The primary watchdog of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department sharply criticized a new policy that bans deputy gangs, saying it’s unlikely to pierce the agency’s code of silence around the groups.
Independent research and department leader say the groups, whose members wear matching tattoos and have engaged in misconduct ranging from excessive use of force to intimidation of fellow deputies, have been around for decades.
“The real problem in the Sheriff’s Department is this 50-year code of silence,” Inspector General Max Huntsman told LAist. “These groups are secretive. It’s not written down on paper anywhere. Nobody ever admits it under oath.”
Others, including some members of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, had mixed opinions about the policy.
Commission Vice Chair Hans Johnson said it “represents significant progress,” but he added that the department still has a long way to go to root out members of deputy gangs.
The policy
Sheriff Robert Luna released the new policy last week. It prohibits deputies from being in a gang or hate group and requires them to cooperate with investigations into such groups. Violation of the policy could result in termination.
The policy also requires that any allegations of deputy gang membership be referred to the state’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, which is responsible for certifying peace officers in California. POST also has the power to revoke certification if someone is found to have been involved in a deputy gang.
The policy comes three years after California enacted a law requiring police agencies to have such bans. The delay was…
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