#GangstersWithBadges LASD's Deputy Gang Problem

What Is the LA County Sheriff’s Department Doing About Its Big, Bad Deputy Gang Problem?

Celeste Fremon
Written by Celeste Fremon

The report that members of a deputy clique within the East LA station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department beat up several other non-clique deputies, last month, at an after-hours party has raised serious concerns. The concerns, however, are no longer about whether or not the department has a deputy gang problem. That question appears to be settled.

The new questions are these:

So how large is the LASD’s deputy gang problem? And what is the department doing to solve it?

For those who missed our earlier story, here are the basics:

In the wee hours of September 27—or technically September 28, as it was well past midnight—-a large party was winding down at a rentable event venue in East LA, when a violent brawl broke out between off-duty members of the LA Sheriff’s Department, most of whom worked at the LASD’s East LA Station. The fight was reportedly started by members of a notorious deputy clique known as the Banditos, who reportedly had become a powerful presence at the station. By the fight’s end, at least two department members were reportedly taken by ambulance to the hospital, and two more required medical treatment. Three deputies and a sergeant, all considered Banditos members, were reportedly relieved of duty for their parts in the fight.

LASD Banditos, courtesy of Greg Smith

“The real underlying fear behind the abhorrent behavior displayed by this clique of deputies,” said retired department commander Robert Olmsted, “is, if they can do this to ‘one of their own,’ how are they treating the constituents of the county?”

And that worry leads to others. For instance, “Are the citizens too fearful to approach the deputies for help?” asked Olmsted, a respected department whistleblower who ran for sheriff in 2014.

“Have previous force issues been covered up or reported accurately? Is this truly the Tradition of Service promised?”

Good question.


Gangs with badges

As it turns out, this is not the first time that some of those involved in the above fight that sent other department members to the hospital have had problems.

Deputy Gregory Rodriquez, one of the alleged Banditos who was relieved of duty following the after-hours brawl a month ago, was charged in 2015 with one count each of perjury and submitting the false police report.  It seems that when Deputy Rodriguez arrested a man named Christopher Gray, he said that Gray was attempting to free two men already arrested from the back seat of a patrol car. Rodriguez also accused Gray of inciting the crowd and threatening deputies, although, according to prosecutors with the DA’s Integrity Division,  a video made of the incident seemed to show Gray mostly standing with his arms folded, doing nothing. When the case went to trial, however, the jury deadlocked with 8 voting to acquit,  and the prosecutors announced they would be unable to proceed in case. So the judge dismissed it.  Hung jury notwithstanding, in July of 2015, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to award Gray, who said his shoulder was injured in the encounter, $549,000 for the matter.

Dead Rat, courtesy of Greg Smith

In 2014, then Deputy Guadalupe Lopez, a ten year veteran of the force, described in a civil lawsuit filed by attorney Greg Smith, how members of the Banditos “sexually harassed, threatened and demanded sex from her” as part of “training” when she was transferred to the department’s East LA station in 2011. According to the lawsuit, after Lopez declined the personal advances, harassment, hazing, and other forms of retaliation resulted. This allegedly included being run off the road by another deputy, being slammed hard into a wall while she held a loaded shotgun, and having dead rat placed under her car after she reported objectionable behavior by the group.

Lopez also alleged observing favors being demanded from other female probationary deputies, including in one case, a trainee allegedly being asked to write arrest reports “that were essentially fabricated.”

Lopez’ lawsuit was ultimately settled with LA County for $1,500,000.

Lopez was not the only one who described such experiences.  Attorney Smith told WLA, that he has two more similar lawsuits by female deputies alleging similar abuse by Banditos at the department’s East LA Station. One lawsuit, brought by Deputy Rosa Gonzales, has “been in litigation for over a year,” Smith said. Another is “about to be filed.”

LASD, Banditos, courtesy of Greg Smith

Added to these three women and their allegations, we have learned from two of our sources, one an active department member,  of two additional women who reportedly had been similarly harassed and threatened by members of the Banditos clique, but managed to eventually move on from the East LA Station, and decided not to look back.


The Vikings, the Regulators and the bad old days.

One of the reasons the reported Bandito beat down was particularly alarming to many department watchers, is that the LASD has a rich and less than pleasant history with deputy cliques that have crossed the line into gangster-like behavior.

It is important to say here that not everyone who belongs to a deputy “affinity group” or clique, engages in questionable behavior, or worse.  Even if they’ve gotten “inked,” some are simply good cops who enjoyed the group, but steered clear of the rest.

The Jump Out Boys

Among the most notorious group of deputies in the department’s history were the Vikings, operating out of the Lynwood station, whose members sported numbered Viking tattoos on their ankles, threw gang signs—L for Lynwood—occasionally spray-painted Vikings tags in the Lynwood area to mark their “turf,” and bragged openly about viciously harassing supervisors who tried to reign them in until those supervisors transferred away from Lynwood.

In the early 1990’s, members of the same Lynwood Vikings were the primary defendants in a massive class action suit against the department alleging a widespread pattern of brutality against Lynwood residents.

The suit resulted in a $9 million settlement and drew unusually harsh “findings of fact” from one federal judge, plus a trio of justices from the Ninth Circuit.

These deputies, wrote the 9th Circuit of the Vikings, “…regularly disregard the civil rights of individuals they have sworn to protect.” They engaged in misconduct “both malicious and pervasive…” Black and Hispanic men were “repeatedly arrested without cause and severely beaten at the Lynwood station, the County jail, and the ‘Operations Safe Streets’ trailer.” The court described “instances where deputies placed the muzzle of a firearm in a suspect’s ear, mouth or behind his head, and threatened to pull the trigger, or actually fired the gun without discharging a bullet…” and more.

