LASD Paul Tanaka The Downfall of Paul Tanaka

The Trial of Paul Tanaka, Part 2: The “Context” and “the Crime”

Celeste Fremon
Written by Celeste Fremon


THE CONTEXT AND THE CRIME

“Every crime has a context,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox in his opening statement in the federal trial of Paul Tanaka, the former second in command of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department who, for years was the man who many assumed would be the next sheriff.

Opening statements were Thursday. Then on Friday, the prosecution called its first witnesses—all but one of whom were on the stand to give the jury a picture of what prosecutor Fox had called “the context” of the crimes with which Mr. Tanaka has been charged. Witnesses pertaining to the actual alleged crimes—AKA what this trial is ultimately about—will take the stand next Tuesday.

(The court is dark on Mondays.)

On Friday, however, the prosecution’s witnesses each possessed one piece of the portrait the prosecution is endeavoring to paint for the jury, depicting a supervisor who favored a cowboy brand of law enforcement where toughness was allowed for— even required—and deputies were encouraged to step over the legal line, as needed. In this portrait, the defendant rigorously enforced his point of view by protecting rule-breaking deputies and supervisors loyal to him, from any and all consequences. Often this meant retaliating swiftly and ruthlessly against anyone who didn’t follow and support his point of view.

First up was former LASD lieutenant, Alfred Gonzalez, who had worked both in the department’s Internal Affairs bureau and, in the last few years before he retired in 2007, at Men’s Central Jail, primarily on the 3000 floor.

When on the stand, he described to the jury how he was initially assigned to the graveyard shift in MCJ when he began to notice a pattern of a high level use of force on the 3000 and 2000 floors. As he reviewed the force reports, he noticed a cookie-cutter sameness to a lot of the mandatory written reports that were generated after the force incidents, which struck him as suspicious.


THE 2000 AND 3000 BOYS

Gonzalez also described the actions of deputy clicks on those two floors, the members of which associated only with each other, and whose loyalty seemed to be to the cliques they called the 3000 Boys or the 2000 Boys, not to the department. And it was these clique members, Gonzalez told the jury, who were responsible for some of the worst instances of force, and also for some off duty incidents. “They were getting in bar fights,” Gonzales said on cross-examination. “It wasn’t just camaraderie. They wouldn’t associate with anyone else.”

(WLA’s report on Gonzalez’s testimony at the Jail Commission has additional details of the experiences he reported with problem deputies at MCJ and with Tanaka, much of which duplicated his testimony on Friday.)

Gonzalez related how he and other supervisors, including the then captain of MCJ, John Clark, were concerned about the aggressive attitudes of the cliques and the spiking force reports, and made some progress in mitigating force issues with greater supervision. But the progress was not nearly enough. So, Gonzalez explained, Clark decided to implement a rotation system that didn’t alter times of the deputies’ shifts, but instead regularly rotated the deputies to different locations in the jail, so that cliques couldn’t cluster together at work. (A similar rotation system had been successful in lowering force numbers under a previous MCJ captain, although Gonzalez didn’t bring this up.)

Yet before the new strategy could be launched, according to Gonzalez, Tanaka called a meeting of the MCJ administrators and canceled the rotation system in a state of fury, reportedly shouting that the captain and the supervisors were “dinosaurs” who needed to learn to “coddle” their young deputies.

“He said, ‘You will stay off these floors and let the deputies do what they have to do!’” Never mind, said Gonzalez, that “when the supervisors weren’t on the floors, force went up.”

Former MCJ captain John Clark was called to the stand next. Clark is a straight-backed, Basset-eyed man who spoke concisely and clearly. He explained why he felt the rotation system Gonzalez had described was important. He said he’d tried other methods to solve the problem, but they hadn’t gotten the desired results. So he’d gotten the rotation approved with his direct superiors and with employee relations. “Then I put out a memo to deputies,” telling them of the change, and encouraging them to discuss any concerns with him, he said.

