*This is OP ED was submitted by a member of the LASD sworn personnel with over 15 years of service.
Throughout my career in law enforcement, I have borne witness to profound transformations that have fundamentally altered the nature of policing. Among these changes, none looms more significant than the erosion of trust and respect that our community once held for law enforcement. This decline has, in part, been expedited by leadership that, at times, appeared disconnected from the evolving needs of our society.
In reflecting on my experiences, it is evident that each sheriff I have served under, including Sheriff Luna, brought with them a unique blend of strengths and shortcomings. While their dedication to our force is undeniable, it remains essential to remember the age-old adage: “The greater the power, the more dangerous the potential for abuse.” It is a reminder that even our most revered institutions, including law enforcement, are susceptible to the allure of power and influence.
In recent years, there has been a resounding call for transparency and criminal justice reform, with promises of restoring public trust and eliminating inequalities in our justice system. Paradoxically, these well-intentioned measures have unintentionally opened the door to escalating violence and emboldened criminals. The transparency meant to protect us has inadvertently exposed us to more significant risks.
It is disheartening to witness acts that once guaranteed incarceration now leading to minimal consequences, emboldening repeat offenders. This cycle of crime has become a distressing norm, overshadowing our collective efforts to maintain order in our communities.
The challenges we face today are multifaceted. Our adversaries are no longer limited to individuals; they encompass entire movements, ideologies, and deeply ingrained societal mindsets. In this ever-shifting landscape, the line between friend and foe has blurred, further complicating our mission.
In my tenure, I have been a firsthand witness to scenes that underscore the fragility of our society. Within this turbulent climate, a growing discord and skepticism toward law enforcement have emerged. Yet, every daybreak sees our deputies and officers unwavering in their commitment, donning their uniforms and standing resolute in the face of adversity.
While my disdain for the rogue elements within law enforcement aligns with that of many, I am equally fervent in my admiration for the countless officers whose daily acts of dedication often go unnoticed and uncelebrated. Their unwavering commitment should not be overshadowed by the actions of the few who stray from the path.
As I contemplate the future of law enforcement leadership, I cannot consider the need for a change of the guard. While I hold in high regard the seasoned veterans who have devoted decades to our force, the rapidly evolving landscape of policing necessitates fresh perspectives at the helm. The challenges we face today differ significantly from those of the past. The digital age, changing societal norms, and shifting political landscapes demand leaders who are finely tuned to the unique demands of our time. This perspective is not a slight against our long-serving officers; it is an acknowledgment that times have changed, and so too must our leadership.
My hope remains steadfast: that the scales of justice will once again find their equilibrium, championing mutual respect and responsibility. Until that day arrives, we shall persist in our duty, serving with honor, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the communities we have solemnly sworn to protect. To achieve this, our leaders must learn to guide our rank and file while managing the expectations of their role as sheriff, all while remaining independent of undue political influence.
As a result of recent reporting on The Current Report and Undercover LA, sources at the Long Beach Police Department have come forward exposing many critical issues during Sheriff Luna’s tenure as Chief of the Department.
Numerous concerns include blatant disregard for department policy and procedures, a theme he is continuing at LASD.
Personnel at the Long Beach Police Department told The Current Report Sheriff Luna routinely made examples of Long Beach officers who were following policy and procedure in various incidents, however, the optics were not in line with Luna’s vision of how the department should be run and disciplined them regardless.
Recently, The Current Report has learned there is one specific person Sheriff Luna has not only abandoned strict policy and procedure for – he outright removed the process for personal benefit to ensure his son could enter the academy to become a Long Beach police officer despite his troubled past.
Sheriff Luna’s son Asher Luna’s background could have and should have prevented him from becoming a Long Beach Police Officer, but instead, was completely removed from the background investigations process to ensure Asher Luna would pass in order to join the department.
Sources at the Training Division, which housed the LBPD academy, and formerly their recruitment staff and background investigators, told The Current Report that academy staff received phone calls from people and personnel who worked with him or knew him, providing information as to why he should not be hired.
Sources say least one high ranking officer went on record as saying Asher Luna would not pass backgrounds if the information received by the training division regarding numerous incidents of poor judgment, immaturity, integrity, and misconduct, some potentially illegal in nature, were proved to be true.
