
Los Angeles (KNX) - The new sheriff has been in town (proverbially speaking) and in office for 100 days. As he reflects on these early days, he remains focused on building public trust, "21st-century policing," and weeding out deputy gangs.
L.A. Sheriff Robert Luna told KNX In Depth, "I made it very clear, coming into this job, that if elected as sheriff, I would do everything I could to eradicate deputy gangs, cliques, whatever you wanna call them."
Luna believes the department is on the right path with a new plan he's calling the "Office of Constitutional Policing," lead by former US attorney Eileen Decker. Listen to the whole gameplan and more as Sheriff Robert Luna sits down with KNX In Depth to look back at his start as the county’s top law enforcement official.
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The Sheriff's story so far
To build public trust in his first 100 days, the Sheriff got to work immediately by taking steps to "correct fractured relationships" with other local officials, such as the LA Inspector General, board of supervisors, and county council.
Luna's goal is to continue implementing a style he calls "21st-century policing." To be effective in reducing crime and combating homelessness, he believes a department should look at its community as "a partner, not an adversary."
Sheriff Luna developed this novel vision for policing growing up in unincorporated East Los Angeles, where he witnessed examples of good and bad policing, which inspired him to become an officer, specifically in communities of color.
Luna is no stranger to protecting southern California, with decades of experience servicing the Long Beach police department, including seven years as chief from 2014-2021. During his time as Chief of Police, he served on multiple committees and received various awards for his civic leadership and community engagement across Long Beach.
Perhaps it is this combination of personal and professional experience that allowed Sheriff Luna to win over his opponent, former LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, by 22% in the 2022 election.
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