Los Angeles County supervisors approved funding for four new full-time deputy positions for unincorporated parts of the Santa Clarita Valley over the next two years.

The move was in response to an April report by Sheriff’s Department officials, which identified the need for 118 more deputies, expected to cost the county a total of $19.5 million each year.

The increased allotment is expected to be rolled out in two phases, said Capt. Roosevelt Johnson of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“This first phase will give us, one two-person car with relief for the unincorporated areas,” Johnson said, noting patrols were reduced as the byproduct of a countywide budget crunch  back in 2010.

“(The additional patrols) will reduce the response time in the unincoprorated areas and address the number of calls for service and reduce the number of Part I and Part II crimes per deputy,” he said, referring to the FBI designations for types of crimes. “Of course, it’s also going to improve visibility in the commnuity and officer safety.”

The money is expected to fund two new Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies in 2015, and then two more the following year, said Tony Bell, spokesman for 5th District Supervisor Michael Antonovich.

“Enhancing public safety is the chief job of local government,” Bell said.

The money was part of a motion by Antonovich that included $7.3 million for 67 sworn positions that was allocated for the unincorporated areas, according to county records.

The Sheriff’s Department’s Unincorporated Area Patrol Assessment compared service levels between 2010 and 2013.

In 2013, the Sheriff’s Department was forced to change their response plan after a county audit showed a one-minute discrepancy in deputy-response time between unincorporated areas and contract cities.

Sheriff’s Department officials concluded that that an increase of 118 sworn positions, was necessary, according to county records.

Of those, 25 sworn positions will be deployed to Altadena, Santa Clarita, Antelope and Crescenta valleys, according to officials.

Antonovich asked that the Board of Supervisors transfer the $12.4 million from the Provisional Financing Uses, set aside for this purpose on Sept. 30th, to the Sheriff’s Unincorporated Area Patrol Services Budget Unit to implement Phase I of increased patrol services based on the Sheriff’s Unincorporated Area Patrol Assessment issued in April of 2014, according to county records.

On Sept. 30, the Chief Executive Officer issued a report in support of phasing in the additional personnel over a two year period and recommended approval of Phase I, according to county records. Phase I consists of 67 sworn positions, specifically 65 Deputy Sheriff Generalists and two Deputy Sheriff Bonus-I positions for a total cost of $12.4 million.

Accordingly, the board set aside $12.4 million in the Provisional Financing Uses pending additional information from the Sheriff regarding the delivery of patrol services which was received on Oct. 20, according to county records.