community, but as we continue to grow we will continue to need more resources.''

The level of service, he said, has kept up with dramatic population increases in outlying communities.

Stevenson Ranch Town Council members said they were pleased that the report showed a high compliance ratio in the unincorporated area but still believe the area needs more deputies.

``They're doing the best they can with what they have,'' said Mitch Milat, head of the town council's security committee. ``But they have scarce resources.''

Milat said the council is worried that a proposed $100 million public safety budget cut will hurt his community.

``We're doing what we can to lobby the county on that issue,'' Milat said. ``If the cuts go through, there will be drastic reductions.''

Those fearing loss of adequate patrols in unincorporated territory are trying to rally support among other residents to annex property to the city, which can order and pay for a higher level of service.