Los Angeles County's top law officials are speaking out against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to eliminate state funding for treating heroin addicts.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and Sheriff Lee Baca spoke at a news conference Wednesday to decry the proposal, which would save the state $53 million in the short term.

The money is used to treat heroin addicts with methadone, an artificial form of the drug.

Beck and Baca say the cuts could jeopardize another $161 million in federal matching money.

Beck says heroin addicts typically commit 200 crimes a year to feed their addiction. He says the costs of prosecuting these crimes would far outweigh any savings the state might make in trimming its methadone program.