In 2020, Mayor Gina Nestande voted to defund the police by several millions of dollars resulting in 45% more violent crime in Palm Desert. At the time the council called it “smart police budgeting.”
When other cities created safe business environments, Palm Desert lost money. They thought cutting the police budget was the answer and saw skyrocketing crime.
She never went back to fix it.
Violent crime skyrocketed by 45%. Palm Desert went more that $17 million in the red.
The Palm Desert City Council did not respond and has continued to mismanage spending. One Coachella Valley city increased police spending by 25% while running a $80 million surplus.
When she defunded her police, she asked for a press release saying she did not defund the police:
“So perhaps (P.I.O.) David Hermann could write up a press release. [… I don’t really want to] have the public thinking that we’re participating in this latest defund the police […]”