A new policy aimed at outlawing deputy gangs inside the department has been revealed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Agency (LASD). County authorities have been concerned about this long-standing issue for many years.
The “Prohibition – Law Enforcement Gangs and Hate Groups” policy, which was presented on Wednesday, forbids deputies from becoming involved in law enforcement gangs or from pushing others to join them. It is said that this issue has been plaguing the department for more than 50 years.
Deputy Gangs Over the Years
County officials have identified 19 deputy gangs over the years, indicating that these gangs have a long history within the agency, according to investigations into their existence. Since the early 1990s, these gangs have been connected to at least 59 court cases that have resulted in settlement payments totaling more than $54 million for occurrences involving these purported criminal groups inside the LASD.
According to the new policy, the agency will investigate claims that these groups exist and specify how to call for possible prosecution. Targeting a systematic problem that has undermined public trust for decades is a significant step forward for the LASD. The state of California already had laws against law enforcement gangs in 2021 (Penal Code 13670), and in 2023, it approved additional charges outlawing the formation of hate groups inside law enforcement organizations.
The department has been under fire for the acts of these gangs and the alleged culture of secrecy that has surrounded their operations; thus, the regulation comes at a crucial time. Although others, including Inspector General Max Huntsman, think this is a positive move, there are worries that it could fall short of the requirements set by monitoring organizations.
“For the first time in the history of our department, when you go through a process for captain and above, you are asked about tattoos,” LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said, referencing tattoos that have been connected to violent deputy gangs. County investigators have long cited tattoos as one way to identify deputies involved in these groups, with tattoos linked to the Banditos and Executioners gangs gaining particular notoriety.
An On-Going Problem
Deputy gangs were compared to a “cancer” in the department in a damning 70-page study published last year by the Civilian Oversight Commission, which is made up of lawyers, retired federal judges, and leaders of the community. The study chronicled the origins of these gangs to at least 1973, listing the deputy gangs that were active in the department, including the 3000 Boys, Wayside Whities, Banditos, and Reapers.
Investigations have also focused on the Executioners, another group inside the LASD. The executioners were a “violent gang” that attacked other officers, and they were mainly stationed at the Compton Sheriff’s Station. Members of the Executioners allegedly exchanged tattoos of a skull, wore a Nazi helmet, and threw “998 parties” to commemorate deputy-involved shootings.
The new policy does not remove the legal obstacles. An earlier investigation of these gangs by the county’s Office of the Inspector General was halted by a lawsuit filed by the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALDS). ALDS filed a lawsuit against the county and the OIG in 2023, arguing that the probe would infringe on deputies’ constitutional rights to privacy and their ability to work. The court issued A preliminary injunction, stopping the probe in favor of ALDS.
While arguing that deputies should have due process, ALDS president Richard Pippin said the group does not support misbehavior.
“The ACLU’s own website states, ‘Every person in this country should have the same basic rights,'” Pippin said in response to criticism from advocacy groups. “Apparently, disdain for law enforcement has led some in their organization to the conclusion that this does not apply to peace officers.”
