SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Documents obtained by Team 10 reveal a security detail assigned to protect San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas is costing taxpayers more than $41,000 a month.
However, the county will not say what threats or security concerns triggered the need for the protective detail.
“Threats and harassment or aggressive language towards elected officials is now part of how you influence and lobby elected officials to get your way,” said Rachel Locke, director of the Violence, Inequality, and Power Lab at the University of San Diego's Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice.
Locke started researching threats against San Diego County politicians two years ago and found 75% of local elected leaders reported being threatened and harassed.
Her research found 82% of female elected officials reported being on the receiving end of threats and harassment, compared to 66% of all men.
“It's not partisan. It doesn't matter if you're a Republican, independent, moderate. It's pretty even across parties. What matters is are you a woman or a man?” said Locke.
Team 10 obtained a July invoice through a public records request that shows the county paid $41,500.24 to All State Security for the cost of three agents, an SUV rental and fuel.
A spokesperson for Vargas declined to give precise details on why she now requires a security detail.
“While we cannot disclose the specifics of current security procedures, personal security measures are accessible to all San Diego County Supervisors. It is standard for the chair of the board to have heightened security when needed,” press secretary Meghan Breen wrote in an email. “We are diligently following expert recommendations and protocols to ensure Chairwoman Vargas' safety as she continues her work on behalf of the community.”
Last year, Team 10 reported the county spent nearly $2 million on a protective detail for former Board Chair Nathan Fletcher over a year and a half.
Fletcher had received threats as the face of the county during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities said an arsonist was responsible for setting his house on fire in Jan. 2022.
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