Instead, he was “told that Mr. Tanaka did not approve of the plan,” said Clark. The supervisors’ meeting was called. After the meeting and the alleged shouting, Clark managed to meet privately with the then assistant sheriff, at which time Clark said he explained why the rotation would be useful in lowering force. “But he told me to make it go away before it ended up in the sheriff’s office.”

Clark understood the threat.

“I took that to mean I would be transferred,” he said. The rotation was trashed, as required. Almost immediately, Clark was transferred anyway.


THE REGULATORS AND CROSSING THE BLUE LINE

The next witnesse, Steve Roller, seemed to particularly capture the jurors’ attention.

Roller, now retired, told how he became the captain of the department’s Century Station in 2005. Century, which is located in Lynwood California, and also polices the unincorporated areas of Florence/Firestone, Walnut Park, Athens Park, Rosewood, and Willowbrook. In short, Century’s patrol area is considered to be high in crime and gang heavy.

Roller told the jury that when he took over as captain, Century was in a dismaying state when it came to use of force, and complaints of deputy wrongdoing. “They had the highest use of significant force in the department,” said Roller, and had “the top number of resident complaints.” And, said Roller, Century had “more officer-involved shootings than the entire rest of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department” combined.

Added to everything, there was a group of deputies, he said, who seemed to have assumed control of the station. This deputy clique controlled who got overtime, who was on what shift, and more. “They called themselves the Regulators,” said Roller.

He saw demonstrations of the clique’s influence in various ways. For instance, at a funeral for a deputy who had worked Century in the past, one of the prominent floral arrangements featured a number that turned out to be the dead man’s “Regulator number,” indicating the order in which he’d been chosen for and initiated into the group.

And there were other things, like reports that the Regulators were extorting money from probationary deputies for Regulators’ events and to make up lost wages for a member who was disciplined for misconduct.

Roller told the jury he called a meeting with six or seven of the Regulator leaders and laid down some boundaries. He also made changes in staffing positions, which put limits on the things that the Regulators could control.

It helped, he said. The problematic behavior of the group lessoned.

Then came the request from Paul Tanaka—then Assistant Sheriff—who said he wanted to come to an all station meeting. The meeting was scheduled for June 28, 2007 at 2 p.m..

Both sworn and unsworn staff were there, Roller told the jury. Tanaka didn’t show up until 2:30 p.m. so Roller spoke first. He noted that shootings were down, and so were complaints. He praised the deputies for their efforts.

Then Tanaka arrived and delivered a very different message, according to Roller. “He said that he hated internal affairs, and that it had no place in the department. “ Roller said that Tanaka told those assembled that he didn’t like captains who put cases on deputies and that if he thought a captain was putting too many IA cases on deputies, he would see to it that an IA case was put on that captain.

Then, according to Roller, Tanaka began talking about the “blue line.”

The “blue line,” explained Roller, has to do with ethical law enforcement conduct. It is the line that cannot be crossed, he said.

However, according to Roller, that day in 2007, Tanaka told deputies that in rough environments like Century, they had to work right on the line and “cross it at times,” and to “deal aggressively with gang members,” plus similar words to that effect.

Roller said he was “in shock.” Here the assistant sheriff of the department was undermining “everything I was trying to do.”

“I was trying to get them to toe the blue line, and he told them they had to be very aggressive and sometimes cross it…”

Roller said he told his chief about what had happened, and the chief asked him to put the experience into memo form.

At prosecutor Fox’s request, Roller read several paragraphs from the memo he wrote. (You can find the Roller memo here.)

“Three weeks after I wrote the memo, I was on vacation in Alaska when I received a phone call telling me I was being transferred effective immediately.”

Sheriff Baca was theoretically the person in charge of such transfers. But Roller said it was later made clear to him that it was in fact the assistant sheriff who had triggered his removal from Century.

On cross, attorney for the defense Steward, noted that Rollers descriptions of what Tanaka said were harsher in his testimony that in the memo, suggesting that Roller was maybe exaggerating now.

