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LASD Says Call From Oversight Commission For Sheriff Villanueva To Resign Is 'Meritless'

By Frank Stoltze
Published Oct 15, 2020 5:20 PM
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Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva at the graduation ceremony for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy class 433 at East Los Angeles College, Friday, January 4, 2019. (Kyle Grillot / LAist)
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Two years after Sheriff Alex Villanueva was elected, the L.A. County Sheriff's Civilian Oversight Commission today called on him to resign.

The vote was unanimous — with even staunch law enforcement supporters on the commission saying it’s time for Villanueva to go.

Commissioner Priscilla Ocen said it’s not just that the sheriff blocks oversight of his department by the panel, inspector general, and journalists, but that he has:

“Engaged in lies and coverups with regard to deputy gangs, with regard to deputy discipline starting from the very first month.”

That’s when he re-hired a deputy fired over domestic violence allegations. That deputy had served as a political aid to Villanueva.
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A tweet from sheriff’s headquarters called the resolution a "meritless politically motivated attack."

Earlier this week, Villanueva called the commissioners anti-law enforcement.

“Their political philosophies are they really really hate cops, or they slightly hate cops or they’re not too sure.”

The commission resolution is advisory only — only the voters can remove the sheriff.

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