A trendy Los Angeles County community has voted to reduce law enforcement funding despite escalating crime that was up 137% earlier in the year and public backlash. 

The budget for the next two fiscal years will leave West Hollywood with up to five fewer Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies on patrol. At the same time the council approved increasing funding for a cultural arts festival.

The budget was approved by a narrow 3-2 vote with Mayor Lauren Meister dissenting as well as Councilman John Erickson.

"Most of the residents and businesses I have heard from are opposed to cutting the Sheriff’s budget," Meister told Fox News in a statement. "They are outraged that people and organizations from outside our city are dictating to Council how to run our city. The narrative that we can have 'either Sheriff's or social services,' or 'either Sheriff's or unarmed security teams' is false."