Roller replied without hesitation. “This memo was, quite honestly toned down from my recollection of the meeting because I didn’t know where the memo would go….”

The defense pointed specifically to the “blue line” section.

“He said sometimes deputies had to cross the line,” replied Roller.

But did Roller put that phrase in the memo?

“No,” said Roller, entirely unrattled. “But I said it to my chief.” Roller reiterated that he toned the verbiage memo down considerably “because I knew this document was going to go up the chain. But the exact comments were made to my chief” and to the chief’s superior, he said. What Tanaka said at that meeting, Roller told the jury, “contradicted everything I tried to do at Century.”

Later Roller said he was told by his aid that, some days after the memo was sent, Paul Tanaka and Lee Baca showed up at Century station and met with three leaders of the Regulators.

It was after the Tanaka/Baca visit that Roller got the transfer call. “Effective immediately,” he said again, explaining the unusual nature of that phrasing.

Roller then was made captain of ICIB, the criminal version of Internal Affairs.


THEY GRAY AREA AND THE WHISTLEBLOWER

Other witnesses provided additional pieces of “the context.”

LASD Commander Pat Maxwell told of Tanaka attending a staff meeting when Maxwell was the captain at Norwalk station, at which time the then assistant sheriff told deputies to “work the gray area,” which Maxwell said, according to his understanding meant, “to work outside policy or outside the law. “

After Maxwell, former Commander Bob Olmsted was another witness that the jury seemed to watch with rapt interest.

Olmsted told how he was asked to replace John Clark as captain at Men’s Central Jail, when the high number of force incidents and the actions of the two deputy cliques were still clearly a problem.

To get a better idea of what was going on, Olmsted said he began walking the floors of the jail regularly. “I’d walk up to the 3000 floor and be surrounded by 10 deputies who would say ‘What’re you doing on our floor?’”

At most “there should have been three deputies in the area,” he said. That meant “seven were not doing their jobs.”

Olmsted instituted a series of reforms, and was able, he said, to lower force by 30 percent, in the sixteen months he was captain of MCJ.

But in April 2008, he was promoted to commander of all three southern jails, and a hand-picked Tanaka guy named Dan Cruz took over as captain of Men’s Central.

And force spiked.

“Significant force was off the scale” under Cruz, Olmsted said.

Olmsted then told the jury that he asked an operations lieutenant to randomly pull and review 30 “force packages.” The subsequent report by Mark McCorkle, showed that 18 out of the 30 randomly pulled cases “were out of policy,” never mind that they had all been approved by supervisors. They were illegal.

Olmsted tried to work with Cruz on the problems, but Cruz ignored him. Olmsted requested another report investigating the force issue. The results were equally troubling.

Olmsted went to his chief with the problem. When that proved unsuccessful, he talked to the assistant sheriff in charge of custody who sent him to Paul Tanaka who was then also an assistant sheriff but, although he was not in the chain of command over custody, appeared to be calling the shots.

In his meeting with Tanaka, he explained the force was out of control, and brought his documents to illustrated the problem. Tanaka promised to investigate.

A week later there was a second meeting. Cruz was indeed the problem, Tanaka admitted. But, to Olmsted’s surprise, incredibly, rather than removing Dan Cruz, Tanaka explained he wanted to promote him, and wanted Olmsted to help get the problematic captain ready to be promoted, and protect him.

“I make all the decisions in on the department,” Olmsted said Tanaka confided later. “I make all the promotions in the department. And I’m going to be the sheriff for the next 15 years [after Baca], so I need my people around me.”

On cross, the defense brought out the fact that Olmsted eventually brought his concerns to Lee Baca three times, without success. Finally, Olmsted went to the FBI and eventually to the press.

“Why did you go to the FBI,” asked the defense. And the press?

“I felt it was the right thing to do.”

Well, had Olmsted ever sought monetary compensation for all this? What had he gotten out of it personally?

It was a weird question for the defense to ask and Olmsted’s gaze became steely.

