LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis released the following statement after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass her motion on supporting the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission’s (COC) 27 recommendations to eradicate deputy gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Deputy gangs are indeed a cancer within the Sheriff’s Department. They are thriving because the environment in which they are in enables their existence and expansion. The Banditos, Buffalo Soldiers, Cavemen, Compton Executioners, Cowboys, Grim Reapers, Little Devils, Lynwood Vikings, Pirates, Regulators, Wayside Whities, and the list goes on of all the deputy gangs that have been allowed to thrive over the years. They largely spread because deputy gang members are transferred to infiltrate other parts of the Sheriff’s Department instead of them being cut off. There are lawsuits from former deputies and residents stating they were bullied, harassed, and intimidated by deputy gang members. I can’t stress how damaging this is and has been for our workforce, community members, and budget ─ with the latter costing taxpayers $50-60 million dollars a year. Los Angeles County will not enable this kind of behavior. Our action today is another step in ridding the Sheriff’s Department of misconduct, supporting discipline and termination of deputies who engage in misconduct, and calling for zero tolerance for deputy gangs, deputy cliques, and gang-like behavior. I thank the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) and Sheriff Robert Luna for committing to work together to eradicate deputy gangs once and for all.”
To view the full motion, click here.
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