LOS ANGELES (KNX) - Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna is ordering his staff to comply with an ongoing investigation into deputy gangs in the department.
Last week, L.A. County Inspector General Max Huntsman sent letters to 35 sheriff’s deputies suspected of belonging to the Banditos, a deputy gang operating out of the East L.A. station, and the Executioners, a gang at the Compton station.
In the letter, Huntsman says that the Sheriff’s Department has evidence that the two groups “are exclusive, secretive, and may qualify as law enforcement gangs.” He requests that the deputies appear for an interview to answer questions about their alleged gang tattoos and name other deputies who might be gang members.
Two unions representing sheriff’s deputies, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Professional Association and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, both advised members to contact the union if they received one of the letters.
In a department-wide email, Sheriff Luna told all staff members to cooperate with the investigation. Any employees who obstruct or delay the probe could be disciplined or even fired, he said.
Vincent Miller, an attorney representing eight deputies who claim they were attacked and harassed by deputy gangs, told KNX News he doubts the deputies will comply — because the county itself refuses to acknowledge the evidence of deputy gangs.
“On the one hand, they say they want to fix the problem, we need reform, we’ve got a deputy gang problem, then they turn around and lie about the evidence that’s been put forward in these cases that proves the existence of deputy gangs,” Miller said.
The approach taken by Sheriff Luna is a complete reversal from the stance of former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who often refused to cooperate with outside investigations and downplayed the problem of deputy gangs.
Luna has promised since the beginning of his term last December that he would work with oversight organizations to deal with deputy gangs.
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