After the Vikings, came the Regulators, the Grim Reapers, the Jump Out Boys,  and more, along with the 2000 Boys and the 3000 Boys, in Men’s Central Jail, with their unpleasant habit of breaking inmates’ orbital bones.

“There’s always been a tension in the department between people who are willing to bend the rules and those who are not,” said former LASD lieutenant, Roger Clark.  Clark, who was working during the Viking days,  has frequently been called to act an expert witness about his experience with and knowledge of law enforcement subcultures, which he calls “peer clans,” like the Vikings, the 3000 Boys, the Banditos, and the rest.

This behavior, said Clark, “is a cancer.” And like a cancer, if not addressed, “it’ll spring up other places.” This means, he said, echoing Olmsted, that the deputy gangs “not only exert power in the station.” Unfortunately, he said, that the same behavior is also acted out on community members in ways that are too often less than legal.


Dueling ink

LASD Sergeant Mark Moffet, who has been with the department for nearly 30 years, and who now works at the Cerritos station, said that one of his old stations, Compton, like East LA, is seeing a lot of conflict between the “inked and non-inked deputies.”

The same is true with Century station, according to Moffit. But at Century, he said, there is additional conflict between two different “inked” groups, those who’ve been working at the station, and those who are new and coming out of custody. “You know, the deputies who’ve been working the jail, and get transferred to patrol, and try to say, ‘This is how it’s going to be.'”

More than ten years ago, when he was working at Compton, Moffett had his own run-ins with inked department members. After several years of reportedly being taunted and harassed by another LASD sergeant named Timothy Cooper, and his crew, who told Moffett that he didn’t have what it takes to be a “real deputy”—meaning he was not enough of a do-whatever-it-takes hard charger. He didn’t push the edge enough.

For several years, Moffett did not report Cooper, even as news of their run-ins and Cooper’s reported threats made the rounds on the department’s gossip telegraph.

Then one morning in 2009, inside the Compton Sheriff’s station, Cooper pulled a gun on Moffett and pointed it at his head, in plain sight of others.

“I’m going to kill you,” Moffett said Cooper mouthed at him. “I’m going to kill you.

According to Moffett, this time he decided enough was enough, and reported the other sergeant.

Weirdly, it turned out that Cooper had not just one ankle tattoo, but two—one of the Viking symbol, the other that of the Regulators.

“The difference between the deputy gangs, and someone who just gets a station tattoo,” said Moffet of the newest deputy clique issues, a deputy gang “is discriminatory.”

For instance, he said, “everyone who is a U.S. Marine,” can get a Marine tattoo. “But in these groups,” only certain people are invited, “and being a so-called ghetto gunslinger is an advantage.”

Unfortunately, what results, Moffet said, is a situation where “you’re turning cops into predators.”


So what to do?

The answer, unsurprisingly, according to everyone we spoke with on the topic, lies with leadership.

Leadership, said Olmsted, must send “a strong message to the organization, and especially to the public that this behavior is not tolerated, condoned, not covered up!”

According to Olmsted, department leaders lose “an excellent opportunity to change the culture of an organization” if this message-sending “is not done promptly and immediately.

“This is what the public wants and what the department needs,” he said.

Bryan Williams, the executive director of the LASD’s Civilian Oversight Commission, said that part of the dilemma is the fact that this gang business has been going on for decades.

“This is not a new problem,” he said. “But I think there was an assumption that it had been taken care of. Obviously, it has not.”

To fix the deputy gang problem, the department needs cultural change, according to Williams.

“But cultural change doesn’t overnight. And it has to be constantly emphasized…Which means there has to be strong and decisive leadership.”

And that requires action.  You can’t just send the message “if you do this, we will get you,'” said Williams.

“Some people have to get gotten.”

When we talked to Sheriff Jim McDonnell about the most recent outbreak of the LASD’s chronic deputy clique problem, he said that the department was working on it from multiple directions.

“We’re working on it with the inspector general’s office. We’re working on it with the oversight commission. We’re looking at bringing an outside entity in to make sure we have a 30,000-foot look at it, and that we hold our people accountable. But we want to do it the right way,” said McDonnell.

The topic, he said, is important to police agencies across America. “So we want to do this in a way that is instructive to others.”

At the same time, McDonnell said, the department will “deal with each case individually, and take each case seriously. Every component of the equation matters,” he said. “And we look very closely at all of it.”


Photo at the top is a frame taken from a citizen’s video of a Lynnwood deputy flashing Viking sign, “L” for Lynwood, circa late 1980s.

96 Comments

  • The usual hand wringing article that just can’t resist the “Lynwood Vikings”, a station that hasn’t existed for 25 years. What is it about the Lynwood Vikings that so fascinates liberal white ladies like Celeste and cf?

    Btw, why are you so sure that east la deputy gangs have anything to do with the alleged “white supremacy” deputy gangs? It’s it more logical that these east la deputies were more influenced by the local gangs Celeste and Greg Boyle are usually hanging around with and advocating for? Maybe these guys were more influenced by the “homeboy” industries crowd than any old time good ol boys club.

  • It’s fascinating how the MCJ 2000 and 3000 boys were able to perfect the art of using precisely placed strikes to break inmate’s orbital bones.

