LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to study cliques of tattooed sheriff’s deputies implicated in problems ranging from violence against jail inmates to harassing fellow members of the department.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended the study, citing legal claims filed last week by a group of young Latino deputies from the sheriff’s East Los Angeles Station who say they were terrorized by members of the “Banditos.”
“The public deserves to be served by law enforcement that they trust. However, unprofessional, threatening and dangerous behavior by a small minority of sheriff’s deputies violates that trust,” Solis said.
“We must move quickly and expeditiously to change a culture that allows secret cliques of sheriff’s deputies to flourish — so that these cliques can be eliminated once and for all.”
The claims allege that the Banditos target young Latino patrol deputies, overloading them with calls and not providing needed backup. On Sept. 28, following a department party, the Banditos allegedly surrounded and attacked young deputies in a parking lot as other members of the department stood by, according to the claims.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva told the board the incident is under investigation, but the case will ultimately be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
Villanueva did not mention that the lawsuit alleged he attended the Sept. 28 department party. The claim says Villanueva left the party before the attack in which one new recruit was allegedly punched in the face, “choked out” and nearly strangled by his colleagues, while another was “sucker punched” and knocked unconscious.
There have been complaints for years about cliques or gangs within the Sheriff’s Department — one called the “Little Devils” was active as far back as 1971 — and a watchdog panel called for their elimination in 1992.
The Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence reported on cliques that ran the sheriff’s Century Station as a fiefdom and whose members refused to talk to internal affairs investigators and were accused of extorting other deputies.
The commission said clique members at Men’s Central Jail were “highly resistant to supervision, committed acts of open insubordination, and sought to intimidate, bully and undermine supervisors whose policies they did not like.”
The commission concluded that cliques likely contributed to a significant increase in the use of force against jail inmates.
A Lynwood Station clique called the “Vikings” was the subject of an excessive force lawsuit in the 1990s that cost the county $9 million to settle.
Members of the deputy gangs are identified by tattoos. The Banditos have tattoos of a skeleton with a sombrero, bandoleer and pistol.
Villanueva said tattoos are very common within the culture of law enforcement and the military and told the board that he cannot legally restrict deputies from getting tattoos.
“Every single station has a tattoo, a station logo and some type of tattoo. And so (do) most military units, fire departments, individual city police — it’s very common within the culture. The problem is not the tattoo or even the name,” but the behavior, Villanueva said.
Solis cut him off, saying that members earn their tattoos through induction rites that include force and hazing.
Solis pointed to a $1.5 million settlement paid to a female deputy who was sexually harassed and threatened by fellow deputies.
“She also said that after calling out the Banditos for their behavior, she was run off the road by another deputy and was slammed into a wall while holding a loaded shotgun and had a dead rat placed under her car,” Solis said.
Villanueva said when he was coming up in the department, cliques were benign.
“I never had a tattoo. I was never treated any differently,” Villanueva said. “This is something that’s more of a newer phenomenon …What happened today is an absolute failure of leadership.”
Asked what he’d done to change the current culture, Villanueva said he made the East Los Angeles Station a priority.
“The day I was sworn in, Dec. 3 … that was the very first act we did … was to change the leadership of East L.A. Station … because I no longer had faith in their leadership,” Villanueva said. “And it didn’t stop there.”
The new East Los Angeles unit commander has changed station management and is holding people accountable, according to Villanueva.
Villanueva said policies on hazing and treatment of subordinates are also being reviewed.
“We’ve taken every single affirmative step we can take at this time,” Villanueva said, including relieving deputies of duty pending potential criminal charges.
Villanueva said he was happy to cooperate with any study.
The board directed the Office of Inspector General, Civilian Oversight Commission and county counsel to conduct the study with input from deputy unions and community members.
A report back is expected in 90 days.
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Alby says
…”By a small minority of sherriff’s”? What a load of horse dung. More like a large majority. Alot of them are hot headed self righteous hard-ons that probably brag about how many cavity searches they’ve done. Did you all know that if you refuse to strip down in jail and squat so that they can check for drugs ect, they forcefully spread your legs open against your will and check anyways while throwing wise cracks. Is Villanova gonna investigate that as well or is he o.k. with these pig sniffers doing that? Maybe they need the banditos or whoever cops are actually scared of to return the favor to them, because God knows, if they ever do that to me again, I’ll probably kill myself and take some of these pervert pigs with me…. at least thats how they make me feel. Too bad I’m not brave enough, but I’m sure someone out there is and I just might be rooting for him/her. Villanova should investigate the Lancaster sherriff’s department. Alot of stupid idiots work there. They also have cliques going on with some sort of connection to the cliques at the twin towers jail in L.A. The Lancaster sherriff’s department is full of stupid low life idiots that deserve to be neutered and those working at the twin towers should get their legs spread open by force and get peppersprayed right in the [removed]. But even more so, they need the F.B.I. or a higher authority to breath down their necks and start charging Alot of them for sexual abuse. Too many perverts with badges and guns that kill people… I mean “stop” people (For the cops in denial that want to sleep good at night). Get knee and leg cramps while you all (most of you all) are having nightmares. “Small minority”? Haaaaaaaaa!!!
