The Antelope Valley Times

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Sheriff’s Department, DOJ settle AV civil rights case

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Leaders from various local civil rights groups held a press conference July 2, 2013 to discuss the two-year investigation by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division which alleged discriminatory policing and racial bias in the Antelope Valley. [File image]
Leaders from various local civil rights groups held a press conference July 2, 2013 to discuss the two-year investigation by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division which alleged discriminatory policing and racial bias in the Antelope Valley. [File image]
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to pay out $725,000 in victims’ compensation and civil penalties in a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over allegations that sheriff’s officials systematically targeted racial minorities in the Antelope Valley.

The board’s closed session vote was 4-1 — with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas dissenting.

Under the legal agreement, the Sheriff’s Department does not admit or agree with the DOJ’s findings, but Sheriff Jim McDonnell said the settlement would allow his department to build on progress it has already made as it “seek(s) to strengthen the bonds of trust with the community we serve in the Antelope Valley.”

The agreement requires the department to provide “bias-free policing” and to train its deputies on stops, searches and detention so that they do not make arbitrary searches and only make stops warranted by “reasonable suspicion.” That suspicion cannot be based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or perceived immigration status.

The Justice Department initially had demanded that the county and cities of Lancaster and Palmdale pay $12.5 million to residents whose rights were violated.

The final settlement calls for $700,000 to be placed into a settlement fund for victims of discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Another $25,000 must be paid to the federal government as a civil penalty.

Federal officials accused the county and the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale in 2013, after a two-year investigation, of waging a campaign of discrimination against black residents, particularly those living in low-income subsidized housing.

Federal officials said some sheriff’s personnel in the Antelope Valley had engaged in a “pattern or practice of stops, searches and seizures and excessive force in violation of the Constitution and federal law.”

Investigators also found discrimination against African-Americans in violation of the Fair Housing Act. That discrimination often took the form of teams of armed sheriff’s deputies accompanying county housing agency investigators on surprise inspections of Section 8 housing, looking for violations of housing rules.

Tenants told stories of being intimidated by as many as 10 armed deputies and Public Counsel said the crackdown created a climate of fear and hostility. Some officials at the time argued the compliance checks were needed to root out abuses in the program.

In 2012, the county settled a suit brought by the NAACP and other civil rights organizations charging discrimination against residents of federally subsidized housing. Under that earlier settlement, the Sheriff’s Department put a moratorium on “enhanced investigation agreements” with Palmdale and Lancaster and vowed to retrain deputies on the rights of Section 8 tenants.

McDonnell said in a prepared statement that his department has already implemented a third of the approximately 150 requirements under the new DOJ agreement.

“While much more work is ahead of us, this agreement highlights the positive strides the committed men and women of this department have already made on so many fronts — including training in regard to constitutional law and racial profiling awareness, practices related to Section 8 housing compliance checks and policies regarding traffic stops, arrests and detentions,” McDonnell said.

Other requirements under the DOJ settlement mandate community engagement and outreach efforts, including informing residents of their right to refuse searches.

The Sheriff’s Department must also ensure that investigations by housing authorities are not being used “to harass residents in their homes or motivate residents to relocate.”

The 57-page agreement also directs the department to revise its use-of-force policies to clarify that deputies can use force only as a last resort and not against individuals “who may be exhibiting resistive behavior, but who are under control and do not pose a threat to the public safety, themselves, or to other deputies.” [Read the settlement agreement here.]

Deputies will also be prohibited from threatening or intimidating anyone who is taking photos or video of police activities.

“We are confident that this settlement represents a commitment by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to respect the rights of residents and promote mutual confidence between law enforcement and the community,” said Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division.

“This agreement puts in place a structure that will foster lawful, bias-free policing in the Antelope Valley, and ensures compensation for persons charmed by past unlawful conduct.

“We look forward to continuing our positive partnership with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to implement the terms of this settlement agreement and to help restore the community’s confidence in fair, equitable, and effective law enforcement.”

[Information via City News Service.]

Previous related story: Civil rights leaders react to DOJ findings, call for citizens review board

44 comments for "Sheriff’s Department, DOJ settle AV civil rights case"

  1. The only people screwed are the good people, Deputies are tired of getting screwed ,, so guess what? They aren’t gonna look for drugs and guns and will just wait till you call 911 for help. Then drive the speed limit to come help you. You people whine when they speed, cry when they take crooks to jail and created a fake sense of Racism all due to the fact L.A. Flushed the toilet and the crap washed up in Palmdale/Lancaster. The good people will eventually stand up and want the crooks to go to jail again. Until then enjoy the high crime rate

    • We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; …

      thats from the Declaration of Independence. “inalienable” some say God given and as such they are the rights of ALL men.

      from the 4th amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America….”That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

