L.A. County Sheriff’s Watchdog Might Gain Subpoena Power for Investigating Deputy Gangs

Members of the public speak out about the Banditos, a group of tattooed deputies at the Sheriff’s Department’s East Los Angeles Station, at a town hall hosted by the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission on July 11. Some people also criticized the logo of the station, featuring a boot and a riot helmet with the term “Fort Apache,” a label some view as offensive.(Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Jul 23, 2019 / 02:25 PM PDT

Updated: Jul 23, 2019 / 02:25 PM PDT

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The chief watchdog for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has typically relied on cooperation from the law enforcement agency to obtain documents and access to internal department data.

Now, the county Office of Inspector General is one step closer to gaining a much more powerful tool.

The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to explore how to grant the inspector general subpoena power — a legal mechanism that would allow the office to compel information from the Sheriff’s Department related to secret societies of deputies who wear matching tattoos.

The expanded authority would also potentially enable the inspector general to force the department to provide access to its facilities, hand over records and make its employees available to speak about other topics.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.