Nothing, he said.


THE ACLU & SHOOTING THE MESSENGER

ACLU Legal director Peter Eliasberg was the last of the context witnesses, and the jury also seemed to listen carefully to his narrative of investigating abuse in the jails, and issuing regular reports, which the department repeatedly ignored.

They listened particularly intently when he told of the January 2011 incident when “one of my colleagues,” the ACLU’s Esther Lim, witnessed the brutal beating of an inmate by deputies. When Lim and the ACLU reported the incident to the department, they were largely rebuffed Eventually the ACLU issued a press release, hoping that “public pressure would help.”

In response, he said, sheriff’s officials “made public comments questioning” Lim’s “credibility. “

The last witness of the day was Robert Bayes, who was actually the first witness with information pertaining to the charges of obstruction.

(More on him later.)

One of the witnesses scheduled for testimony on Tuesday, is former LASD deputy Mickey Manzo, who was among the men tasked with organizing the surreptitious guarding of FBI informant Anthony Brown. Manzo is also one of the seven who have already been convicted of obstruction of justice, and whose cases are on appeal. He was reluctant to testify, so has been compelled to do so, and granted limited immunity.

And the beat goes on.

45 Comments

  • C:Do you have the defense witness list? From what has been reported the defense has a strange defense strategy, is it not?

    Al G: Great job! I forgive you for all antics at East Los HA

    Bob O: What can I say except I wish you would have been sheriff!

    Max: You knew all along how bad Baca was and you didn’t do anything about it. But, good thing you came forward now!

  • Friday was a classic day. Tanaka must have been sick to his stomach and felt like Scrooge seeing all of his ghosts of days past that testified. Clark and Roller who were rolled up by Mr T. must of felt good playing a little catch up. Roller was trying to do the right thing at Century and got steam rolled by the little guy, after the “Fellas” complained. Al Gonzalez testified and then I think he went to Disneyland he was probably so happy. Maxwell is out IOD but I think he would have crawled there to say his peace. He is one of the few who ever stood up to Tanaka and everyone though he was crazy,,, who has the last laugh? Olmstead did not win Sheriff, but that was a day he has been waiting a long time for. Tanaka is so delusional that he sat there probably wondering why these guys were doing this to him. Of course we are all waiting for Captain Carey to testify.
    Some of Mr T’s legacy is still alive and well. McDonnell is being played like a fiddle and T’s people are still advancing their own. Mc D needs to get rid of Barrantes, Anda, Tyler, Mannis, Asmus, Goldman and Hellmold. And that is just from EPC. Everyone of these Cowards stood by as T took down many careers and allowed the open cheating to be done on the Lts test. Mr T is finally getting his justice but many others like theses will not.
    If found guilty,,, which he will, Mr T will be subject to the 2013 Pension Reform Act. His retirement will be effective the time of the crime in 2011. So instead of benefits paid to a 55 yr old Undersheriff, they will revert to a 53 yr old Assistant Sheriff. This will be quite a % hit. The gift that keeps on giving.
    Well the US Attorney had a great first day, lets hope for some more next week.

  • EDITOR’S NOTE

    “Questions,” no sadly I don’t have the defense’s witness list. They’re still firming it up, based on what the prosecution is doing, plus they don’t have to make it public. Will let everyone know when I learn more. We’re all dying to know too!

    C.

  • C: Granted that the defense doesn’t have to make the list public. But, I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that the prosecution should have the list? My mistake?

  • Guess which deputy on the Alads Board of Directors was part of the rogue clique of deputies called the “Regulators” while assigned to Century Station.

    Its past due to call out these individuals who are supposed to work on the members behalf. The questionable backgrounds should be a part of qualifications being on the board. Coinholder, Brady list, Regulator….What’s next Ex Cons?