    I agree that this issue is due to poor leadership at the top. Just as the article mentions a sergeant being bullied and threatened, there had to be someone above him giving a silent nod to what was going on. Just as there were loyal “Tanakanites” then so is the Department still full of them at the executive ranks.

    Chsnging the culture starts at the top, and not just by “executive ex-offender tattoo wearers” saying “do as I say not as I did”. They have no “real” credibility to preach to anyone.

  • Madame Kong, I thought you were a law and order lady. Do you really want these losers representing the fine men and women of the Sheriff’s department? Funny how when it is a piece about a black kid who badmouthed the teacher you dissect the piece and tell us how much of a problem and a criminal the black kid is, but it when its a redneck or wanna be cholo with a badge, your lady lips are sealed. What happened to law and order? Another fine, principled officer.

    I do think you are partially right in that the White Supremacy redneck sheriff’s deputies are a different bunch than the wanna be cholos, Los Banditos. The rednecks aren’t fond of the brown banditos, they long for the good ‘ole days when it was only good ‘ole boys on the force. The Banditos, on the other hand, are the kids that were punked out by the cholos they could never be. Now with a badge and a gun they want to show those cholos they are just as bad as the gang members that used to punk them and take their lunch money. But, alas, they can only push people around with a badge.

  • Yup, a rehash of mostly “old news.” But guess what? This shit is still going on! When you’ve got a mix of immature Deputies and incapable management, this is what you end up with.

    Same ol’ same ol’ by McDonnell. “We’re working on it.” Famous last words of the Captain of the Titanic when asked about the water rising on the bottom decks.

    Had the voters had a clue 4 years ago when Olmsted was running, perhaps the LASD might have been capable of being salvaged. Now their choices are bad and badder. Sad, really sad.

  • I find it interesting that two separate groups of deps who work together have such ideological differences to the extent that they brawl amongst themselves. That behavior is outrageous and divisive. This is not the first time station deps went after each other while celebrating Xmas,, remember Monterey Park??. I believe the dept’s hiring practices have once again backfired and we’re left with the mess. So now how do you get rid of these miscreants…

  • Cf your getting a little nasty with your gender bulling, as I told you before, I identify as a cisgender male, careful you don’t wind up in the woodshed again. You can agree with me without turning nasty, you know.

  • You get rid of Mcbuckles, LaBerge, Castellanos, Roosevelt, Thornton, Jensen, Valdez and Teran.. there’s more shitbags than just these, but it’s a darn good start. All these clowns are nothing but coward leg humpers who think being a man is measured by the hardware on their collars. These cowards hide underneath each others desks at the Hall of Justice and patrol stations while they direct others to risk their careers doing their dirty work because they don’t have the balls to do it themselves.. What a joke these fucking cowards!! The pay to play bullshit, go after a Deputy to get him dirty at any cost for political gain or promotion. Those willing to join the agenda get rewarded!! Don’t forget to tell your children, family and friends how you got ahead. By forgetting where you came from and being nothing more than pussies. You all probably paint yourselves as bad ass mofos when in reality your no different from The days they were taking your lunch money. Fucking clowns.

  • Olmsted is a “respected department whistleblower”? Guess that depends on whose whistle hes blowing.

  • I still can’t believe all the department “leakers” who are willing to make a buck in exchange for their fabricated stories. I used to know a guy who carried a “rat book” in his war bag and scribbled names down for whoever he thought was snitching. He even had “Jellyfish” in there for his associations.

  • All the inked supposed gun slingers can disagree and comment all they want, we all know this article is on point. LASD leadership bred this type of behavior. Celeste is still writing about it because 20 years later the gang deputy culture hasn’t changed. What has Mc Buckles done? Nothing, he made it worse, just look at the executives he promoted.

  • I don’t have any issue with deputies getting tattoos. This has been a military style tradition since the mititary was started. I do have an issue when these thugs assault another deputy. Fire them. Today’s climate and work place violence, there is not place for it. Should the department ask deputies to roll up their pant leg to see if there is a tattoo. Get a warrant. They are not a gang within themselves. Each station has a sense of loyalty. That’s it. Will it ever change, not a chance. The more you go after it the more it becomes a secret society. Have the sheriff change something else on the uniform. That is what he likes, buckles and snaps. No support. Should have stayed in blue. Tan and green are a differnt breed. Corruption breeds corruption. Look at the executives. Have where thugs in their time the other half hump legs like a little chihuahua. Captains don’t want to make waves they just want to be commander and tell everybody what a great captain they were, and up the chain we go.

  • The captain, commander and chief would be the very first casualties of the morning after roll up. This crap does not occur inside a vacuum. If McD is clueless about this clique, it’s because his Undersheriff and Assistant Sheriff’s have hid the information and they would be the next to go. This ongoing saga of gangster cliques is an obvious management failure. March them all to the Civil Service hearing room and let them sort it out. Paul Tanaka, your legacy lives on!

  • C: A little history; years ago LAPD Chief Gates, after hearing that a few of his officers were involved in prostitution on duty, transferred every single person at the station. I don’t think this would hold up in today’s PC culture but, MCDonnell is not capable of handling this situation.
    Ok, everybody; what should be done to fix this? Current managers ( they are not leaders) as well as those in the past failed miserably.
    And what the heck does it mean to look at a problem from 30, 000 feet!

