A new report from Loyola Law School details the last 50 years of deputy policing in Los Angeles and calls for more community collaboration and increased transparency from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The report lists 18 past and present "deputy gangs" within the Sheriff’s Department, whose jurisdiction extends to 141 unincorporated communities throughout the county.
In August, LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced a crackdown of these deputy subgroups. Two months later, the LA County Inspector General Alex Huntsman released an analysis investigating the Banditos, a report that Villanueva called “politically driven and an attempt to undermine the reputation of the Department.”
This new document, researched by students and attorneys from Loyola's Juvenile Law and Policy, collects data that includes government hearings, news articles, county offices and interviews with former deputies.
Proponents of the Sheriff's Department denounce the usage of the "gang" ascription to identify the deputy subgroups. However, the authors of the report believe that the actions of groups like the Banditos and the Executioners warrant a "gang" label.
Today on AirTalk, we hear what the study entails. Have any questions? Call us at (866) 893-5722.
Guests:
Sean Kennedy, executive director of Center for Juvenile Law & Policy at Loyola Law School; he is also a member of the Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission; he is the chief author of “Fifty Years of ‘Deputy Gangs’ in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department: Identifying Root Causes and Effects to Advocate for Meaningful Reforms”
Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs; he is also a deputy for Los Angeles County
Frank Stoltze, KPCC criminal justice correspondent; he tweets