  • Has everyone read the Sheriff’s latest message “telling our story”? I firmly believe the Sheriff is trying to reach out to those of us who have repeatedly posted our desire to see an effective change. However, when he says he made a promise to not make change for the sake of change, I have to say changing the uniform appears to be changing for the sake of change. He says he likes the word progress when referring to a re-emphasis on a uniform appearance that reflects pride and professionalism. I have worn this uniform for over 25 years and I have to say I am as proud of it today as I was the day I was sworn in. And I like it just the way it is. He says he wants to allow individuals to demonstrate they have a level of commitment, energy and enthusiasm. Yet the only individuals he appears to be looking at (at least most of them) are those that have been placed directly in front of him by those who were annointed from the past regime. Sheriff, there really are hard working people with “fire in their bellies”. But the difference is, is that they are not simply sitting behind some desk on an 8th floor. They are out trying to make a difference everyday. Please step away from the office and look for yourself.

  • #7, love what you said. The Sheriff can have a great impact on the department by adjusting and controlling his RD first: EPC. Instead of making decisions on what’s best for the line in the comfort of a boardroom with no Sam Brown and vest, adjust the mentality of the folks giving orders to the folks who carry them out.

    This whole fiasco started at EPC and it should end there. However, nothing causes any great to captains and above unless it is in the news or the buy a stolen car from one of their shady stations connection they have had for years and can’t lie about it anymore because we brought it up on WLA and the media (run on on purpose and please insert as much sarcasm as possible).

    Sheriff McD, I respect your rank but not you because you are doing nothing but shining instead of grinding. Please don’t forget this office was here before you and will be here long after you are gone. They don’t write songs and legends about Sheriff’s who do nothing with people who have done everything needed to fire a deputy 12 times over. I will keep doing your fools errands because I am required by policy.

    My friends are fighting a case for the same reasons and you do nothing to the gentlemen who sent them there and LIED to DOJ, IAB, and you. Hope your quiet fundraisers are serving you well these days.

  • In the long list of rogues McDonnell chose to surround himself with, you forgot Todd Rogers. Yes, Carson’s finest, who managed an entire career promoting out of and going back to the same place where his mother worked at city hall. Hmmm, I wonder why? During Baca and Tanaka’s reign of terror, good ol’ Todd never seemed to get any mud on his shoes, but could always be counted on to look the other way when good people’s careers were being destroyed around him.

    As long as it wasn’t him, he didn’t give a rat’s ass about anybody else’s fate. Quite the leader, no wonder county voters thought so highly of him. He needs to be “released” from his at will position, which he did not earn on his own merits, much as he tries to convince everyone. Just like Tanaka, Rogers is trying to build his little empire of Carson alumni throughout the county. He is no different than Tanaka, same game, same names, same unethical result that destroys the morale of the department.

    Rogers, you can shine those stars as often as you want, the stain will always come through.

  • Wonder if any the prosecution witnesses will identify (through testimony aligned with trial) the remainder of Tanakanites that McDonnell doesn’t know about.

    On another note, does anyone know why Dave Waters is on administrative leave?

  • Stastically Speaking: You better re-check your info. I’m the only guy on the Board who worked Century, so I’m assuming you’re talking about me. This could be deemed as libelous because you would like others to believe I am part of something that the “media” has deemed “derogatory.”

  • Any mathematicians out there?

    Its become painfully obvious that the not that smart little T, ran some oooolll-D!…. timeless and proven criminal scams.

    THE SKIM. Anyway of ball-parking an estimate of how much of the Tax Payers hard earned money that should have gone for their public safety he stole? Dep. to Sgt., Sgt. to Lt., like 15 grand a year per rank? Times (????)… Obviously he didn’t get all that, but none the less the Tax Payer was charged. What should we hypothesis was his personal take, 10%, 15%…he seems like a greedy little manager, maybe higher? Then the Lt. to Capt. and above, the rarefied air scam, another profit share program, mega-flex, …I’ve just jumped to calculus and my Texas Instruments calculator has keys I don’t understand.

    Anyone????

