Los Angeles County residents are being asked to speak out on their interactions with deputy gangs within the sheriff’s department.
The L.A. County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) has made a survey available to the public for offering feedback on firsthand experiences and complaints associated with alleged deputy gangs.
In a press release issued last week, COC officials acknowledged deputy gangs and cliques have existed for decades. In 2023, the committee released a scathing 70-page report that recommended system-wide changes regarding the gangs, which create a “climate of physical fear and professional retribution to those who would speak publicly about the misconduct of such groups.”
“Deputy gangs are groups that engage in egregious conduct, such as violations of law, excessive uses of force, threats to the public and/or fellow LASD personnel and more,” COC said in their press release. “Deputy cliques include deputy gangs and other exclusionary subgroups that could impact LASD’s mission as well as the careers and morale of LASD personnel even when their activities do not violate specific laws.”
Specific cases of alleged deputy gangs include one where an undersheriff allegedly had a gang tattoo and another where a deputy claimed he was fired for not joining a gang.
Residents have until July 15 to fill out the survey. Click here to access it.
The next COC meeting is scheduled for June 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Anne’s Conference Center, located at 155 North Occidental Blvd in the Rampart Village neighborhood of L.A.
Participants can also join the meeting virtually or by phone.
As the oversight committee mentioned, deputy gangs have been around for years, although former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has long maintained that such groups did not exist.
However, his successor, Robert Luna, has implemented policies that prohibit joining or encouraging others to join deputy gangs.
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