LOS ANGELES — Area residents can share their knowledge of corrupt sheriff deputies as part of a new outreach initiative sponsored by the county sheriff’s department.
The department is seeking public input about deputy gangs through a brief online survey that asks residents to share their experiences with deputies they believe are gang members. The survey, launched by the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, accepts responses through July 15.
The Commission will use responses to develop qualitative data about deputy gangs in response to a 2023 Board of Supervisors directive. The survey also aims to determine whether the Sheriff’s Department has been responsive to community complaints about deputy gangs.
“Deputy gangs and cliques have existed within the LASD for decades,” the Commission stated in announcing the survey.
Deputy gangs are groups that engage in violations of law, excessive uses of force and threats to the public and fellow department personnel. Deputy cliques include deputy gangs and other exclusionary subgroups that could impact the department’s mission and personnel morale, even when their activities don’t violate specific laws.
The Commission developed 27 recommendations to eradicate deputy gangs and cliques in February 2023. The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted these recommendations in March 2023 and requested Sheriff Robert Luna review, adopt and implement them.
Luna provided his department’s latest self-assessment in February. The Commission has been tracking the Sheriff’s progress using report cards, most recently in April.
The Commission was created by the Board in 2016 to provide independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Department, investigate and analyze its policies, practices and procedures, and make recommendations to the Board, the Sheriff and the public.
The oversight body’s work is designed to help improve the department’s transparency and accountability to L.A. County residents and provide opportunities for community engagement. The Commission operates independently from the Sheriff’s Department and reports directly to the Board of Supervisors.
The survey comes as the department continues to face scrutiny over deputy gang activity that has persisted for decades. These groups have been linked to patterns of misconduct and excessive force allegations throughout various Sheriff’s Department stations and units.
Community members who have had interactions with deputies they suspect are gang members are encouraged to participate in the survey, which asks about specific encounters and experiences. The Commission emphasized that all responses will be used to assess the department’s progress in addressing deputy gang issues and improving accountability measures.
The survey can be accessed at bit.ly/Survey-Deputy-Gangs and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Participants can submit their responses anonymously, and the Commission will compile the data to inform future oversight recommendations and policy changes.
