Attorney General Investigates Los Angeles Sheriff's Department

LOS ANGELES, CA — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Friday he is launching a civil rights investigation of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, which has been mired in allegations of criminal conduct by "deputy gangs," the fallout of controversial shootings and Sheriff Alex Villanueva's power struggles with the County Board of Supervisors. The nation's largest sheriff's department has been accused of stonewalling the Inspector General and resisting civilian oversight of police misconduct.

The investigation will seek to determine whether the department has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing. It comes atop a string of Inspector General and FBI investigations and lawsuits by deputies alleging a culture of police misconduct supported by deputy gangs and overlooked by department leadership. Community leaders had called for the attorney general to get involved after Villanueva defied a subpoena to testify before the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission about conditions in county jails.

“Because of the nature of the work involved in law enforcement, that duty of care is heightened. There are serious concerns and reports that accountability and adherence to legitimate policing practices have lapsed at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. We are undertaking this investigation to determine if LASD has violated the law or the rights of the people of Los Angeles County, ” Becerra said.

"Those of us in positions of public trust know that the job comes with the solemn obligation to be accountable to the people we serve," added Becerra, who will soon leave his post to serve in the Biden administration.

The investigation will involve interviews with deputies and members of the community. Becerra remained vague about many of the specifics of the investigation including details about whether it will delve into allegations that deputy gangs dominate certain stations, something the FBI is already looking into.

Villanueva said he welcomed the investigation.

"Our department may finally have an impartial, objective assessment of our operations, and recommendations on any areas we can improve our service to the community," he tweeted. "During my administration, we have routinely requested the State Office of the Attorney General to monitor our investigations, and we will provide immediate access to all information in our possession. We are eager to get this process started, in the interest of transparency and accountability."

Under the California Constitution and California Civil Code section 52.3, the AG is authorized to conduct civil investigations into whether a law enforcement agency has engaged in a pattern or practice of violating state or federal law.

As opposed to a criminal investigation into an individual incident or incidents, a pattern or practice investigation typically works to identify and, as appropriate, ultimately address potentially systemic violations of the constitutional rights of the community at large by a law enforcement agency.

With regards to LASD, the AG has made no determinations at this time about specific complaints or allegations or about the agency's policies and practices. Becerra said he "hopes" the department cooperates in the probe.

"We want to put word out to the public" for any useful, credible information that could be provided, Becerra said, adding that the probe is "very broad and wide-ranging."

Andres Kwon, policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, welcomed the announcement.

"We applaud the attorney general for answering the call by grassroots groups and the families of those killed by sheriff's deputies to launch an investigation into the pattern of unconstitutional policing by Sheriff Villanueva and the LASD," he said in a statement.

"The investigation should address past and ongoing misconduct, but more remains to be done. The L.A. Board of Supervisors must act to strengthen accountability and transparency of LASD for the future, including by seeking to amend the county charter to give the board the power to impeach and remove sheriffs who violate public trust, obstruct oversight and sanction unconstitutional policing," he said.

In an October letter urging an investigation, the ACLU SoCal, among other groups, contended that the sheriff's department under Villanueva, had sought to undermine "basic accountability and civilian oversight at every turn and systematically violating state transparency laws."

The AG's office asked anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact DOJ's Civil Rights Enforcement Section at Police- Practices@doj.ca.gov. DOJ attorneys and special agents will consider all relevant information, including from community members and organizations, local officials, oversight entities, the LASD and individual officers.

Last month, following an extensive investigation, Becerra secured an agreement to reform a wide range of practices at the Kern County Sheriff's Office. Last year, following significant misuse, he revoked access to CalGang records created by the Los Angeles Police Department.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.