Special Hearing on Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Sheriff COC

Working to oversee and improve public transparency and accountability with respect to the Sheriff’s Department.

Media Advisory

Special Hearing on Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department set for January 12, 2024

Los Angeles County, CA - The Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission (Commission) will host their ninth Special Hearing on Deputy Gangs on Friday, January 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Loyola Law School. The Commission is anticipating sworn testimony from former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and other potential witnesses.

Who:

  • Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva
  • Other potential witness

When:

  • Friday, January 12, 2024
    9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

Where (there are three ways to attend):

  1. In person at Loyola Law School's Advocacy Center (Robinson Courtroom) at 919 Albany Street Los Angeles, CA 90015.
  2. Register for Webex and join on January 12.
  3. Call (213) 306-3065 and enter access code: 2536 477 8171

With a virtual component to the meeting, both Webex and call-in users will have the opportunity to provide public comment remotely.

Community members may submit written comments by completing this form. All submissions provided before 5:00pm on January 12 will be included in the official meeting record. The Special Hearing agenda will be published in compliance with the Brown Act.

Why:

The Commission's Special Counsel and the Ad Hoc Committee on Deputy Gangs continues to evaluate the issue and gather testimony to develop a Supplemental Report, as promised at the March 3, 2023 Special Hearing. For consideration of additional recommendations to the Sheriff’s Department, the Supplemental Report is also expected to involve community groups’ and impacted family members’ feedback.


Background: In January 2016, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to implement the Commission with the mission to oversee and improve public transparency and accountability with respect to the Sheriff’s Department. The Commission is comprised of nine volunteer members appointed by the Board of Supervisors, with four recommended by community and other affiliated groups.

Since its formation in 2017, the Commission has been tracking the issue of deputy gangs. There is a long history of documentation on deputy gangs, including the 1992 Kolt Report, the 2012 Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence Report, the Inspector General’s Analysis into the Banditos, Loyola Law School’s 50 Years of Deputy Gangs Report, Knock LA’s Investigative Series into Deputy Gangs, and the 2021 RAND Study on Understanding Subgroups. On March 3, 2023, the Commission unanimously approved the Report on Deputy Gangs and adopted all 27 recommendations.


Missed our recent meetings?

Watch video of previous special hearings by clicking below:

To see recordings, meeting minutes and written comments from previous meetings, visit the Commission Meetings page.


Media Contact:
Jennifer Wicks, Communications Manager
jwicks@coc.lacounty.gov
Cell: (213) 952-9036

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