CC SR 20230321 K - Deployments and Rotations
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 03/21/2023
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding the Los Angeles County Sheriff
Department deployments and rotations.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to Supervisor Hahn opposing
Recommendation No. 1 under the Re-deployments and Rotations section of the
February 2023 Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission report
regarding deputy gangs and deputy cliques in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager
REVIEWED BY: Same as above
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Draft letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (page A-1)
B. Report and Recommendations of the Special Counsel to Sheriff Civilian
Oversight Commission Regarding Deputy Gangs and Deputy Cliques in the
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
C. Policy Alert from ALADS (page C-1)
BACKGROUND:
In 2021, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission (COC)
announced a full-scale investigation into “deputy gangs” and “cliques” within the Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Department) that have negatively impacted the
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RANCHO PALOS VERDES
Department, and many of the communities it serves, for 50 years. The COC called for an
investigation to take place to understand deputy gangs and cliques, their existence , and
if in fact, they impact the Department, its employees, and members of the public it serves.
By March 2022, the COC launched the investigation and onboarded a pro bono team of
Special Counsel and the Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law and Policy to
interview current and former members of the Department, review numerous documents,
court filings, deposition transcripts, public statements by Department representatives,
review body worn video cameras, published reports relating to prior investigations, and
numerous relevant media reports. The investigation resulted in seven public hearings and
conducted 80 witness interviews.
On February 27, 2023, the Report and Recommendations of the Special Counsel to
Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission Regarding Deputy Gangs and Deputy Cliques in
the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Attachment B) was published and posted
on the COC website.
The report found that deputy cliques that evolve into deputy gangs meet the definition of
a “law enforcement gang” in California Penal Code Section 13670.1 and have been in
existence in the Department since 1973. It further stated, “The COC Policy
recommendation prohibiting Joining and Participation in Deputy Cliques is constitutionally
permissible, and it is factually supported by the investigation and multiple interviews
conducted by the COC’s Special Counsel as well as the testimony given in the COC’s
public hearings. The COC urges Sheriff Luna to adopt a policy that prohibits deputies
from being members of Deputy Cliques and thereby ending Deputy Gangs.”
The investigation conducted by the Special Counsel on behalf of th e COC is addressed
in two parts: (1) factual findings, entitled “The Existence of Deputy Gangs and Cliques in
the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department ”; and (2) recommendations to rid the
Department of deputy gangs and cliques that fall under four headings:
A. Leadership and Supervision
B. Policy and Training
C. Re-deployments and Rotations
D. Accountability
The full Special Counsel’s report and recommendations are included in this report as
Attachment B.
On March 9, 2023, a representative from the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs
(ALADS) requested that cities send a letter to Chair Hahn of the Los Angeles County
Board of Supervisors regarding one recommendation provided in the Special Counsel’s
report to the COC. ALADS is the collective bargaining unit for non-supervisory peace
officer employees in Los Angeles County, including deputy sheriffs and district attorney
investigators.
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The recommendation falls under heading C: Re-deployments and Rotations,
Recommendation No. 1, which states, “The Sheriff should use his authority to re-deploy
and rotate deputies based upon the needs of the Department for the Department to
eliminate the formation and re-emergence of Deputy Gangs and Deputy Cliques.”
ALADS shared that this one recommendation could negatively impact our community, as
deputies working in our communities have vast experience and knowledge of public
safety issues that could be lost to mandatory rotations. ALADS believes the decision
should be left up to the Sheriff and his command staff about when and where transfers
may or may not be necessary (Attachment C).
At the request of the Public Safety Subcommittee, Staff has drafted a letter to Supervisor
Hahn for the City Council’s consideration this evening (Attachment A) requesting the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors consider allowing the Sheriff and his command
staff to determine when and where deployments and rotations may or may not be
necessary.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Rancho Palos Verdes contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department (LASD) for law enforcement services with the cities of Rollings Hills and
Rolling Hills Estates. The station is located in the City of Lomita. Oftentimes, Deputies are
deployed to the City are not familiar with the community. They are transfers from other
stations, such as Compton or Lakewood, who are filling in for overtime shifts or for
Deputies on leave (sick leave, vacation leave, etc.). However, the Peninsula cities have
a dedicated set of Community Oriented Response and Enforcement (CORE) deputies
that serve as community resource officers, providing education and awareness for
residents as dedicated community representatives. These CORE deputies are assigned
to the Peninsula to become acquainted with the community and businesses.