      In your hatred your anger and your racism…for one another, you have ALL lost sight of what truly matters …..OUR FREEDOM.

      it was not black men, brown men, yellow men, red men or even white men who determined that the LASD was guilty of discrimination and violations of our civil and constitutional rights….it was the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT of MEN…

      before you speak in ignorance, arm yourself w the truth…READ the complaint filed w the UNITED STATES Dept of JUSTICE. in the entire process this is the ONLY place for speculation or doubt, then read the FINDINGS because thats where the real truth is. then what you do is READ the “plea bargain deal”…the SETTLEMENT

      in the FINDINGS it is the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT who declares (after a 2 year public investigation) that the LASD IS GUILTY. when when you read the FINDINGS you begin to understand how vicious cruel and hate filled their violations truly are. realize what their guilt is before you blindly defend them. then think about what you would do if these heinous actions WERE DIRECTED AT YOU …or your families? think about it…WARRANTLESS heavily armed assaults on homes where the main benefit was for children to live in decent housing where we promise them safety, the excessive force, the beatings of handcuffed persons who were defenseless – then there’s the detentions without probable cause. imagine if YOU were pulled over only to be interrogated by an authoritarian figure w a weapon who treated you w disdain and hatred provoking you and then depriving you of your “life liberty or pursuit of happiness” because thats is the truth about their crimes. if we want to address a question why are we not asking ourselves, “was this racism or orders”??

      im an American of Mexican ancestry my family was here befor Ca Az NM and TX were taken by act of war. i am old and i remember many historic events but what has stuck out most was watching a small black and white screen broadcasting horrific depictions of human beings assaulted by law enforcement with clubs water hoses tear gas and attack dogs…and all that hatred and racism was not only perpetrated by law enforcement BUT CONDONED BY LOCAL GOVT.

      i am a community and civil rights activist in my town of Lake Los Angeles and during a meeting (oct 2014) of the NON ELECTED LLA RURAL TOWN COUNCIL CORPORATION a high ranking LASD official, was questioned about the LASD policy of unlawful arrests of documented, card carrying, state registered MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS in LLA. his response was (from video file) “i dont understand the policy….i just carry out my orders”, and when further pressed to disclose the official who established this “order” the entire proceedings were halted.

      in my heart i dont believe its possible to gather up over 400 racist cops after they have made sworn oath to uphold the law; family men who realize that someday their sons and daughters will bring home to them additions to their families, loved ones, not caring about color or nationality – loved ones who they choose freely reflecting the values and morals they have been taught in the homes of their law enforcement parents. thus my point here is simple. SOMEONE IN EITHER OUR CITY OR COUNTY GOVT GAVE THE ORDER TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR HERE IN THE AV.

      I CHALLENGE ANYONE WHO READS THIS AND CARES ABOUT OUR WAY OF LIFE IN THE DESERT TO ASK …WHO????

      g. hernandez LLA

      • Yes Mr Hernandez, those orders were given, and yes, it is the responsibility of voters in Lancaster to get rid of their city government full of racism and cronyism and corruption.

        However.

        The faithful deputies of the LACSD didn’t say “hey, whoa, this isn’t right.” Their response was “Oh boy! Home invasions! Gear up and let’s have some fun!” Whether the DOJ can clean out that nest of vermin and leeches remains to be seen…but what can be counted on is that every thug with a badge that can’t handle being forced to respect the law instead of just running amok who quits will be welcomed with open arms by their “brothers in blue” somewhere…unless something changes.

        Like every other law enforcement organization in southern California the LACSD went grossly downhill, starting from not being all that good in the first place, when the thugs bailed out of the LAPD in the face of reforms. It would be wise to learn from this and just lock these scum out. But that would require police departments to put “protect and serve” ahead of “blue brotherhood”, and I think that is very unlikely.

  2. You have to admire him for always standing by his woman or man no matter if they are on his council and they make anti Muslim statements or one of his commissioners and they make homophobic and anti-Semitic comments. He himself sent out a racist hit mailer that called an African American United States veteran the “gang” candidate. He stands by his principles for sure.

  3. Cops are those people who just HAVE to be on the winning team even if the winning team is only winning through cheating. This is why they become government stormtroopers-they are guaranteed to win one way or another. The only good cop is a…

    • AVSUX you are an ass. Stop talking and move away. If you are ever robbed or in an accident do not call 911 take of it yourself. Funny how brave you are hiding behind your computer screen….

      • I have already moved from the Antelope Valley, but the time I spent there left such a terrible taste in my mouth that I always find a reason to bash AV any chance I get. I consider it my civic duty. The things I say aren’t the scared comments of somebody hiding behind a computer-I’m as genuine as you can find. And, I wouldn’t call a cop for anything. If the earth caught on fire tomorrow I wouldn’t call a cop. If I was robbed at gunpoint I wouldn’t call a cop. If I saw some hoodlum running out of a bank with a bag full of money I wouldn’t call a cop. The only good cop is a…

        • …available when you need them. There finished your sentence for you.