  • If you notice McBuckles loves to “look” at everything but does nothing. His goal is to make people, and the media in particular, believe he’s doing something. Just follow his speech pattern, we’re looking at this, aspiring managers will be looked at, external evaluators are looking at us, and the new looking at the problem from 30,000 feet. Problem is he can’t see the problem 3 feet in front of him, his own undersheriff, assistant sheriffs, and many others in his command staff with their own tattoos.

    The issue of cliques and gang-like behavior continues to surface because McDonnell is incapable of leading the department, plain and simple. He didn’t clean house, he turned a blind eye to all the warning signs his ace management team refused to address, and his utter lack of regard for the welfare of his own employees is coming back to haunt him.

    Villanueva has his number and he knows it. That’s why he’s on the run, refusing to debate, hoping the political establishment will deliver a victory for him that he is incapable of winning on his own. His faithful lapdog, Moriguchi, is doing his best to earn that rank he so desperately seeks. This is getting to be entertaining!

  • Moffet and Olmstead are rats. Bandidos are going nowhere. Viva Los Bandidos. Now if you’ll excuse me, time to roll up those sleeves, flash that ink, chew a little tobacco, and go 10-8. Don’t like it? I’m easy to find.

  • Blaming McDonnell isn’t even a conversation starter for LASD’s tradition of “Bullies and Cowards”. For begginers let’s start with the “Brady List” with a fine tooth comb to separate fact from fiction. Second, we start with ALADS who vehemently opposes any investigation revolving around dirty deputies. The swamp is draining.

  • Same last “sentiments” of the captain of the Titanic, former undersheriff Tanaka and many of his lower rank minions. No one is ever “truly safe” or untouchable. If “they” want you, they will get you.

    Just as shady law enforcers do what it takes to get their bad guy, so will Department hatchet men do what it takes to get their dirty copy when the political pressure and heat get to be too much to bear.

    Never say never, every dog has its day and every run comes to and end. Stand tall, abide by the oat you took, be better and try to avoid becoming simply another side of the “dirty coin” your forced to deal in as part of the currency your chosen profession tosses at you.

  • Fucking mustache sporting Bandido clowns that demonstrate being bad asses by sucking lollipops, harassing females and not wearing jackets on cold days. Yea you’ll be easy to find! Pussies!!!

  • Amazing how the internal division and blame game continues to reign supreme in LASD. Nothing beats retirement while reading about the whine and decline of what was once a great department to work for. The millennials are all mouth with the only maverick being Alex Villanueva. It was a big surprise to see that he recieved the endorsement of ALADS seeing that he exposed their ineptness not so long ago.

  • Looks like the trolls are back hyping up these over inflated stories. Poor “Jellyfish” couldn’t handle being in the ratbook and blindsided a dump truck in his Nissan Quest the other day. Very sad stuff.

  • Oh really “Steve McQueen”, or is that your pseudo name? Your just like Celeste, slinging mud around. If I remember correctly, you were that drunk outside of Harry’s Place trying to get in good with the inked guys. Back in the day, if I wanted to hear fake news, I’d call Charlie Brown and get the scuttlebutt from him.

  • Gentlemen, I’m sure my friend Madame Kong would agree, that you guys are the best evidence I could have come up with about how crooked and dysfunctional many of our fine officers in uniform are. We have some who act like wannabe gangsters, others admit acting like gangsters, several accusing other of being rats, and the last one, Mr. Josh Rodriguez seems to be a genius, even doubting the Steve McQueen posting may not really be named Steve McQueen. What a genius. How he hasn’t figured out who killed Biggie boggles the mind. God help us.

  • Hahahahaha the pig are beefing with each other?!?!?! Thats some funny ish. Ya’ll out here tryna ack like gangster’s thats cute. Tattoo’s from a street shop that didn’t ask for approval before you they put that on you cuz they life would be in danger. Wtf is a “off training party”…yu mean a official oink oink party. We hear ya’ll cops talking about this a wayside laughing it up cuz the max pigs think they hardr then the intake pigs. Hahahahahahaha, ya’ll is a fuckn joke!!! Ima tell all the homies to laugh at ya’ll lames. The lady writing this non sense needs to talk to some real one’s cuz these pigs are jus faker’s that never made the football team, never got put on by a REAL ASS gang, so they hopped on the force cuz they wanted to be apart of something…PATHETIC F’N JOKE hahahahaha….

    Tell those pitchess cops to stop talking so damn loud cuz we can hear at night when those fools think its lights out

  • Charlie Brown is a has been, or actually a never was. I almost died because of him one cold dark night. We got a hot tip off the wire that some perps were up to some nefarious activity at the end of an alley. Old Chuck Bravo stabbed the gas pedal just as i was jumping out of the car. I stepped onto a lilly pad and slipped and fell twisting my knee as the perps beat feet. I would have collared them too if it wasnt for those peaky kids. Who the hell plants lilly pads in the ghetto?

  • I used to be a Bandito back in 81-84. Thats when men were men and sheep ran scared. We used to have a station dog named Chiva. Any how, I got jumped out of the Deputy gang after they found out my parents were married.

  • More than smoke coming out of ELA , it’s a blaze that the department will continue to ignore. It’s what they do best.

  • Roll up, I agree. Don’t forget they will relieve deputies for a year or two then bring them back after the smoke clears. Steve, since you have such a good recollection, do you recall the time old Tornado almost knocked you out whilst holding a fifth of tequila in his strong hand. I bet you conveniently forgot that story.

