Scandal in Sheriff’s office

The results of a federal investigation into the Los Angeles Sheriff’s office show an awful atmosphere of impunity, where a group of officers was intimidating and beating inmates and their visitors without justification. And when they found out about the FBI inquiry against them, the officers did everything in their power to stop it—including unlawfully hiding a federal informant in the prison system, turning to the courts and pressuring an FBI agent in her home.

The self-confidence and arrogance that the 18 officers charged by federal authorities demonstrated highlights the argument that this is an institutional problem. Bosses impose violent criteria, while documents are falsified and prisoners get transferred under fake names, among others.

This is not the result of the “rotten apple” theory, although Chief Lee Baca—who still dares aspire to be re-elected even after his ineffective administration—is still inexplicably defending that theory.

The Justice Department needs to implement a consent decree similar to the one imposed on the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) after the scandal in the Rampart Division. While thousands of members of the force cannot be blamed for this criminal behavior, it is clear from the unlawful attitude of a few that there are serious internal problems that allowed them to overstep their authority, giving them a sense of impunity in front of their superiors.

The federal indictment describes the actions of criminals with authority, of crooks with privilege. It took time to change the LAPD’s violent culture after the Rampart scandal. Now it is the sheriff’s turn.

We hope that the federal action against the officers is just the beginning of a process that helps restore the Sheriff Department’s image in the eyes of the community—since this police agency is responsible for the safety of millions of people throughout the county.