Civilian Oversight Panel Adopts Recommendations to Eradicate Deputy Gangs

Los Angeles – The Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission March 3 approved the Special Counsel’s Report on Deputy Gangs and adopted all 27 recommendations. The report and recommendations will be sent to Sheriff Robert Luna, with the commission’s strong recommendation that he adopt, implement, and enforce the recommendations with all deliberate speed. The report will also be sent to the Board of Supervisors to fulfill their September 2021 directive to review reports, solicit public input, and develop an implementation plan to address the issue of deputy gangs.

This report was the product of an investigation into deputy gangs, led by special counsel Bert Diexler and a team of pro bono attorneys. To support the investigation, the commission hosted eight special hearings that included witness testimony and public comments. The special counsel’s team also interviewed nearly eighty anonymous witnesses.

At today’s special hearing, Special Counsel Bert Diexler presented the report, which included findings that:

• Confirmed the existence of deputy gangs and provided an overview;
• Identified the current gangs and illustrated the impact these gangs have on the community and the Sheriff’s Department;
• Listed the obstacles to eradicating deputy gangs and confirmed that eliminating gangs is constitutionally permissible; and
• Provided 27 recommendations to eradicate deputy gangs, which fell under the categories of leadership and supervision, policies and training, re-deployments and rotations, and accountability.

The special counsel will also be working on a supplemental report to include additional and continued feedback from the community.