Sheriffs from LA, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties meet in the first tri-county forum

Like a scene from a Three Amigos remake, Sheriffs Alex Villanueva, Shannon Dicus and Chad Bianco made the rounds Saturday in a public forum featuring Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside County Sheriff's Departments. 

They took plenty of photos with supporters — the three are running for re-election this cycle — but they also answered questions from the public about topics ranging from COVID-19 mandates to increasing crime.

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Each department brought out equipment that people rarely get to see, from the scuba boats, to specialized rescue vehicles, and of course, the ever popular horses and K-9s.

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"This is really special" said one civilian, echoing the law enforcement personnel we spoke to. Many deputies explain that the last couple of years, there has been a marked difference in how the public perceives law enforcement.  

"To interact with people and feel their support is really amazing" one deputy told us, off camera. He echoes the feeling of many who, as Sheriff Villanueva explains "feel the profession is under siege".  At the same time, a lot of the public we talked to say they feel their communities are under siege from crime. 

The event was popular with the public, so don’t be surprised to hear about more.

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