Sheriff Alex Villanueva Thursday announced a crackdown potentially involving the suspension or firing of more than two dozen deputies.
Staff
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announces On August 13, 2020, 26 department employees will receive letters of intent to suspend or terminate as a result of their involvement in a fight between deputies that occurred in September of 2018 at Kennedy Hall in East Los Angeles.
Following that incident, allegations arose about a deputy clique within the Department at the East Los Angeles patrol station of a subgroup known as the “Bandidos.”
Sheriff Villanueva re-emphasized his zero-tolerance stance on this very important issue for both the Department and the community.
For the first time in the Department’s history and at the direction of Sheriff Alex Villanueva, LASD has implemented a policy that addresses misconduct by cliques and subgroups, allowing the Department to take administrative action against employees who engage in this type of behavior.
LASD Chief Matthew Burson, who oversees Professional Standards Division, announced the Department’s newly enacted deputy clique policy that holds deputies to a higher standard as it relates to misconduct by deputy cliques and/or subgroups.
Chief Burson explained that if a deputy violated department policy the corrective actions will range from suspensions to termination of employment.
Finally, Commander April Tardy, who oversees LASD’s Central Patrol Division, outlined the administrative investigation process and how these numerous investigations are also reviewed by outside agencies including the District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Inspector General.
Sheriff Villanueva said, “After 20 months in office, we have taken the legal and procedural steps necessary to ensure that we are holding our employees accountable to the rule of law, as I will not tolerate any group of employees who mistreats any member of the community or another member of the Department.”