According to sources at LBPD, the high ranking officer was transferred before Asher Luna’s background investigation was initiated.
The information received by academy staff included:
Alleged theft of LA County Fire equipment while an Explorer
Misrepresenting himself as a LA County Firefighter on his social media accounts wearing gear that did not belong to him.
Removal from that program without criminal prosecution for said theft. (Robert Luna, then LBPD Police Chief intervened with the LA County Fire Chief)
Misuse of city property while a cadet with the Long Beach Fire Dept.
Allegations of time card fraud while working for the Fire Dept. during same time period.
He was then hired by the Health Dept to help with the pandemic response. He worked alongside several relatives of active police officers and had a reputation of being a poor employee. In his first four months he made more money in overtime than any of his colleagues, some of whom had been employed twice as long. The pay is documented on Transparent California. Time card fraud is a fireable offense for sworn police officers.
Alleged to have been caught having sex in a city vehicle (consensual) while working for the Long Beach Health Dept. during the pandemic.
Was caught doing “donuts” in a forklift while working an unauthorized shift during the pandemic. He was caught by an LBPD officer who was never contacted regarding his background investigation regarding this incident.
His supervisor at Long Beach Fire Dept. while he was a cadet, was also never contacted during his background investigation.
None of his coworkers who had poor opinions of his work ethic were contacted during his background investigation.
His hiring process was “unique”. Questions of integrity, maturity, work history and other “red flags” or “smoke” in the recent past of police applicants have traditionally resulted in disqualification for hire, or a delay in hiring until those behaviors have been shown to have been rectified. That did not appear to be the case with Asher Luna.
Sources say Sheriff Luna, then Long Beach Police Chief, intervened on his son’s behalf after virtually every known incident of misconduct or illegal activity and went as far as showing up in uniform to address an incident with one of the Fire Departments.
After multiple incidents of misconduct, sources say Asher Luna burned all of his bridges in his lifelong quest to be a firefighter and after Robert Luna announced he was retiring from LBPD and running for Sheriff of LA County, Asher Luna then applied to the Long Beach Police Department.
Asher Luna wearing an Explorer helmet and giving the impression he helped out a vehicle fire and is a full fledged firefighter which is a liability for the County.
According to sources, Asher Luna’s background investigation was scrubbed of some of the most damaging information, and while the Long Beach Police Department hiring process is supposed to be “blind” in order to ensure fair hiring practices, Asher Luna’s packet was separated, did not follow traditional department protocols and was presented privately to the new Chief Wally Hebeish, a Luna disciple.
Asher Luna successfully graduated the academy in 2023 and is currently a probationary police officer with Long Beach Police Department.
Luna’s troubling managerial style of putting optics over policy, procedure and tradition to fit his own reality has set a dangerous tone at LASD among the rank and file and puts the citizens of LA County in even greater danger.
Deputies now have to make a choice between how they were trained to handle incidents and how it is perceived by Sheriff Luna himself (and his mentor George Gascon, a relationship mostly unknown until The Current Report exposed a revealing video recently posted on the District Attorney’s office Tik Tok).
A lose-lose scenario for the future of the LASD and public safety in LA County.
In December 2020, shortly after winning the election, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon issued nine pro-criminal directives.
Among the most controversial were the elimination of cash bail and sentence enhancements and an end to the prosecution of juveniles in the adult court system, regardless of the seriousness of the crime.
As a result of his actions as soon as he took over as DA, a recall campaign was launched in February of 2021, just two months after taking office.
The first recall stopped abruptly in September, 2021, shortly before the first deadline to turn in signatures, in an effort to re-structure amid an inner power struggle.
The second attempt launched in October 2021, was bolstered by a no-confidence vote from officials in 36 cities.
According to Mike Netter who helped spearhead the effort to recall Gavin Newsom, the largest volunteer effort in U.S. History, the money was there.
The group raised less than a third of both doomed Gascon recall efforts to get the 1.6 million signatures collected from 58 cities needed to get the Newsom recall to ballot.
And now, we are faced with another attempt by Gascon to keep over 10 million residents in LA County living in constant fear of being victimized by violent crime as he announced his bid for re-election Saturday.
