By a 5-0 vote, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to increase the hourly rate charged to 16 cities and other contract entities for the use of patrol deputies and support services associated with operations.
The board approved a 7% increase in the base hourly rate for the use of patrol personnel, increasing the cost from $214.47 to $229.55 per hour. The increase, retroactive to July 1, 2024, is to recoup higher costs incurred by the department, officials said. The contract law enforcement rates are adjusted annually.
Each year, the Sheriff’s Office does an analysis of its patrol operations and determines real costs effectively through its sheer size. The fully supported contract law enforcement rates include the entire systemic costs involving the running of the department. Other requirements of the Sheriff, such as jail operations, court operations, and coroner operations, are not involved in the determination of the yearly contract rates.
All personnel costs are current fiscal year costs incurred, and services and supplies (Class II) are real costs incurred in the previous fiscal year. Salaries and benefits for all Sheriff’s personnel are negotiated directly between the various labor groups and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. The largest cost component in the contract rate is personnel costs.