In February 2022, two long-standing CORE deputies retired from LASD. Their retirement
allowed for two new Deputies to be assigned. Although still learning the community, the
new CORE Deputies have become familiar with the Peninsula communities. If the
recommendation that the Sheriff alone should use his authority to re-deploy and rotate
deputies were adopted, it might result in the loss of continuity and familiarity in the CORE
deputies, as command staff is more familiar with the communities their stations serve.
Furthermore, there is a possibility that a Deputy may be assigned to the Peninsula that
does not want to be here and will instead wait to be dispatched rather than be proactive
and get acquainted with the community.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the letter, as drafted
or with revisions, to send to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
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ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for
the City Council’s consideration if pulled from the consent calendar:
1. Identify revised language to add to the letter.
2. Do not authorize the Mayor to sign the letter.
3. Take other action, as deemed appropriate.
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March 21, 2023 Via Email
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
SUBJECT: Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Deployments and Rotations
Dear Chair Hahn and members of the Board:
On behalf of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes residents and businesses, the City Council
greatly appreciates your work to improve public safety services. We also believe there is
value in the recent recommendations of the Sheriff's Civilian Oversight Committee (COC)
report.
The COC recommendations to rid the Department of deputy gangs and cliques fell under
four headings: Leadership/Supervision, Policy/Training, Assignments/Rotations, and
Accountability. We are, however, concerned that the recommendations to impose
rotations among patrol personnel could lead to a loss of experience and community
policing.
Involuntary transfers and work location rotations among patrol personnel may negatively
impact the continuity and delivery of policing services provided within the community they
serve. Additionally, we understand that thoroughly learning the intricacies of public safety
in our community requires at least two years for a deputy to learn the nuances and culture
of our unique community – something our City prides itself on.
The rotation of deputies may lead to a loss of Sheriff's personnel, such as the Community
Oriented Response and Enforcement (CORE) deputies we have worked so hard to bring
to our community. These deputies serve as community resource officers, providing
education and awareness for residents as dedicated community representatives .
A-1
CITY OF
BARBARA FERRARO, MAYOR
JOH N C RUll<S HAN I<, MAYOR PR O TE M
ERI C A LE GRI A, COUNC IL MEMBER
D AV ID BRA DL EY, COU NCILMEMBER
PAUL SEO, COUNC ILMEMBER
RANCHO PALOS VERDES
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
March 21, 2023
Page 2
Therefore, we support the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs' recommendation
for the Sheriff to use his authority and his command staff to redeploy and rotate deputies
based on the needs of the Department and for the Department to eliminate the formation
and re-emergence of deputy gangs and deputy cliques.
Thank you for your time and effort on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Barbara Ferraro
Mayor, City of Rancho Palos Verdes
cc: Rancho Palos Verdes City Council and City Manager
Michael A. White, Acting Captain, Lomita Station, LASD
Marcel Rodarte, California Contract Cities Association
Jeffrey Monical, Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs
A-2
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Karina Banales
To:CityClerk
Subject:FW: Policy Alert from ALADS
From: Ara Mihranian <AraM@rpvca.gov>
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2023 11:00 AM
To: Karina Banales <kbanales@rpvca.gov>
Subject: FW: Policy Alert from ALADS
This is what Eric and Dave would like to be added to the agenda.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jeffrey Monical <Jeffrey@lavell.net>
Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2023, 1:05 PM
Subject: Policy Alert from ALADS
To: Jeffrey Monical <Jeffrey@lavell.net>, Rudy Bermudez <rudybermudez@msn.com>, Andrew Mercy
<drew@agmstrategies.com>, Vanessa Ruiz <vanessa@lavell.net>
Friends,
In the Sheriff's Civilian Oversight Commission's report and recommendations released a few days ago, the
lawyers addressed the issue of deputy gangs. Many of the recommendations follow a course we've seen
before, but one of the recommendations could negatively impact your community.
We said we would notify you when something like this surfaced. Please see the recommendation, listed
below. You can find the full text on page 54 of the attached report.
Deputies working in your communities have vast experience and knowledge of your public safety issues that
would be lost on mandatory rotations. We believe the decision should be left up to the Sheriff and his
command staff about when and where transfers may or may not be necessary.
If you share our concerns, we urge you to contact your County Supervisor. Please send us a copy of your
communications and we will make sure to share the material with our members. If your Council adopts a
formal position, please send a copy of that as well.
We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to seeing you soon.
Jeffrey Monical
on behalf of ALADS
818 445 0114
C. RE-DEPLOYMENTS AND ROTATIONS
C-1
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1. The Sheriff should use his authority to re-deploy and rotate deputies based upon the needs of the
Department for the Department to eliminate the formation and re-emergence of Deputy Gangs and Deputy
Cliques.
C-2