To add salt to the wound, one of the primary focuses of his campaign is to “hold law enforcement accountable”.
There is no mention of reducing the astronomical crime that has devastated lives and businesses, forcing many to flee the county.
On October 6th, The Current Report released a telling video of Sheriff Robert Luna revealing the true foundation of a virtually unknown-to-the-public relationship between the leader of the largest Sheriff’s Department in the country and the pro-criminal DA who has wreaked complete havoc in Los Angeles County public safety since he took office almost three years ago.
The “mentorship” is not only proudly described by the newly-elected Sheriff, it is skillfully scripted into the branded video uploaded to the official District Attorney Tik Tok account which shows the two men hugging with “importance of mentorship” text flashing in the clip.
And now, we believe this relationship has significantly influenced Luna’s decision making over the last 10 months, causing a sharp decline in department morale, further jeopardizing the deputies who patrol the streets and the citizens they protect.
The emotional and physical toll experienced by deputies as a result of the on-going anti-law enforcement environment was further exacerbated by the Luna’s failure to speak out after Gascon announced he would not seek the death penalty for the murder of one of his own deputies.
A mindset that has no place managing 9,ooo sworn deputies with an over 150-year history to protect and serve.
The video also puts into perspective the intent of the Board of Supervisors and Robert Luna, who hid the relationship between Luna and Gascon from the majority of voters in an effort to de-stabilize the department and further diminish an already fragile public safety system.
Gascon’s new re-election campaign is very clear.
The focus is not the cleaning up of the chaos that has been by the created no-cash-bail-no-consequences-for-criminals environment destroying LA County, the focus is on holding the law enforcement officers accountable for arresting them.
And make no mistake, Sheriff Luna is going to help his “mentor” achieve that.
BONUS EPISODE: My co-host retired LAPD officer Ken Roybal and I speak with retired Captain Mike Bornman about Sheriff Luna’s failed leadership at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the bombshell revelation about the mentorship Luna sought out from George Gascon over 20 years ago – and still continues to do so.
Internal leaks, including as high up as the 8th floor at the Hall of Justice, involving the scandal that rocked the LASD executive staff and the criminal investigation of one of Sheriff Luna’s commanding officers, continues to actively provide details as this startling case unfolds.
On September 14th, 2023,The Current Report broke the story of Charles Norris IV, Acting Commander of the Special Operations Bureau, who was relieved of duty pending a criminal investigation on September 11th.
Speculation of why the cover-up continues is that Norris was one of Luna’s first promotions as Sheriff, and is attempting to save face as one of his closest subordinates was allegedly caught entering a known human trafficking location with the intention of having sex with a juvenile male.
Norris was allegedly detained September 9th, however, sources say at the time of detention, no illegal acts could be proven. Norris allegedly used multiple LASD county issued vehicles to travel to the trafficking location and was being tracked for almost two months prior. An undercover detective posed as the juvenile male communicating with Norris online according to sources.
Original reports from department sources as high as the executive level, told The Current Report Norris was allegedly meeting a juvenile male approximately 12-14 years in age for sex, and believe he may have been tipped off by a member of the Special Victims Bureau.
Norris was allegedly caught going in to the known trafficking location, with a specific brand of water bottle that allows the pedophile to gain entrance. Sources confirm the trafficking pad was located in LAPD jurisdiction.
Department sources revealed Norris’s Stevenson Ranch home was raided on September 11th, by LASD Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau (ICIB). Items allegedly found included the specific brand of water bottle that allowed him entrance to the trafficking pad and child pornography, which was found on his home computer, among other evidence.
A high ranking source close to the case revealed the FBI was asked to take over due to the evidence found at Norris’s home are generally prosecuted under federal statutes, which may explain why there is no record of his arrest
The Current Report reached out to Communications Director Nicole Nishida multiple times to confirm details of the case.
Nishida did not respond to our request for comment.
When tragedy shook the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with the execution of one of their deputies outside the Palmdale Station on September 16th, little did we know our sense of safety in Los Angeles County would hit an unprecedented crisis level.
The brazen act of Kevin Cataneo Salazar, 27, rolling up to deputy sheriff Ryan Clinkunbroomer’s marked black and white as he was waiting at a stoplight, executing the unsuspecting deputy in what appeared to be an intentional and premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer, sent shockwaves of horror across LA County.
