"I think we should do it. We've done it in the past," said Sheriff Lee Baca, L.A. County.
Sheriff Lee Baca believes it's a good idea, similar to mutual aid, and someday we might need the help.
It will cost about $1.6 million dollars -- $500K to charter a plane, a $100K for expenses, and another million in salary. The question is who will pay for it?
"We're not in a position to police other cities, as worthy as this is. And then I found out that we're not being reimbursed for it," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said Tuesday.
Sheriff Baca says it's a bit premature to assume that. He's still talking to Washington about the money.
"We're negotiating now and our point is and my point is is that Washington has to pay for it all. And that's the only fair way to do this," said Sheriff Baca.
Yaroslavsky says even if Washington pays for everything, the deputies that go on the trip would have to be replaced. And that will cost a lot of overtime.
"The city of New York wasn't asked by the city of Washington to send any officers. The city of Washington could have saved a half a million dollars in transportation costs by just calling up to New York and having them bus down from New York," said Yaroslavsky.
The 347 officers would be about 5 percent of the total force. And Yaroslavsky worries it could disrupt operations. Baca says no.
"Whoever is on the board that's clamoring over this should have a little more faith that we in The Sheriff's Department know what we're doing," said Sheriff Baca.
Many wants this to happen, so the issue is not dead yet. But it appears there will have to be a lot of assurances from Washington D.C., before the sheriff's deputies make it there for the inauguration.
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