A vote to end sheriff elections

Word this week that L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva rehired a deputy who was fired for domestic abuse is just the latest in a long history of scandals in the department. And L.A. is by no means an outlier when it comes to malfeasance in the sheriff’s department. So what can be done? Zocalo Public Square commentator Joe Mathews says California needs to remove the sheriff position from the ranks of elected officials and turn it into an appointed position. That would solve the biggest problem, which is that sheriffs can’t be fired.