Subject: Statists at each other's throats: LA County Officers Claim Abuse by ‘Sheriff’s Gang’ Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:14 pm
In claims filed with Los Angeles County on Thursday, a group of Latino officers say a street gang within the ranks of the LA County Sheriff’s Department assaulted them and continues to operate a clique that intimidates and harasses anyone who speaks up about their actions.
The claims describe a mentality similar to the gangs law enforcement contend with in the field, but these individuals work in the sheriff’s department. The officers say superiors have done little to dissuade the actions of the “Banditos” gang. The matter came to a head this past September, when the officers say several members of the gang assaulted them after a department party. Attorney Vincent Miller, who filed the officers’ claims with the county Thursday, said the department has been aware of the gang culture for years. He noted a similar lawsuit filed in 2014, in which a female deputy said she was bullied and harassed by the “Banditos.” She settled out of court for $1.5 million. “They don’t do anything to fix the problem,” Miller said in an interview. “You look at the actions from the department to quiet down the incident.”