  • No kidding. Lynwood was years ago FPK1 and Regulators was the 70s / 80s
    Just clear Jimmy out get some management that loves the Department and wants to improve it instead of ignoring do nothing Cap and Lts Station tattoos and cliques will be here forever geez concentrate on real problems not this trivial BS

  • “The difference between the deputy gangs, and someone who just gets a station tattoo,” said Moffet of the newest deputy clique issues, a deputy gang “is discriminatory.”

    ELA Banditos are discriminatory and the station sub culture mimics criminal street gangs.

  • Roll up says, waaaaaaa. Nobody asked him to get a tattoo. Show me the predicates for this Deputy gang? Waaaa, maybe you and yer buddy Josh Rodriguez should start a new one. In the mean time im gonna be rolling up my sleeves and chewing tobacco with tattooed bad boy.

  • What are we up to now, 3 different names for our troll? Cf, tattooed bad boy, and now Steve McQueen, breaking how many of Witness la’s rules ? So much for cleaning up the comment section, guess Celeste didn’t mean her troll when she told everyone to tone it down. Extra credit for agreeing with Celeste and doing her dirty work I guess.

  • Dear Cf, I’m glad you figured out my sarcasm. You get a treat for that. As for the dysfunction you mentioned, I don’t believe what is said on this site by a handful of people is a reflection of a large department. You have dummies on here like Steve McQueen spewing off fake war stories of the hot years, Pinky, and who knows whatever the heck else. He’s an antagonist who probably worked day shift his entire career shopping at yard sales while 10-8, followed by powering up at the squirrel.

  • Did you guys catch the most hypocritical action PPOA has ever done. They put out an email denouncing ALADS “No Confidence” vote on McD.

    They said there wasn’t enough ALADS voters to justify the result. Yet PPOA relied heavily on the dismal balloting numbers from their own poll to endorse him? Seems to me PPOA is panicking to get McD elected. I wonder why.

  • As dismal as PPOA’s ballot count was, it at least was given to the entire body of their membership. Even the few & current “Old Heads” representatives at ALADS are shaking their head. There is more than one reason why deputies are leaving ALADS since the SCOTUS ruling on Public Unions. Grind your ax for PPOA elsewhere and stop instigating.

  • The average/majority of deputies have no clue of ALADS survey or their agenda. Speaking of surveys, the stated number or responses would be a first. Looks like an excuse to justify their decision with no offense to Alex who is the original ALADS Killer. Jim may not be the answer but neither is ALADS. What is Alex’s view on Deputy Cliques, CCW’s and the “Brady list” along with the budget for LASD. We will soon see.

  • @ Info Only, please enlighten us. How many deputies have left ALADS since the SCOTUS ruling?

    Your statement is misleading. Deputies are smart. I told people all along that the SCOTUS ruling was nothing to worry about, but only IF we made sure we offered our members the best representation available.

    Myself, and many others became ALADS members long before agency shop. Once again people have a choice NOT to be ALADS members, and yet they choose to stay.

    I don’t plan to get in a car accident, and I hope I never do, but I choose to pay for the best insurance, just in case!

  • I know a good amount of Deputies that have left ALADS. Most of them not because of SCOTUS. I agree, Deputies are smart but as you should very well know Deputies are creature of habit. A large amount don’t even come on here, so they don’t know or hear anything. The assumption is ALADS is just easy and there, why change. Proof is the turn out on ballots mailed or emailed. ALADS never gets 100% return on all members. I know guys that picked Kaiser 2, 10, and 20 years ago and probably would never change because it’s easier not too. Not because Kaisers the best.

    I think most Deputies hope to never get in an accident and hopefully they have the best insurance. Problem is ALADS the best option? Eh.

  • @ron Hernandez
    I have disagreed with people on this blog in the past but on this one I agree with Ron Hernandez. Info only says deputies are leaving Alads, how do you know that?

    What I want to see if my union president, weak sauce Brian moraguchi come on here and defend that bs email. Whether you like Alads or the board , that email was stupid. Totally in the bag for McDonnell, after all the articles about how bad he was. Time for you to go Brian.

  • Lastly, I think the consensus is the same for who to vote for, McD or Alex. A lot of deputies don’t care, can’t vote, or feel it’s a double edged sword!

  • Blame the Sheriff’s Union for all the Deputies GANG! Those Dirty THUGS with a badge are hired and protected by the Sheriff’s UNION. This election for LA County Sheriff is all smoke and mirror, ONLY to hide the real truth. The Racist Villanueva is a puppet for the Sheriff Union. Two years ago Sheriff McDonnell uncovered 300 dirty bad deputies, these deputies falsified criminal records, falsified documentation, you name it they did it, to falsely imprison many Latinos and black innocent people. Sheriff McDonnell tried to fire them but Sheriff Unions protected them. If Sheriff McDonnells gets re elected for the next 4 years mostly likely those 300 dirty deputies who are still working in Sheriff Dept will most likely be indicted, arrested and sent to prison like like Baca and Tanaka The Sheriffs UNION Is the mother load of corruption, money laundry, they are the real bad guys! This is not about ICE or Immigration, its all a cover up. I strongly suspect all their endorsements have been bought by the Sheriff Unions and more dirty money transactions will be exposed as well. I am a long time community advocate in ELA. Whose speaking up for all those families who sons were falsely sent to prison. While in jail, these innocent people beaten and brutalized. This was in a press release Sheriff McDonnell released. We don’t need another Latino Sheriff like Baca. We need Sheriff McDonnell who has integrity and courage to stand up to them. Union wants a weak, no brains person in place so they can control everything so they profit. Union is desperate to get out Sheriff McDonnell to protect their interest!. The Sheriff Unions is using the Latino community they are playing the community, pitted us against each other. Think about it! If it was your son or daughter falsely placed in jail. How would you feel.