And now, to elevate that fear, the man tasked with the safety of over 10 million residents, Sheriff Robert Luna, who ran away with the 2022 Sheriff’s election to become the leader of the largest Sheriff’s department in the country, is also running away from taking responsibility to properly ensure the full prosecution of his own deputy’s murder.
At a press conference on September 18th, shortly after the suspect was apprehended and just 36 hours after Clinkunbroomer’s murder, Luna declared his expectations, regarding the punishment for the execution of his law enforcement officer:
“We are devastated by the brutal murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer and share in the grief with his family, partners, and community as we try to grapple with this tragedy,” said Luna. “This ambush attack was absolutely unacceptable and an attack on law enforcement as a whole. Deputy Clinkunbroomer was in uniform, stopped at a red light in his patrol vehicle like thousands of other law enforcement officers and deputies do every day when he tragically lost his life while serving his community… Our detectives and personnel worked relentlessly for thirty-six hours to locate and arrest the suspect responsible for Ryan’s murder and we support the charges that were filed today. We expect the maximum punishment available under the law for the murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer.”
Read that last sentence again.
“We expect the maximum punishment available under the law for the murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer.”
Sheriff Luna at the press conference on September 18th, 2023.
It is no secret Luna has eroded trust throughout the department and the county, specifically for those who are concerned with public safety and the loss of law enforcement personnel due to the defund-the-police environment, however, he, in this instance and at that moment, assured the case against Salazar would be “meticulously presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing considerations, underscoring our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice to the fullest extent of the law”.
That small glimmer of hope Luna would step up and do right by the rank and file, especially his murdered deputy and grieving family and partners, dissipated quickly.
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, DA George Gascón announced that he would seek the “maximum penalty allowable under the law” for Salazar, which seemed to be in lock step with Luna’s expectations of the District Attorney’s office.
Or maybe not.
Somewhere along the line, there was a communication breakdown and a glaring misunderstanding. Not between Luna and Gascon, between Luna and Gascon notifying the family.
What Luna and Gascon believed the maximum penalty meant was starkly different than what is stated in the penal code, specifically the special circumstances involving lying in wait and the execution of a peace officer.
At the press conference held at the Hall of Justice on September 20th, Gascon, in front of the slain deputy’s family, fiancé and partners, unapologetically disregarded Penal Code 187 PC first-degree murder, with special circumstances.
“If I thought that seeking the death penalty was going to bring Ryan back to us, I would seek it without any reservation,” he said in a recent news conference. “But it won’t.”
This mentality underscores the fact that Gascon will never seek the death penalty, no matter how heinous the act.
Luna appeared to be unsurprised and unfazed by Gascon’s intention not to seek the death penalty.
Clinkunbroomer’s mother Kim, however, was blindsided by Gascon’s failure to seek the death penalty and was given no prior knowledge of Gascon’s intentions by Luna, LASD or the DA’s office. Clinkunbroomer took her fury to the national news media.
“How dare you, on national TV, tell me you’re not seeking the death penalty because it won’t bring my son back? My son’s not coming back, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your job,” said Clinkunbroomer.
Many in LA County have grown accustomed to DA Gascon’s inappropriate, tone deaf behavior and never ending gaslighting as evidenced by his actions, whether it be belittling victims at a press conference or deflecting attention from the catastrophic rise in crime in Los Angeles of which he singlehandedly created through his horrific policies, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the county.
What the citizens of LA County are not accustomed to is the leader of the largest Sheriff’s department in the country standing idly by while the District Attorney diminishes the value of his own murdered deputy, in front of his family and partners who valiantly tried to save his life moments after he was ambushed, by not denouncing the DA’s refusal to seek the maximum penalty allowed by law, he himself promised would be pursued.
A video obtained by The Current Report uploaded to the LA County District Attorney’s office social media shortly after Luna took office, shows him expressing the true sentiment and foundation of his relationship with George Gascon.
The mentorship as described by Luna in the video exposes the real potential for public safety to reach catastrophic conditions with these two officials in power, colluding together with other county officials.
