Due to court delays caused by the old aged bus fleet, which backed up the entire system, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department celebrated the arrival of its new fleet of inmate transfer buses on Thursday.
At the morning press conference, Sheriff Robert Luna spoke in front of the department’s first new bus in eight years.
“Our court’s services transportation makes every effort to transport all individuals to court daily, however over the last couple of years, when the bus availability is low, it has been very difficult,” Luna stated.
About 1,500 inmates are transported to and from court, doctor’s visits, and state prisons by the department’s Court Services Transportation Bureau. Due to maintenance issues and components availability, 70% of the department’s fleet is currently nonoperational, according to Luna.
The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors claims that because LASD hasn’t gotten a new bus since 2018, there are currently just 23 of 82 operational buses—less than half of what the department needs to meet its transportation demands. Maintaining the aging buses also costs between $1.2 and $1.6 million a year.
“I remember first stepping into office, and some of the first angry calls I got were from some of our judges that were complaining they were consistently — some of our inmates missing out of court, which backs up the entire system,” Luna stated.
About $21 million was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2023 for a new fleet of 20 buses and 16 vans. One of those buses will be delivered roughly every two weeks until the entire fleet is in place, with the first one arriving this week.
“Most importantly, these new buses will ensure that every individual in our custody and care is able to be transported safely, promptly and in accordance with their constitutional rights,” Luna stated.
He added that in order to avoid future significant gaps, the department has also created a plan for replacing its technology and equipment.
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