          If you do not live here, why troll? Leave your unhappy past behind and find real meaning to your existence. If you state you have then you have failed, miserably.

        • So glad you no longer live here. Find something else to do with your time. Maybe become a motivational speaker. Your awesome! Your a cop hater. Civic duty…your funny.

        • Why do people who move away from the Antelope Valley keep posting comments here?

          Yet, they never say exactly where they moved to.

          I once read a letter from someone who said he moved to some mid-western city and how wonderful it was. I Googled the crime stats for that wonderful city and they weren’t that great.

          If they are so happy in their new city, why bother continuing to complain about the AV? It’s like constantly complaining to you new spouse about your ex.

          I suspect that given time they’ll complain about their new place because wherever they go, they bring themselves along.

          • I actually enjoy bashing the utter lameness the Antelope Valley represents. Can one place be any lamer? AV is like the armpit of the armpit of the world. Living there left such a bad taste in my mouth that I’ll always find a reason to trash that sh!thole. I may start an anti-Antelope Valley blog just for fun and believe me I am not alone in my sentiments when it comes to loathing the AV.

          • So, AVSUV, where did you move to?

            Or, are you too big a chicken to tell us?

            Come on, be brave and tell what wonderful place you found that will have you? Hawaii? Aspen? San Quentin?

    • To be fair to law enforcement officers… They are not paid to lose.

      Try to keep that in mind when getting all judgmental.

  4. Have any of the folks in the photo above heard of a tailor?!?!

    That is a crime in of itself.

    • They’re not dressed well enough for you? Where do you come from? Obviously not the AV, because you’ll find few on the streets here dressed half as nice. Although if you go down to city hall on Fern, there’s lots of suits. Most look a couple sizes too small for the majority of our council members, but hey, even a tailor can’t cover that stomach of Crist! Guess Deputy Dog Smith is getting a big payoff for keeping his girlish figure. Rumor has it his snazzy dressing is getting him a new wife. Think the guys in the above pick are looking for new wives?

  5. To all you bigots. Idiots. That’s what you are. Why? Cops stopped, searched beat, and arrested my son for having his 6 hundred dollar Sony camera at school. (Eastside high). They did this in front of his mother a program manager for a big charity in the AV. I’ve been a counselor out here for 15 years out . We paid for the camera. What was he doing with a camera at school you say? He had a f-ing photography class

  6. Really please why should we pay with our tax payers money for people who just ride the system and get all for free some don’t even know or never had a job in there entire life just living of the government I say we should be able to have a voice and make some kind of law VOTE on it for next election. We support them so we should say who gets sec8 if you never worked no help get a job unless you are really sic or disabled if you do drugs no sec8 no help …people who deserve help should have earned it they should prove they worked for at least 10 years or depending on years worked then you get certain time of help but still get on your horse and look for work. To women ghetto trash that just have kids to get free housing no more if they have kids they should get a job only lil help to support the kid only limiting what they can buy only baby food that’s good help and find a job if you think you can have kids find the way to support them. ohhh wouldn’t it be nice if we had this law///

    • Mis-informed Cali. I would like to say that it’s apparent that there is a level of covert racism in the Antelope Valley, make no mistake about it. Those that have subsidize housing have been greatly affected and targeted by the sheriff department and our Mayor. You can NOT target individuals and their families because they are on government assistance NO matter how much you don’t like the system. The rule of section 8 is that you have a CHOICE of where to live. If its left up to you, you would want those individuals to live on the moon. There is more to the story that you have failed to investigate fully. There are ALOT of good and hard working individuals who are not just waiting on government hand outs. You should talk to those individuals and get to know them and perhaps your opinion may be different. Don’t let a few bad apples cast over the good apples.

      • It is not racism, just facts. This stop to searching section 8 housing is just a waste of tax payers money. When the people hat violate the system talk to lawyers, they have sob stories, and say they work hard. Families on section 8 should NOT be allowed to have felons in the house, drugs in the house, more people living off of my hard earned money for free in the house. If all of these offenders happen to be black, why is it racist? I don’t want to hear any racism cry’s on my dime. I have witnessed enough people casing my house when I leave for work and they stay home, I am sick of people calling different company’s and asking for the mangers name so they can fill out a form a if they are “attempting” to look for work, stop the excuses, the world is not to blame for your problems!

        • Not Truth!!! do YOU know this for a fact or what you heard. Never implied the WORLD is to blame for THE problem.

