Feb. 10—Kern County is rolling out the welcome mat to deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who refuse to be vaccinated and could lose their jobs, urging them to apply for positions here.

In a recruitment video released on Kern government's social media accounts Wednesday, the county made a pitch to Los Angeles deputies who may be upset over the county's coronavirus vaccination policy and the political climate over the Grapevine.

The roughly one-minute video was made in response to a motion preliminarily approved by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, which would allow the county personnel director to discipline any employee who failed to comply with the county's vaccine mandate. Currently, only Sheriff Alex Villanueva has the authority to discipline employees of his department, and he has refused to do so for those who do not comply with the vaccine mandate.

But the motion, which is set for final approval on March 15, would put the authority in the hands of the county personnel director, who could fire unvaccinated employees.

Kern County's video starts with an image of a news article published on Tuesday headlined, "Vaccinated Or Get Fired, That's the Message LA County Supervisors Are Sending to Workers."

Superimposed text over the image reads "To our fellow officers in Los Angeles ... We've seen the headlines. Drive north, we have a place for you."

The video then shows picturesque images of Kern County's mountain and desert regions, along with recordings of Sheriff Donny Youngblood in a parade, deputies in a helicopter and the Bakersfield skyline while a country music song plays in the background.

The text continues, "Kern County is built on strong values and tradition. Kern County is a community that backs the blue. From snowcapped mountains ... to desert canyons ... not only is it affordable to live here ... but it's fun. So take back your freedom, and apply TODAY to work at the Kern County Sheriff's Office. You deserve a job that welcomes you, and your values, with open arms."

Kern officials from Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop to District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer posted the video to their own accounts. Alsop highlighted the fact that deputies transferring from one county to another are eligible for $25,000 signing bonuses.

But when asked by The Californian about the video's apparent appeal to LA deputies who refuse to be vaccinated, a reporter was told that "was not the point" of the social media posts.

"Recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers is at an all-time low, nationwide. Our goal is to put more law enforcement on our streets and to be among the safest counties in the Central Valley," Alsop said in an email. "We are supporting our Sheriff Department's ongoing nationwide recruitment effort, and we are letting those members of the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department know, regardless of their vaccination status, that we value them and that we are now hiring."

Sheriff Donny Youngblood echoed Alsop's sentiment.

"We're down 125 deputy sheriffs, down another 100 detention deputy sheriffs and we are recruiting from anywhere in the country that we can to try and fill those vacant positions," he said in a phone interview. "If you look at it, there's 4,000 potential employees that may be terminated by Los Angeles County. These are deputy sheriffs that are already trained, ready to go to work and we are hoping that we can attract those employees for a number of reasons."

The video caused confusion in Los Angeles, where it was received less than enthusiastically.

"Tuesday's motion was passed by the supervisors because we care, and are responsible for, the health of LA county residents," LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who introduced the motion on Tuesday, said in a statement to The Californian. "We are puzzled why any government agency, particularly a public safety agency, would willfully jeopardize the health of residents they are sworn to protect."

The Kern County Public Health Services Department directed a request for comment on the video to the County Administrative Office.

"While we do not have any local vaccine mandates, we do encourage all eligible residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as it remains the quickest and safest way to protect against severe illness and death due to COVID-19," Public Health spokeswoman Michelle Corson wrote in an email.

To Joey Williams, a community organizer and former director of the Kern County chapter of Faith in the Valley, the video sent the wrong message, one he guessed would probably not work even with the intended audience. Bringing in officers with no connection to the community may cause its own problems, he added.

"It's in poor taste. It's really trying to drive a narrative that has really been dividing folks," he said. "Where's the video about bringing doctors and high-skilled professionals to Kern County?"

You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.