Willem says
Will they do a study on how Rex uses sheriffs deputies to follow, harass, and sometime arrest his enemies? #dgrajeda #dabber #lancasterpeople #rfloyd #ejorge #sp
QH Holdover says
Lancaster is a unsafe city due to City Council interference with our Sheriff Deputies, they just cannot stop playing big man on campus. The East side of Lancaster is left alone due to no elected officials residing in East Lancaster so even the Deputies stay away. I am afraid in my own neighborhood!!
Tammy says
I see deputies on the east side all the time.
QH Holdover says
Of course they do Rex I see them all the time [not].
Kathy says
Deputies are patrolling East Lancaster.
East Lancaster Resident says
Deputies have to patrol East Lancaster all the time because of all the crime. If Rex would pay any attention to East Lancaster instead of his BLVD and Eye in the Sky and smashing homeless camps, maybe things would get better for us. Rex doesn’t even live here anymore.
Alexis says
Two Eastside residents (QH Holdover & East Lancaster Resident), have two completely opposite comments. One says deputies patrol there all the time, and the other says there are no deputies. It must be, where on the Eastside you live, right.
QH Holdover says
Does anybody understand “Crime Rate” as a way to measure crime activity? I know our City has some of the highest numbers in North Los Angeles County. Lancaster Eastside needs more attention from our City officials as we deserve the same as the Westside.
Turd Ferguson says
Crime went up almost 10% in Lancaster last year.Crime went up almost 10% last year in Lancaster.How can this be?Hiw can this be?We have LEAPS.We have LEAPS.It is a Sentinel in the Sky.It is a Sentinel in the Sky.Rex told us so.Rex told us so.$90,000.00 a month for LEAPS. $90,000.00 a month for LEAPS.Waste of tax payer dollars.Waste of tax payer dollars.$1, 080,000.00 a year for ten years.$1,080,000.00 a year for ten years.that is $10,800,000.00.That is $10,800,000.00.For Rex’s political pal Frank.For Rex’s political pal Frank.No to LEAPS.No to LEAPS.Yes to more Sheriff’s.Yes to more Sheriff’s.More boots on the ground.More boots on the ground.No to LEAPS.No to LEAPS.
QH Holdover says
I have to wonder if there is a councilperson that actually knows what is happening on Lancaster’s Eastside without being fed information first. We need an elected voice to bring the same dollars to the Eastside Lancaster that the Blvd. and Westside enjoy.
Kathy says
There are some very nice homes on the eastside.
QH Holdover says
I use to have one of the nicest homes on Lancaster’s Eastside and the crime rate was so bad I sold it at a loss. There is a lack of resources for the Eastside and its like the City Council has given up. Who speaks for us when I read in the local paper about 16.4 million dollars being spent everywhere but the Eastside. Oh yea they are spending money on the soccer complex that was vandalized. That is it! Eastside Lancaster is not a part of Lancaster proper and we have no voice.
Terror Force says
“Sheriff Alex Villanueva told the board the incident is under investigation…”
Don’t expect anything to be done now or in the near future.
Rosie says
Yep they are all dirty and set people up they are truest a gang and the watch commander no different all very bad. I have a parent who they broke into her house they were gang stalking her. I have videos of it! Also the person this same LE sheriff department “set up” their witness ended up dead… here is another story https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-sheriff-brady-list-20171208-htmlstory.html
AV supporter says
Oh my God I read the article to the link you posted I cannot believe they do the stuff they do and get away with it thank you for posting the link it open me up to a whole world of things I did not know
Tom says
In the Marines we had a term we used when some on cried about practices we had, or our unsafe training methods. Mothers of America. Military, and law enforcement is a job you literally at some point may have to put your life in someone else’s hands. Our hazing was a mental tool used to not only test but give that new member a feeling he earned trust and that at all times he will have the help and support he will ever need. Boot camp and law enforcement training is made so that 90% of the people pass, but the real test is once your down range, and how you handle the stress. Civilians will never understand yet they are the ones making changes in these organizations that are put in place with the responsibility to protect our great nation, and it’s people at all cost. There are limits to hazing, yet the enemy has no limits. A little physical, mental testing is better than torture or death from the enemy. People today no longer feel they should work for anything, they just want, and expect.
Be equal says
No one asked you to join the military that was your decision you did on your own a US citizen is not your enemy you need to get mentally tested because I don’t think you realize that you’re back on us soil you probably pulled over people and illegally searched them illegally detained them in Afghanistan and Iraq but over here we have rights and it’s people like you with your attitude that the police department hire and that’s why it will always be a problem within the police department
Alexis says
It is more than a small minority.
jabroni says
Well what do you expect when they run all the Sheriffs through LA County Jail before they hit the street..I’m surprised they don’t all come out gang bangers claiming the 13
AV supporter says
if they treat their own like that imagine how they treat inmates and average citizens on the street the sheriff is actually the biggest gang there is even the good ones aren’t good because they do nothing about the ones that are bad
The Man says
And the good cops, are being taught how to act like thugs by the bad cops and then they become just like them.