    TP (Tax Payer) -minus- LT (little paul) x times x P2P (Pay to Play) /over/ CAT (Cash at door) to the 2nd power (take home car / 40hr flex work week Mon to Wed)

    Wow, and that would be one of how many equations?????

  • Oh look, Ron Hernandez is back. So Ron, you still trying to force folks to reveal their real names on here. If I revealed mine, you’ll go home crying. So, how is ALADS misusing our dues this month.

  • @FPK01: “If” you ever “worked” FPK it must have only been for a minute, because clearly you don’t remember the rule: ‘you can write anything you want on the board, but you better sign it.’

    You don’t have to reveal your name for me to cry, I’m crying now from laughing at the irony of someone who wants to paint themselves as of tough guy as the cower behind an anonymous screen name.

    Lastly, I don’t know any FPK guys who write or say “FPK01,” the station was FPK1. Are your initials JM? What a joke.

  • Ron, I’ve seen FPK both ways, 1 and 01. I see you’re still whining and sniveling. I guess your spot at ALADS has suited your personality, whining, sniveling, and all about you. BTW, I can’t count the amount of times you were called into the parking lot and YOU no a showed.

  • @ 12. Through your political response, you never confirmed or denied of being a “Regulator” at Century Station

    Were you or are you a part of the individual deputies at Century Station who called and branded themselves as Regulators?

  • Ron, it’s either sell out Hofstetter, cry baby and deputy hater ol Les Robbins or their puppet master Shinee. Don’t even worry about those clowns. None of them will say anything to your face just behind your back. You should already know better. Deputies are behind you and we can’t wait till the November elections. Keep fighting the fight for us. You’re our only hope, even though right now you’re outnumbered by the non policeman tough guys. But soon they’ll ride away in their motorcycles and back to being a bonus in custody. This is who’s running our union. Motor cops, non policeman Master FTO and a custody bonus. Wow… Other than you and Gainsford, there’s no other policeman there. That needs to change like yesterday.

  • @FPK01, FPK1 and “One of many” I’ll respond not in an attempt to have the last word, but just to let supporters know I’m hear. Funny how all three of you picked an anonymous screen name that you “think” will add credibility to your BS. If you’re trying to turn people against me, have at it, because it will only be people who don’t already know me.

    I’m only concerned about the opinion of people whose opinion I respect, and if that’s not clear enough for you, it ain’t any of you!

  • When I read the Sheriff’s msg on Telling our story, I couldn’t help but be sarcastic and laugh out loud. I don’t believe a word of it. I still see so many lying and corrupt individuals (sworn) in this Department.

  • @One of Many: yeah run with that, and then come back and let us know how your assumption worked out!

  • I have a copy the Century regulator’s membership book. It lists all deputies that have been issued the regulator tattoo in rank order with their personal phone numners and email addresses. Those regulators that think I’m BS, it has a picture of a dept helicopter on cover.

    Over the years, I’ve been tempted to give it to the times or Celeste (don’t know how news worthy it is).

    I kept it under wraps because there are a few deputies in it that I have respect for, great cops (very few), and some I don’t know. The rest I have no idea how they ever were issued their ink. I guess they had a deep need out of insecurity to be part of something. Those deputies used their membership tattoo to ostracize the majority and divide the unit. Those were the rogue ones. Most in the book were devoted to Tanaka, he protected and promoted them. Most indeed promoted or filled the ranks of Homicide, SEB, Aero, Major Crimes bureaus.

    Because of the very few on the list I respect, I still keep it under wraps.

  • @ ClownsRUs…..Great way to keep the “divide & conquer” syndrome, adding to the demise of unity among the deputies. Nice.

  • Mr. T, I hope you burn in hell. No one is above the law ! This is only a small slice of what you did to our Department.

  • Hey B2, sorry you were not asked to get ink. Go ahead and submit it. You’re not scaring anyone.

  • Isn’t “Statistically Speaking” going to ask “DSB2” the obvious question! What number is RH?

  • B2, I’ll bet you have the stencil also? “We’re your Huckleberry ” those that know, know! Now GFY!