Screen shot of Sheriff Luna hugging DA Gascon after praising his mentorship.
It also indicates there is a high probability that Luna had full knowledge of Gascon’s intention not to seek the death penalty prior to the press conference – yet chose not to discuss the possibilities with the family, which ultimately shows where Luna’s true loyalties lie.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, front and center during the press conferences after Clinkunbroomer’s ambush, was conspicuously absent from this press conference and made no statement regarding Gascon’s decision not to seek the death penalty, after assuring the public the maximum punishment would be sought for the crime.
Gascon’s consistent lack of decorum and professionalism reached new heights by allowing his publicly known cop-hating director of communications, Tiffany Blacknell, to introduce him at the press conference regarding the charges against the murderer of a law enforcement officer.
Above: Tiffany Blacknell introducing George Gascon at the September 20th press conference. Below: Blacknell posted a photo of herself wearing a “Police are trained to kill us” t-shirt.
“… Luna stood right next to the DA in solidarity. Unreal his line deputies even acknowledge him any longer” a member of law enforcement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
To date, Luna has made no official statement to LASD personnel or to the public via official department communication expressing his disappointment with Gascon’s failure to pursue the maximum penalty allowed by law and his failure communicate with the family prior to the press conference.
Shortly after the Clinkunbroomer family outrage made network news, Luna appeared on ABC 7 in an attempt to do much needed damage control.
He spoke with reporter Marc Brown about the controversies surrounding the department and made every attempt to deflect responsibility and criticism away from himself, and carefully skirted the issue of Gascon’s failure to pursue the maximum punishment for the assassination of his own deputy.
In the interview, Luna suggested he is supporting the rank and file, specifically the Palmdale station deputies, which department sources reveal couldn’t be further from the truth as reported by The Current Report in the second “Just a Deputy” letter circulated after Clinkunbroomer’s execution just outside their station.
The first letter surfaced after public and internal backlash resulting from the Lancaster and Palmdale Use of Force videos and highlighted the mishandling by LASD executive staff who resurrected a UOF incident one year after the fact (and resolved under the previous administration) to appease those who oppose and desire to dismantle/abolish law enforcement.
Additionally, Luna explained to Brown the unprecedented meteoric rise in crime in Los Angeles, was really just public “perception”. Retired LASD Captain Mike Bornman addressed Luna’s defective data meant to deflect responsibility from his colleague and mentor DA Gascon in an exclusive OP ED forThe Current Report:
“Well, Sheriff, tell that to people who have been victimized by violent crime recently in LA County. To those folks, I’m guessing we can simply tell them to “look at the data” and calm down. We all know how statistics and data can be tweaked to mean whatever you want them to. More to the point, the Sheriff’s statement completely ignores other “lesser” offenses such as vandalism, petty theft, public intoxication, simple battery, along with the drugged-out zombies who wander our neighborhoods in droves.”
Mired in his own criticism recently, Orange County Todd Spritzer still took the time to support the citizens of LA County by publicly ostracizing DA Gascon for his inability to apply the letter of the law to the “heinous crime” (Gascon’s own words in his press release regarding Cataneo’s arrest).
It is apparent by his actions Gascon did not believe the crime was heinous enough to seek the maximum penalty allowed by law.
“While law enforcement officers across the nation grieve the loss of yet another officer murdered in the line of duty,” said Spitzer, “They too must cope with the knowledge that justice for the men and women behind the badge is nowhere to be found the Los Angeles County Hall of Justice – as long as George Gascón is the district attorney.”
On Thursday, Luna was the first department speaker to address mourners attending Clinkunbroomer’s mass at Cathedral of our Lady of Angels, the majority of the standing room only in attendance were LASD rank and file.
While other law enforcement speakers words elicited rousing standing ovations, the conclusion of Luna’s speech, which echoed the same unpolished, uncomfortable demeanor he exhibited at previous press conferences, was met with the same non-responsive attitude Luna displayed when Gascon announced he would not be pursuing the death penalty; deafening silence.
Statement made by LASD sworn personnel posted on social media regarding the Sheriff and exec staff’s presence at Ryan Clinkunbroomer’s service.