  • @Francesa
    Laughable. You obviously know nothing about the department or what that “300 list” is. The majority of people on that list are not on there for lying as you say but for force allegations or other policy violations that have nothing to do with lying. Yet, one person who is on their for lying was promoted to Commander by your knight in shining armor Jim McDonnell.

    I don’t fault you for wanting to hold deputies accountable and make our department better, that way we better serve the community. But Jim McDonnell is not the answer.

  • I really doesn’t matter who gets elected. The common DSG or B-1 won’t be affected in my experience. I remember when McQueen was passing out bumper stickers and selling t shirts at the traffic circle that read “Paul Jernigan for Sheriff”. Guy didn’t have a chance against Baca and his thugs. Then to add to the dysfunction, old Chuck Bravo was strong armed into selling Christmas trees for Tanaka, complete with flocking.

  • LOL, clueless! Francesca made the mistake of beleiving college professors instead of her father. Oh wait, he was sent to prison by crooked Sheriffs Deputies, dispensa homie

  • Hey mcQUEEN stand clear when real people are arguing, no one takes you seriously girl, wait for Celeste to give you direction, you sound shrill again

  • Brian is a sellout, plain and simple. I can’t wait to see his suck butt face If Alex wins. Brian you should be ashaamed of youself.

  • @Code1M, you are probably right about us being creatures of habit, but in my 34 years I have seen over and over what we can do when we educate ourselves.

    Most deputies DON’T know the major changes we have made, and I’ve been to hundreds of briefings and we put out hundreds of email blasts.

    The 100% participation in voting will never happen. It doesn’t happen in government elections and doesn’t when voting for money (contracts). To characterize that as an ALADS failure is incorrect.

    We now have an app to help educate our members and anyone who wants to be informed.

    Is ALADS the best option? Yes!

    I see that people want to reamain anonymous, so here is what I propose. Have someone send me an email requesting us (ALADS) to come to your facility (we get many of these requests). Bomb on us with questions, hell, invite the other options, so you can compare notes while we are all in the same room. THAT is when you will see it for yourself!

    I always worked to be the best deputy I was capable of being, not a place holder. I’m two and a half years past my retirement date, I have no intentions of being a PLACE HOLDER, now.

  • So you’re actually admitting that you’ll answer all questions sans excuses and deflections?

  • @Deputy Sheriff, none of us are perfect, but we will give you answers based on our knowledge. At the end of one of us will learn something.

    That being said, I have talked to some and given educated answers, but because of their mindset, reasons are called excuses and explanations are called deflection. I’m not saying that is you, just saying there is no convincing a closed mind.

    Come to a Rep/member meeting and ask, or simply observe. The next one is Nov 7th, 1100 and 1800.

  • This issue of a small element of rogue, recalcitrant and corrupted deputies and sergeants has been around for decades. These individuals enjoy being bullies, Station/Facility assholes. They emulate gang characteristics, shaved heads, ink, Cholo shorts, mannerisms and verbiage. They have always taken pride in challenging supervisors and doing off the hook 10-30 stuff until they get caught. As long as they have strength in numbers and weak management who turn their head, these groups will thrive. Paul Tanaka is personally responsible for much of this. He created this mentality everywhere he went and more-so once Baca gave him the keys to the kingdom and promoted him to Captain, the seeds were planted. How peer deputies and sergeants tolerate these fools are beyond me. You saw them at MCJ, strutting their shit like a bunch of street thugs, but Tanaka protected them and made it clear to everyone Department-wide, he would destroy the careers of anyone who intervened with “the boys.”

    So in comes Fresh Eyes with promises of “cleaning house,” yet did nothing. In fact, he promoted and retained the Tanaka crew, and we all know it. So as time progressed, did his EPC do to McBuckles as every EPC has done to every Sheriff? Lie and hide all this internal gangster shit from him so nothing negative reflects upon them? You can bet your ass they did, from the captain all the way to the Undersheriff. “Everything is fine boss, everyone is highly motivated and working hard, they all love you.” The fact that McDonnell did not fly into a fit of rage and roll everyone up from the captain on up, shows he is clueless, or doesn’t give a shit, or downplaying it all forthe sake of political optics, or all of the above. This is a pathetic example that LASD is still as much in the toilet as the day Baca and Tanaka were indicted, nothing has changed. Just glad to be fairly recently retired and breathing fresh mountain air and away from all of this embarrassment. LASD is still a slow motion train wreck and by no means, the organization I proudly joined decades ago.

  • @Ron Hernandez I know that we will never get 100% accountability when voting, but compared to our size the return is usually dismal at best. I’ve seen the count. I never said that was a failure or fault of ALADS, I was merely pointing out that these ballots are no real measure. If you considered the amount of Deputies that didn’t vote and factored that in then maybe.

    For example. Let’s say a 100 don’t vote well that should work against not for. Not just be unaccounted for, because the education of Deputies I do believe falls on them first and ALADS second.

    Moving on! I wonder if it were possible, we set a term to the bargaining union and take that to vote every 2 or 4 years, what would be the outcome. Just a thought.