  • I am curious how Brandon Fox is going to start out his questioning tomorrow morning of the defendant.

  • @35 Waiting on the continuation of the stutter step and the tap dancing from Ron. Too late to back pedal for him.

    @ Huh. Re:Statistically Speaking…Never look a “gift horse” in the mouth.

  • First, let’s all put this in perspective. These “Deputy Cliques” have no place in law enforcement. The membership into these cliques is laughable at best, they in no way represent the hard working, tough individuals on the Department. For example, you will be hard pressed to round up anyone with 20-30 years on the Department to describe PT or RH as a shot caller, an agressive street cop or a mentally/physically tough Deputy Sheriff. In closing, having a Deputy Clique tattoo requires the same accomplishments and prerequisites as buying a pair of mouse ears off a souvenir cart at Disneyland. Let’s say I’m only falling back on my own experiences of having worked with and for PT and around RH and being present during these so called “voting in” sessions and regrettably being inked myself!

  • Against my better judgement and various recommendations to “let it go,” I must defend myself from the cowardice “pot shots.”

    @Stuff: I never claimed to be a “shot caller” of anything and “you” implying that I’m weak is laughable, because here you are hiding while I’m out in the open. I was never involved in any “voting sessions.” You are entitled to your opinion about me, but not entitled to make up stories to fit your agenda.

    @One of Many: no stutter step and tap dancing here. “Huh!” asked a question of “DSB2” I should have asked myself. I’m still waiting to find out what number “Regulator” I am.

    @Regulator: if you truly know me, go ahead spill it, if you have something to spill!

    What’s disappointing about this blog is how many cowards we have in our ranks. I have no juice and surely cannot affect anyone’s career, yet people feel the need to hide.

  • Ron, thats a first, never in my life have I been labeled a coward. Read my post, I never claimed your presence at a “voting session” and let us clarify the Deputy Clique “voting session”.These gatherings (the ones I attended) consisted of misguided individuals with no less than 12 beers each on board, names would be thrown in the hat, off duty weapons would at times be discharged in the air and the flavor of the month racial slur would be over used to add flavor to the event. I will now throw out this “Hypothetical” scenario. Lets assume you have the Regulator tattoo, that would mean that you received this tattoo at Century Station where you were a 40 year old adult. You were assigned to Century Station Detective Bureau with a good amount of years under your belt as a Law Enforcement Officer. My dilema is this, at that age and tenure, one would expect you to soil your mom jeans in laughter at the suggestion of you being offered a clique tattoo? This scenario is synonomous with PT being offered and accepting one as a Field Sergeant at Lynwood.

  • Wow… There’s some straight snitching going on here. What’s funny is, it’s coming from apparent “old school” guys. Never seen anything this bad before. You guys aren’t just dropping dimes, you’re dropping fifty cent pieces. Lol…funny commentaries though. Probably coming from haters, or some non patrol items stuck in TST, Custody, Courts or a motor. Just mad at the world and have to hide behind a keyboard and be the tough guy they never were. Amazing.. No wonder our department is ruined. Because of clowns like you guys. All we do here in patrol is laugh at you guys. Laugh at how you try to clown Ron, while he’s the only one with balls to post his real name and attempt to defend himself against some coward behind a keyboard. I thought deputy sheriff’s were better than that. Very disappointing sirs.

  • 42. ClownsRYou. You are correct with the comical comments including yours, with the typical “dry snitching” on the current board members who don’t work with you. Did you ever call out the former President and V.P. Floyd Hayhurst and Mark Divis who came from TST? Of course not. Both ALADS and LASD are pathetic with the cut throats and division among each other.

  • Wannabe Regulator. I’m the one laughing at you and your lame posts and antics. I guarantee you, you would never have the manhood to face anyone you trash on this blog. Keep hiding behind your keyboard and keep looking and sounding like a 4yr old. And go back to driving your TST bus and bitch and complain how this department is so messed up. Typical overpaid bus driver.

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