Family members of those killed by sheriff’s deputies in Los Angeles County have demanded change at a town hall meeting hosted by the Civilian Oversight Commission. They criticised the department following the deaths of their loved ones and highlighted the threat posed by the so-called gangs, groups of violent deputies, who operate in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A recent Loyola Marymount University report found that the department had 18 such groups, including the Executioners, the Reapers and the Little Devils. The meeting also heard allegations of harassment of the families of those killed by deputies. Some speakers questioned whether change was possible and called for community action. The East LA station has been identified as an anaomly, with recent lawsuits and reports linking it to deputy “cliques”, including the Banditos. A report by the Civilian Oversight Commission’s special counsel, released earlier this year, made over two dozen recommendations for eradicating deputy “gangs”, including firing captains who won’t support anti-gang policies, requiring deputies to hide any gang-related tattoos at work, notifying prosecutors whenever a gang-involved deputy is set to testify as a witness in court, and holding community meetings. Sheriff Robert Luna has publicly said that he wants to end the deputy “gangs”, but has yet to formally accept the report’s recommendations.
Source link
#Grieving #families #air #concerns #town #hall #deputy #gangs