    And we know you’ve been on a long time Ron, we get it in your 34 years so on and so on. This generation don’t care. Just move on and retire be happy like the rest of them! In my short time on I’ve heard plenty of the “ in my day” or “ I’ve been on X amount of years” and countless other phrases. Its tired rhetoric. We are far from any of those days and your generation is responsible for some of the shenanigans we see today, policy wise. Not that ours is much better!

    And heres your “pat on the back” 2 years past retirement! Congrats. It’s not like every year past 30 or 32 you don’t get paid, if fact your probably compensated quite well. Why is that a feat.

    I know what you’ll say come to a meeting, call me, or step up. I rather not. I’m happy as LASPA!

    Lastly you said because of some Deputies mindset they see your explanations and reasons as deflection and excuses, but by that mere statement you show the same mentality. You and ALADS are from perfect and that’s not expected. But we don’t need nor do we want to here the politician speeches. There are a lot things wrong and that’s it! People are leaving and that’s it. What difference does it make to you? None! Like you said some people are staying. I’d like to think they are the I don’t care, head in sand type.

    Good luck.

  • Spade. It could not have been said any better. Bandito when Villanueva wins we will find all of you that had your lunch money taken as kids and have joied LASD, to ruin in. You are a punk.

  • @Code1M, Do you know how many voters are registered in LA County? About 5.4 million.

    Do you know how many voted in the primary? About 20%, which is about average.

    We just got 23%
    participation in our survey, which is a little above average for polls and surveys. So the norm is no real measure?

    Are you saying factor those who don’t vote INTO the outcome of the survey?

    By your admission you’ve been on a short time, but someday even YOU will be talking about how long you’ve been on.

    Compensated quite well by my earned income, yes, for being on the ALADS Board, not hardly. I think it’s hard for people to believe someone might actually do the ALADS job for principle, there are no perks of compensation.

    Fyi: according to your statement there are approximately 7800 people with their head in the sand, but I disagree.
    I believe it’s because they way want the best representation available to them.

  • @Spade: Do you really think an automatic changeover will happen should Villanueva win? Trust me when I say that Villanueva will be called worse by the same people on this blog and the department. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve is the mantra of old thinking. With all do respect to Alex, most lieutenants don’t make gaints steps to General (Sheriff) without major blowback due to lack of managerial skills. We’ll know in 72 hours.

  • @ Code1M,
    Great Obs and pretty good detective skills from you noting the political responses from Ron Hernandez. The Kool-Aid at ALADS is obviously pretty strong as all can see by reviewing the conversation. Such arrogance from Ron never gets away without always having a retort.

  • @Seriously, my comment was without consideration for Alex. It was simply an observation. This Bandito issue, as reported, is a fucking embarrassment to ELA Station and all of LASD. Sexual favorites to get off training? Are you serious? I don’t know who I’m pissed off more at, the asswipes who engaged in that stupid mentality or the weak Station Captain, lieutenants and sergeants and deputies who condoned it. This off-training fiasco is no doubt, the tip of the iceberg. All those involved in the assault as aggressors, watch their asses get fired and filed on. And when that happens, “the fellas” will be nowhere to be found. The Boyz will be yucking it up with lots of, “don’t worry, you’re gonna get your job back.” But in the meantime, the offenders are gonna find out what acting like a thug and gangster does for their career.

    But to reply to your statement, McD didn’t do shit to clean house, it’s all been swept under the carpet in his office by his staff or himself. So as far giving Alex a chance, as Trump would say, “What do you have to lose?” But then, I don’t live in California and I’m retired. But I am still embarrassed, nevertheless.

  • @Shad 49, sad that you view me having responses and the desire to defend ALADS and my actions, as arrogance. I think the members should be more concerned if I have no argument or desire to defend.

    Part of the problem with the current mentality is people want to spout off, anonymously, because they don’t want to be confronted!

    If you don’t want to hear from me or be confronted, then keep ALADS and me out of the posts.

  • Confrontation is part of the job. There is more than myself in every group that you address. Everyone paying dues is a part of ALADS and we have the right to speak whether you know us by name or not. The issues and not the names is what actually matters. You should not continue allow politics to intertwine with your ego. Your saddle is waiting.

  • @Shad 49. I’m so confused. You posted that I always retort.

    So is confrontation part of the job or not?

    My saddle is waiting! Lol! If I had a nickle for everyone who got booty hurt, and told me to pack my bags, when I confronted them, THAT, could be considered a perk, and/or compensation.

  • I’m not entirety confident that everything will be fixed with Villanueva as Sheriff. Not crazy about the endorsements that he has accumulated. Is he the one that will be able to fix this and other problems that plague the department? I don’t think so. But, he might be a decent start. Deputies attacking each other? Are you freaking kidding me? When was this ever right? No wonder we are bleeding new and seasoned deputies left and right!

  • Deputies attacking each other is the culmination of hazing trainees which goes unchecked by station Captains who turn a blind eye. The pompous egos at these stations are so big that they make the Goodyear Blimp look like a water balloon. The price of these acts have cost LASD its reputation. No one wants to address the elephant in the room.

  • @ Ron Hernandez. Seeing that your forte is having the last word on selected subjects, specifically your ego. When are you going to send to membership a summary of ALADS spending as the year ends? The retort of coming to office to review some basic receipts doesn’t cut it anymore. Many important broken items and policies still exist at ALADS. Waiting

  • You can put tattooed bad boys comments on here but not mine regarding an extremely corrupt LT Rampone SMH

  • Hey Zumi (Boyd), You were correct concerning ALADS P.E.C., as one would have better odds in a game of craps. Look at their endorsements then look at the winners. Never send boys to do a man’s job.

