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OIG review reveals deputy misconduct

by City News Service • July 23, 2019

LOS ANGELES – Deputies found to have assaulted their wives and driven under the influence at more than 100 miles per hour are among those who remain employed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, according to a report discussed with the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Inspector General Max Huntsman mentioned the report almost in passing as he faulted the department, led by Sheriff Alex Villanueva, of stonewalling his agency’s requests for information.

“After the department received a draft of a report on the cutting in half of newly opened internal affairs cases, we were point blank refused a list of open internal investigations,” Huntsman told the board.

The final OIG report, released Monday, found that during the first five months of this year, the department has initiated fewer disciplinary investigations by far than for any similar period over the last 10 years.

Attachments to the report detail the specifics behind various investigations and show that the department imposed lighter consequences than originally warned for 20 employees, not all of whom are deputies, during March, April and May.

In November, before Villanueva was sworn in as the new sheriff, the department served an unidentified deputy with a letter of intent to discharge him for threatening his wife, assaulting her in front of their child, and choking his wife to the point of unconsciousness and then lying to investigators about the assault, according to the report.

The District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case but declined to file charges.

The deputy had been previously disciplined in four other cases and suspended for a total of 23 days, including for unreasonable force against an inmate.

In March, after a “Skelly” hearing allowing the deputy to respond to the accusations, the department agreed to remove the violations related to lying and child endangerment, but maintained two family violence violations and the deputy was suspended for 25 days rather than terminated. If he is arrested for family violence anytime within the next three years, he can be fired without appeal.

Many of the other disciplinary cases relate to less egregious behavior, such as bringing in food from an inmate’s family and not checking it for contraband, using a county vehicle for unofficial purposes, or failing to report the use of minor force.

However, in another case, a deputy was served with a letter of intent to discharge after being arrested for driving at more than 100 miles per hour while under the influence of alcohol. The deputy, who had been previously disciplined three times and suspended for a total of 32 days, was criminally convicted of misdemeanor DUI. After his Skelly hearing, he was suspended for 30 days rather than terminated, with an agreement that he would be randomly tested for alcohol and could be discharged without appeal if he violated department policy in an incident involving alcohol.

During this same March-May time period, at least seven employees were terminated. They include:

— a civilian employee accused of falsifying overtime records;

— a security officer accused of fraternizing with a gang member;

— a deputy who was convicted in Nevada of felony domestic violence and sentenced to 30 months in prison;

— a deputy accused of failing to properly investigate a crime, falsifying records and lying to an internal affairs investigator.

— a civilian employee accused of using methamphetamine while off-duty and associating with an inmate;

— a deputy accused of lying to his supervisor about a traffic collision; and

— a deputy accused of driving an all-terrain vehicle while under the influence of alcohol who had previously been suspended for a total of 40 days for other violations.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Home, Politics

5 comments for "OIG review reveals deputy misconduct"

  1. Scared to death by Golfers and police relatives says

    July 27, 2019 at 12:48 am

    Do they live in the AV Country Club because for over 8 years I had a neighbor sheriff breaking in my home threatening my and my siblings life. I’ve written headquarters. Not all police are bad but in the AV Country club they break in homes without warrants and threaten lives for neighbors who own the country club my 8 year fear

  2. Alexis says

    July 24, 2019 at 10:16 am

    The impunity enjoyed by law enforcement. Assaulting and threatening their wives…Driving under the influence…Engaging in human trafficking….Pedophilia…Gang activity…Falsifying records…Endangering children, and much more.

    • AV Illegal says

      July 28, 2019 at 9:35 am

      Just like the rest of humanity. Everywhere you look this stuff goes on. With over 11,000 in a Department, I am surprised you don’t see it more. The hiring standards since Baca came into town went downhill.

      The news is full of incidents with “regular” people doing the same or worse (drunk Palmdale administrator, LLA husband murdering his wife, kids getting beat to death to name a few).

      It is the higher standard that everyone expects that gets tarnished by a small percentage.

  3. investigate them all says

    July 24, 2019 at 9:43 am

    this investigation doesn’t include those that are out on disability or early retirement due to injury either. I know someone that got early retirement for an injury and that person is now a prescription drug addict that has been involved in numerous vehicle accidents but always seems to walk away. a friend has also benefitted after being arrested for DUI. but…joe blow citizen would spend time in jail, pay thousands of dollars, and have to attend meetings, and classes, etc. etc.

  4. LACSD News Update says

    July 24, 2019 at 2:05 am

    One Badge. Unlimited Possibilities.

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