LOS ANGELES—Witnesses testified May 24 that so-called “deputy gangs” are still active in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) during an LA County Civilian Oversight Commission special hearing May 24. But LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva quickly condemned the proceeding as “wildly unconstitutional and bizarre theatrics.”
The special hearing opened with witness testimony alleging that deputies have formed gangs that set up “work slowdowns,” or interruptions in the workflow, by not answering calls in a timely manner, among other things, to discipline colleagues who fail to fall in line.
The commission announced a full-out investigation of the deputy gangs earlier this year, although there were no judges present during Tuesday’s hearing. Villanueva was invited to the hearing, but he was not in attendance….