Riverside County Sheriff Seeks 7% Rate Hike for Patrol Services

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is proposing a 7% increase in the hourly rate charged for patrol services within the county. Sheriff Chad Bianco is set to formally request the rate hike at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

If approved, the hourly cost for deploying a sheriff’s patrol deputy would rise from approximately $214 to $229 — nearly a $15 increase per hour. The proposed hike significantly surpasses last year’s increase of 2.5%.

The move comes as the department faces ongoing budget pressures and rising personnel costs. Sheriff Bianco argues the increase is necessary to maintain service levels across communities that contract with the department for public safety.

However, the proposed rate has already sparked concern among some city officials and residents. The last time the department requested a rate increase of this magnitude was in 2015. That hike led to widespread backlash and eventually prompted a two-year independent investigation conducted by a professional services firm from the Netherlands. The review was initiated in response to public outcry from cities using the sheriff’s services, many of which were struggling with the escalating costs of law enforcement.

Today’s meeting could reignite debates over the cost of policing in Riverside County and how cities can sustainably fund public safety.

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