    NewsFlash to ALADS – Facts will always trump feelings.

  • We will be putting out an end of year report.

    If you are a member you are more than welcome to come and look at the books, not just basic receipts. That practice went away with the last ALADS regime.

  • Now that we have “one of our own” Alex Villanueva, don’t turn on him midstream should he not cater to your every whim.

  • The votes are still being counted, but no matter how it turns out this is a NEON wake up call to the Sheriff, his executives, henchmen and boot-lickers alike. Even if Mr. Villanueva loses, the Sheriff now know’s there are no guarantees and by relying on the advice of his inner circle and the LA political machine, he got his proverbial political arse handed to him. To all the brown nosers, coin holders and do-anything for a promotion types, your golden ticket might just be worthless.

    Kudos to ALADS, that unlike PPOA, put out a “21st century style poll” to it’s members and had a much more representative response.

    I’m sure all those folks on the Department who at one time or another talked trash , treated Mr. Villanueva unfairly or were unkind are thinking WTF? You never know???

    A true nailbiter.

  • Congratulations to the new Jefito. Take care of ELA Station. We knew you could do it !

    Si Se Puede!!!

  • Calling It A Spade – Well said. Those that are corrupt need to be fired. As an aside, I’ve seen some of the real big tough talkers a really unpleasant shade of green when their badge/id/etc. is taken and they are facing career ending allegations – but too many are still around. Those at the top should be ashamed. I worry about those just starting their careers; tough times in all directions.

  • Villaneuva is going to be inheriting some huge problems not the least of which are the endless problems with the “cliques”. Two new blacks eyes for the department dropping now – a deputy that was a sex crime investigator (was last assigned to anti-CP work) just got popped for “allegedly” raping a teen girl & witness tampering. And another one out of Temple City was just popped for using fake warrants to rob a pot shop in downtown.

    Long past time for those who swore an oath to protect and serve to do right and end the corruption and criminality.

  • Whoops the deputy in the pot shop robbery didn’t even have any warrants, fake or otherwise. He just convinced responding LAPD officers he was conducting a narcotics investigation while his coconspirators took off then came back after LAPD left.

  • I CAN ALREADY SEE HE IS GOING TO BE UNFAIR TO THE REST OF US . HE’S ALL ABOUT THE ELA STATION BLAH BLAH BLAH, LOOKS LIKE HE’S TO BUSY TRYING TO SET UP PARTIES WITH THAT STATION. DUDE YOU’RE THE SHERIFF NOT A DEPUTY NOT A SGT NOR AN LT. STOP TRYING TO BE ACCEPTED, THAT SHIT IS GOING TO GET YOU IN TROUBLE. YOU KNOW THAT PLACE IS NOTHING, BUT PROBLEMS; BEEN THERE DONE THAT. IN REGARDS TO THE THREE DEPUTIES ALONG WITH YOUR FOMER TRAINEE GETTING IN TROUBLE AT THE ELA PARTY A FEW WEEKS AGO, PLEASE I HOPE YOU DON’T TRY TO COVER THAT UP OR TRY TO CONVINCE THE DEPARTMENT TO DROP THAT INVESTIGATION.THAT WOULD BE OSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND PROBABLY ACCESSORY TO A CRIME. WE ARE MONITORING THIS VERY CLOSELY , SO PLEASE DON’T GET INVOLVE WITH THIS INVESTIGATION. I’LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO CONTACT THE FEDS IF YOU TRY ANY OF THE ABOVE. YOU TALKED LOTS OF SHIT ABOUT THE BACA AND THE TENAKA ERA !!! BUT SIR LOOK AT ALL YOUR NEW COMMAND STAFF. YOUR ASSISTANT SHERIFF THE SHOT CALLER OF TATOOS OF LENNOX WITH A REAPER TATOO!! AND OTHERS WITH A MEDICAL RETIREMENT ATTEMTING TO DEFRAUD THE COUNTY BY COMMING BACK FROM RETIREMENT AND COLLECTING A SECOND CHECK. SOUND LIKE WE PICKED THE WRONG SHERIFF RIGHT???? NOTHING AGAINST YOU , LOTS OF PEOPLE VOTED FOR YOU , SO PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX THE DEPARTMENT, I’M SURE YOU’RE GOING TO BE A FIRST-TERMER BASED ON YOUR DECISIONS MAKING . GOOD LUCK …..

  • Damn this article seems to have struck a cord with a lot of officers , must be spot on .

  • LASD hired Elizabeth Espinosa as Spokewoman, Why??

    This woman was involved in the Kidnapping of three Little girls from Montebello, CA she and Jesus Duran Aguayo aka Jess Duran Stole $17,000,000 Millions of Dollars from this Family with the help of Deputy Ray Mendoza from ELA sheriff station a confirmed BANDITO.

    There is a Police Report (Seal Beach Police Department Case # 18-01191) Case was forwarded to the FBI for Investigation.

    Definitely They Picked the wrong Sheriff.

  • All you who are suppose to up hold the law and decide that your above it, will all have to face it .. Mark my words..

  • I’ve been retired from LASD since 2005 after 35 years of service. I rarely read the comments section regarding anything to do with LASD because I am embarrassed at the comments written. Not only are the comments often coarse, vulgar, and vitriolic, but they show poor English grammar. I wonder what your written reports look like. Please, take care to discuss your opinions in a more professional and analytical manner.

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