It makes sense to increase law enforcement when crime goes up. How hard is that to figure out? But it takes common sense to get that and California isn’t long on that these days.

So in typical liberal thinking West Hollywood, California, home to stars and the rich, sees more crime and cuts the law enforcement presence. Maybe all those folks have private security. But what about people who don’t? The crime surge has to have victims, right? But I guess they don’t matter to California. Only the rich and famous matter out there.

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Fox: “A trendy Los Angeles County community has voted to reduce law enforcement funding despite escalating crime that was up 137% earlier in the year and public backlash.

The budget for the next two fiscal years will leave West Hollywood with up to five fewer Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol. At the same time the council approved increasing funding for a cultural arts festival. The budget was approved by a narrow 3-2 vote with Mayor Lauren Meister dissenting as well as Councilman John Erickson.

Despite the reduction in law enforcement funds, the council also voted to give $14,000 more to the Russian Arts festival for an increase to $50,000. Surging crime in West Hollywood has been an ongoing concern for many. That surge includes murder, rape, burglary, aggravated assault, arson, and human trafficking.”

“Most of the residents and businesses I have heard from are opposed to cutting the Sheriff’s budget,” Meister told press in a statement. “They are outraged that people and organizations from outside our city are dictating to Council how to run our city. The narrative that we can have ‘either Sheriff’s or social services,’ or ‘either Sheriff’s or unarmed security teams’ is false.”

“Community safety is our number one concern,” he told media. “When I’ve heard from countless residents about how they want to feel safer, that involves comprehensive planning and something that is not just drawn out over a decision.”

But defund the police advocates don’t care about community safety. “Prioritizing peoples safety doesn’t just mean people with badges and guns on the street,” Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath said. “We have to find another way to keep our residents safe in a way that is affordable.”

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“We have all talked for two years about re-imagining policing and reimagining policing means reallocating funding and that’s exactly what that means – you can’t just say it without actually doing it. Period,” Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne said.

“In my mind, this is an increase of safety services with 60 additional eyes on the street working directly with the residents and the sheriff and code compliance and our social services providers and two fewer deputies this fall,” Councilman John D’Amico told reporters. He’s out to lunch.