Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood will ask Supervisors Tuesday morning for $1.3 million to fund the next training academy for new deputies. Youngblood told reporters Monday his department has lost 85 officers in the past 18 months as they leave for better paying jobs or retire, and the academy is a vital hiring pool.

Youngblood expects to lose up to 55 deputies in the coming year to budget cuts and attrition, with little chance to backfill without the academy.

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