Sadly, it appears the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has unknowingly been influenced by Gascon’s mentorship, sought by Luna dating back more than two decades, with the former cop-turned-cop-hater now having a profound and damaging effect on the future of the department and public safety in LA County.
By Michael Bornman, retired Captain LA County Sheriff’s Department
“A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
– John C. Maxwell
The recent senseless murder of Palmdale Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer has once again shed light on the absolute inadequacy of Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. As a 36-year veteran of the once-proud Department, I have finally reached the point where silence is no longer an option.
Like many others who knew Ryan or his dad, Michael, I was dumbfounded when I heard the Sheriff struggle with, and finally mispronounce Ryan’s last name. It was painfully clear that he had not even taken the time to learn how to pronounce it before speaking on national television. To those who have paid attention this past year, his failure to prepare has been a mainstay of the Sheriff’s public addresses.
Most recently, the Sheriff appeared on an ABC news special with longtime television personality Marc Brown. During the interview, the Sheriff made a number of subtle yet significant statements that directly reflect on his less-than-satisfactory stance on issues affecting those of us living in Los Angeles County. When asked directly if he disagreed with LA District Attorney George Gascon’s decision not to charge the killer of Deputy Clinkunbroomer with the death penalty, the Sheriff deflected criticism from Gascon. He at least said he believed that if convicted, the killer was deserving of the death penalty.
If this is the Sheriff’s position, why then has his silence been so deafening on this subject? Why hasn’t he heretofore made a public statement about this critical issue? Why hasn’t he come out strongly against the DA’s decision? Afterall, not everyone watches ABC television. The Sheriff has acknowledged that our worthless District Attorney was/is a personal mentor of his. Has this fact colored his thinking in this regard? He also noted during the interview that he was not an advocate of the death penalty. Seriously? A cop killer? This fact alone should make him ineligible to hold the office of sheriff. Enforce the laws on the books or step down.
During the TV interview, the Sheriff also made light of the fact that people in LA County fear rising crime. He dismissed the fear as being “perception” only, proudly noting his own data, which shows a 2% decrease in Part 1 crimes.
Part 1 offenses include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, grand theft auto, and arson.
Well, Sheriff, tell that to people who have been victimized by violent crime recently in LA County. To those folks, I’m guessing we can simply tell them to “look at the data” and calm down. We all know how statistics and data can be tweaked to mean whatever you want them to. More to the point, the Sheriff’s statement completely ignores other “lesser” offenses such as vandalism, petty theft, public intoxication, simple battery, along with the drugged-out zombies who wander our neighborhoods in droves. Let’s talk about the rampant thefts and destruction of personal property like bicycles, skateboards, lawn mowers, and virtually everything else that isn’t nailed down or hidden in our homes. What about the mentally ill and homeless who defecate, urinate, and fornicate in public?
Let’s see the “data” on that.
Regarding the short-sighted and doomed-to-fail concept of cashless bail that has been concocted by an out of touch judge, the Sheriff simply said he wanted to “give it a chance” to see how it works out. Again, seriously? We all know how it’s going to work out. Petty crimes and low-level misdemeanor and felony crimes are going to skyrocket. Anyone who has been in law enforcement knows full-well that without a “hook”, crooks will not just show up to court. What they WILL do is to go right back out and commit other crimes. Again and again.
Criminal justice has historically been enforced through the analogy of “the carrot and the stick.” First time offenders were offered that carrot to help direct their behavior toward mor acceptable actions. Those who violate the rules of the “carrot” become subject to the “stick.” This could be in the form of longer jail time, supervised probation, monetary fines, etc. Nowadays, when someone commits another crime, some folks like our sheriff and district attorney advocate giving them yet another carrot. And another. And another. How many carrots do we pass out before employing the much-needed stick? How many carrots does one crook need? How many do they even deserve?
This is not a partisan issue. The people of LA County do not want or need a Sheriff who is a Democrat or a Republican, conservative or liberal, moderate, left wing, right wing, or any wing in between. The people of LA County expect and deserve a Sheriff who will enforce the law. Period. This concept is so basic that it seems odd to even point it out. Enforce the laws as written. No favoritism, no prejudices, just honest, proactive, hardworking enforcement of the law.
