The Antelope Valley Times

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Sheriff’s Dept. suspends controversial enforcement team’s operations

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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has suspended the operations of a highway enforcement team that stopped thousands of innocent Latino drivers in search of drugs on the 5 Freeway, prompting allegations of racial profiling, it was reported Friday.

The county inspector general had launched an investigation into the activities of the Domestic Highway Enforcement Team. The probe followed a report in the Los Angeles Times that almost 70 percent of drivers stopped from 2012 through last year were Latino and that two-thirds of them had their vehicles searched — a rate far higher than motorists of other racial and ethnic groups.

County Supervisor Hilda Solis asked the inspector general and the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to conduct the review of the enforcement team.

According to The Times, a day before the team’s operations were halted, Inspector General Max Huntsman reported to oversight commission members that the unit was not properly supervised and had violated drivers’ rights.

Deputies on the team have denied racial profiling and insisted that they base their stops only on a person’s driving and other impartial factors and former Sheriff Jim McDonnell has said he was proud of the team’s work, which included confiscating 3,500 pounds of drugs and rescuing six victims of human trafficking.

McDonnell was ousted in the Nov. 6 election by retired sheriff’s Lt. Alex Villanueva, sworn in earlier this week, but the decision to suspend the unit’s operations was made on Nov. 16, while McDonnell was still in office, department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida told The Times, which first reported the decision to halt the unit’s activities.

Nishida told The Times that data on the team’s work was being gathered and would be evaluated prior to any decision on resuming operations.

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Filed Under: Politics

44 comments for "Sheriff’s Dept. suspends controversial enforcement team’s operations"

  2. Pots legal, high ranking officers choose not to abide by federal laws. Imagine what’s next. Hollywood stories of a purge just might happen one day. Thats why California has implemented the new bullet law they know something.

    • The funny part of your response is that this article actually IS about “high ranking officers choosing not to abide by federal laws” and getting caught at it. But no doubt what you mean isn’t what is described here, but your usual false rant about cooperation with immigration enforcers.

  3. You didn’t get my point at all. What I meant was if the Sheriff was killed by an illegal alien or one of his family members were then they would change their minds about illegal immigration. I never made a threat. I’m a total supporter of the Sheriff department. Liberals are sooooooo stupid!!!! I WAS TALKING ABOUT CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS,!!!!!!

      • Non Whites should be privilege they get to live in a White wealthy country that has food, running water, and electricity. Think living in a mud hut in Sudan starving, would be better?

        • I am grateful to have brothers and sisters that are different skin colors. By the way, Ron, America is not white.

        • Am i the only one that thinks that the term “white privilege” was invented by insecure brown people? It’s like they feel they are waiting in a long line to shine out or get attention and are being held back by the politics of color in there own minds. Now if you will excuse me, i need to vommit.

        • America has the most FREEDOM and prosperity. We have the highest standard of living and one of the best places to live in the world. Non Whites should be glad you’re not living in a 3rd world country. You should be glad Whitey made it Wealthy and strong.

          • Whitey? You are lost, Ron. Anxious, insecure, self-righteous, ignorant Ron. You have the FREEDOM to have this mind-set.

          • Actually Ron, several parts of your statement are incorrect.
            We do not have the most Freedom, as we actually have more laws than many other countries, some for the silliest of things.
            Prosperity wise, we are up there, but not as high as you would think. Plenty of impartial research out there to look at. We are one of the highest in-debt nations around.
            We are far from the highest living standard, Scandanavian countries kick our butt. Dying here is way too easy due to lax enforcement of the many many laws, and a populace that loves to drink and drive, ignore traffic laws, fire guns without thinking what is behind the target, etc.
            We may not be perfect but it is home and only we, ALL of the people living here, can change it for the better.

          • No matter where Ron goes, he’ll be miserable and complaining about something. He’s had a lot of practice.

            Remember that saying “He’d complain if he were hanged with a new rope.” That’s aour Ron.

            Don’t ever change, Ron. You serve some kind of purpose on earth whatever it is and then you die. Your headstone will read “I didn’t want a satin pillow. I wanted a My Pillow.”

            Better yet, it should contain all the comments you’ve written here so people will know who you were in your own words.

          • Oh, Ron. Three black female mathematicians who sent astronauts to space. Go see the wonderful movie “Hidden Figures.” Or read about these amazing women. I could tell you about more amazing people, but you are imprisoned in your own mind.