      • Sure i am one of those hard working individuals and i say why should i pay for them to be LAZY and live for free im not racsit but i think being fair and not taking advantage of the system is the way to go like i said if you erned that help ok but not for life have you seen the you men that are at Costco exit asking for money new come on please do you think they realy cant find a job or are they just lazy and dont want to work they are a few and take turns standing there i have seen them take turns. And im sure you feel so safe with all the well most 89% percent on sec 8 are just lazy thugs just looking to see what home to break in next so open your eyes wake up its reality and if we dont get all togheter is going to get worse. I read an article cant remember what state but they passed a law drug testing for sec 8 if they find drugs in you system out you go we need that here and i support law enforcemet to go and do raids if they suspect fraud or drug activities 100% why dont you take a few of those sec people to live free at you home you pay for everything nice person.

        • MY MAN is not standing in front of Costco asking for money. He works hard just like I do. My eyes are wide open…while yours is closed. You are one of many that represents why things are the way it is in the AV

          • Dint say your man it was suppose to say Young Men sorry but still i still say some need the help some don’t and just while they get back on there feet not for life i say one year or depending on situation. I seen people that drive better car than i do and they receive sec8 or other gov help that’s why they should ask and do more investigating on who really needs help. the new trend is with new couples lets not get married so we can both work and get welfare or as much help they can get I’ve seen it with my own eyes not fair that’s my taxes that go to cheating Fu++n people that don’t need help.

      • A few bad apples? Property crimes, burglary, have tripled in the whole A.V. in the last 5 years, from the influx of section 8!

    • @Cali Palmdale If you’re gripping about your tax dollars now, just wait until 2016, when your tax dollars are used to provide free housing and medical to all the illegal immigrants that are invading A.V and taking all the jobs…I hope I don’t see you in the unemployment line, or in line looking for some type of assistance….

  8. Really odd I was on those compliance teams as a deputy, all are compliance checks where generated by private citizens calling a county section 8 fraud hotline, just because 95% of the complaints involved black residents we are called” systematically attacking black residents” what a scam. We could careless really we just went to the address and guess what people in just about every case we found fraud. The system is broken. Entitlement programs are unchecked.

  10. So let’s see if I got this right! Housing Authority did compliance checks for fraud involving Section 8 . They were threatened and attacked at times. The began taking deputies to ensure their safety and low and behold, they were finding g the Majority were in violation and kicked off the program. 80% of section 8 are black so the got the ACLU to sue under the guise of racially profiling. Deputies didn’t pick the inspection sites nor did they remove anyone.

    Now the county has to set aside $700,000 tax dollars to pay the ones who violated/committed fraud and got caught. How does that even make sense?

  11. So this is why when I had two young black males knocking at my door a few months ago and they saw me peep through the blinds and one said to the other oh [removed] some one looked out the window .They walked away and used there phone to call someone I guess to tell them they cant rob this house cause someones home.I called the police cause almost every house on the street I live on have been robbed including mine in the past year.They said ok we will send someone out .It has been a few months and I am still waiting for at least a call back or the police to arrive and take a report.

    • They sent out LEAPS. They sent out LEAPS.
      LEAPS doesn’t illegally stop and detain minorities. LEAPS doesn’t illegally stop and detain minorities. LEAPS doesn’t conduct illegal Section 8 raids. LEAPS doesn’t conduct illegal Section 8 raids. LEAPS watched those students all the way back to school. LEAPS watched those students all the way back to school.
      LEAPS is so good It’s worth saying it twice. LEAPS is so good It’s worth saying it twice. FU Turd! :)

      • I love you John Howard.I love you John Howard.I know you know LEAPS is a joke.I know you know LEAPS is a joke.Because it is.Because it is.No to LEAPS.No to LEAPS.

  12. Hopefully, this will make our local sheriff deputies practice fair policing. Due to personal experience, some sheriff deputies abuse abuse their authority and it does bother me a lot. On the other side, there are sheriff deputies who are very polite and fair. I have a lot of respect those ones.

  14. Really? Closed door session voting on giving away more of our tax dollars to scammers? The county, state and federal agencies who have been dumping their trouble and trash in our valley are infringing on my civil rights to feel safe living and doing business in the AV…but apparently that is trumped by the rights of those in welfare and early prison release programs. It’s not ok and I’m sick of being ‘tolerant’ of this crapolla.

    • Congratulations @valleygirl! You are note qualified for the secret handshake! With this solemn oath of loyalty and morality, you are tasked with a nine to five,land taxes,outrageous healthcare costs(mandatory volunteer like the rest of us!),NON low cost car liability insurance,NO usage of vouchers for:food,gas,rent,cold cash,fast food … or … the greatest gift of all…the inability to claim English as a second language…but the necessity to speak fluent Spanish to obtain employment to cover those whom you are so happy to support! Dispensaries everywhere get good business on the first of the month…even if you can’t use the atm inside anymore!