As the Sheriff approaches his first full year in office, I am hard pressed to find even one positive thing he has accomplished. He has alienated his personnel on a number of occasions, including his public statement a few weeks back concerning the incident that occurred in Lancaster, wherein a deputy was seen on video forcing a female onto the pavement. Without so much as conducting a meaningful inquiry into the incident, the Sheriff stood shoulder to shoulder with activists who were condemning the deputy involved.
From my many investigative assignments within the LASD, I learned early on to keep my trap shut until all the facts were in. There were many times when, at first blush, you were left scratching your head, wondering what the deputies had been thinking during an incident, only to find out later that they had followed procedure to the letter. The Sheriff could learn a lesson from this; hold your tongue until after all the facts are known. To do otherwise is to invite mistrust from your personnel. Once lost, that trust is nearly impossible to recover.
It was interesting to note that during his ABC interview, when asked to comment on the progress of certain cases involving the department, including the murder of Deputy Clinkunbroomer, the Sheriff said he didn’t want to comment until the investigations were complete and all the facts were known. Funny how he didn’t give the deputies in the Lancaster incident that same deference when he was talking smack about them immediately in the aftermath of that incident before any meaningful review or investigation had taken place.
It is my firm belief that the Sheriff is in way over his head when it comes to leading a department as large and diverse as the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Having come from a local police agency which employs fewer that 1200 personnel (roughly half being sworn officers), he is ill-equipped to oversee an organization with approximately 18 thousand personnel, with over half, 10 thousand, being sworn peace officers. This is a case where simply being “an outsider” is not a positive thing as some people may want you to believe.
In my estimation, the Sheriff appears to be trying to “manage” the Department the best he knows how. This is exactly the problem. Managers encourage and protect the status quo. Managers ensure that the assembly line keeps moving on cue. They make sure that widgets are all made exactly the same, day in and day out. Managers make sure the French fries hot and tasty at a fast-food restaurant. Managers are NOT what a professional law enforcement agency needs. Trying to be a manager in a law enforcement agency is a recipe for failure.
Law enforcement needs, law enforcement requires leadership, not management. Leaders inspire others to greatness. They inspire confidence in their personnel, not mistrust. Leaders grab organizations by the collar and pull them into the future. A true leader can analyze and predict where the organization needs to be in the next 2, 5, or 10 years. Leaders are forward thinkers. They are decision makers. They are ahead of the curve. I haven’t seen any of these attributes in our current sheriff or his immediate command staff.
Unfortunately, our current sheriff seems to be more concerned with his own optics and how he is perceived than doing his job. He should be backing his people as they work tirelessly to protect the good people of LA County. He should be leading the charge in combatting all of the senseless acts of violence that are sweeping across southern California. He should be leading and molding consensus, not seeking it from others who want to tear down the Department. He is doing none of these things.
Some folks like to think that law enforcement should be pretty and wrapped with a bow. It most certainly is not. Enforcing the law is not just a bunch of good-looking men and women passing out lollipops to the kids. Sure, they have done that too, but there comes a point when someone needs to go through a door. Someone will need to confront a criminal with a gun. Who is going to do that? Enforcing the law is a dangerous, dirty job. To be sure, personnel in the department continue to do an outstanding job despite being led by someone who doesn’t understand what they face daily. Sadly, with the current sheriff, they are doing so at their own risk.
As a final point, during his interview, the Sheriff lamented about how the Department’s policies and procedures are somehow not up to the task of keeping his employees in line. It has always been my experience that members of the LA County Sheriff’s Department are among the most talented, best educated, best equipped, and best trained law enforcement professionals in the world. I would personally keep a sharp eye out for any changes he attempts to make in this regard, as his statements may be a harbinger of draconian changes that are in the works to further hamstring department members.
During my own, admittedly unscientific survey of people throughout the Department, I have learned that at this point in his tenure, the Sheriff is not held in high regard by the sworn rank and file. He is not inspiring confidence. He is not encouraging. He does not appear to understand what it means to lead the largest, greatest law enforcement agency on the face of the earth. Let’s hope he finally gets it before the Department begins circling the drain. I fear he will not be up to the task.
Michael Bornman, Captain (ret) LA County Sheriff’s Department, 36 years of service. Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor’s Degree in English, Associate’s Degree in Police Science.