          • Here are more for you, Ron. NASA’s African American astronauts: Dr. Ronald McNair, Guy Bluford, Fred Gregory, Charles Bolden, Mae Jemison, Bernard A. Harris Jr., Winston Scott, Robert Curbeam, Michael P. Anderson, Alvin Drew, and more.

          • I have something better for you Ron. More than fifteen African Americans astronauts journeyed into space.

          • All Ron would have to do it type in Africa space program to see many options to choose from.
            But I am sure he will argue he meant building the lifting body from dirt and sticks since they all live in huts. Which in itself is easy to disprove by going to Google Earth and looking at the towns and villages filled with modern homes.
            But hey, Ron is actually just a troll baiting others into making comments. He does not believe most of what he puts on this site or other sites frequented.

    • Then support him, Ron! Stop talking about whether the Sheriff or one of his family members could be killed! Your obsession with his death or one of his family members is frankly very much of a concern. He is the new Sheriff, so stop whining. If you took the time to read his full biography, which appears to be of no concern to you, you would see what an amazing, qualified person he is.

  4. TRUMPS CRIMINAL PARTY GOT WIPED OUT IN CALIFORNIA AND IN THE USA , CANT WAIT TILL HIM AND HIS TREASONOUS FAMILY GET SENT TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR SEVERAL YEARS GOD BLESS MUELLER AND ALSO VILLANUEVA

    • Just reported your comment to LASD Inrvestigators this is a serious threat against our Law Enforcement you will be contacted for sure.

      • What threat was made? He simply stating that if the sheriff were killed by an illegal, the policy would change. You know that, you are just being silly. LASD will do nothing, they think you are an idiot.

      • Dude What the F are you talking ABOUT? NOBODY made a threat. Are you RETARDED? I was pointing out this Sheriff is so pro illegal that if he were to be shot by an illegal these Liberals would change their minds about illegal immigration. You didn’t get my point at all.

        • You didn’t say “shot,” you said “killed.” Anyway, a radical like you could perpetrate this violence against Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and try to pin it on an undocumented immigrant. Yes, it has happened before. People like you that have hate in your heart justify violence to try changing the course of matters.

  6. THIS IS THE REASON JIM TRUMP SUPPORTER MCDONELL LOST HIS SHERIFFS SEAT TO VIILANUEVA YOU CANT DO THIS IN CALIFORNIA AND GET AWAY WITH IT THIS IS DEMOCRAT COUNTRY MOST OF HIS TOP PERSONEL GOT FIRED ASAP DAY 1

    • No, he lost because the incoming Sheriff told all the fine people of LA County he was going to throw ICE out of the stations and not cooperate in any way with immigration.

  7. According to this article, the operation started in 2012. Lee Baca was running the LACSD.

      • A low blow and totally inappropriate going after her in your knee-jerk reactions due to terminal Trump Derangement Syndrome.

        She’s a legal citizen now. Have you no honor or decency?

        When Barak Hussein Obama was elected, I was heartbroken, but I still wished him (and America) success. You haters have no class or patriotism at all. Despicable.

        • trumpist #1

          Don’t call anyone who criticizies trump & co. a hater ever again.

          Who was leading chants of “Lock her up?” at trump rallies. Did you smile upon hearing those words? You hateful trumpsters give hypocrisy a bad name.

          Who calls journalists “Enemies of the people”?

          Remember what trumpsters called Hillary and Michelle Obama? Of course you don’t.

          The list is endless of the lies, ugliness and hate emanating from this White House and supporters of trump.

          As for the “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. It’s trump who is deranged. Did ya see his Oval Office meeting with Minority Leader Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer along with an almost life-like mute mannequin that looked like Pence? That grandma owned trump who could only interrupt and repeat “Ze wall. Ze wall.” My apologies to Fantasy Island.

          Keep up your nonsense and I’ll be here to call you out on it.

  9. Good job LASD. Now more drugs will flow freely to and from Bakersfield because a few people cried, and drug runners know the 5 is safe now. Racial profiling works and as a hispanic man I say it should be a tool cops should use. If you don’t want to be stopped then stop imitating hommies and find your true style and self. If not then expect to get jumped by real hommies, and stopped and searched by cops.

    • Yeah but your probably Salvadorean o Honduran cause you sound like a Ms13 Gang Member with that Hommie Talk

  10. Does Alex Villanueva have stock in coffee shops, now that he has all these idle officers sitting around, not doing what they were trained to do…stop criminals