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LOS ANGELES — The sheriff's department fired 27 deputies during the first three months of the year, compared to 37 firings in all of 2003, according to a quarterly report released Tuesday.
The report by the Office of Independent Review examined the firings for deputy misconduct that ranged from selling three stolen life vests on
e-Bay to entering a home to plant guns and drugs. Deputies also were fired earlier this year for having sex with and providing drugs to jail inmates.
"One of our missions is to provide transparency to the department, and the sheriff should be credited for allowing our group to provide that window to what traditionally has been a secret world," said OIR Chief Attorney Michael Gennaco.
The office was created by county supervisors in 20001 to review internal sheriff's investigations of misconduct.
The report covered incidents reviewed by OIR attorneys and investigators from Jan. 1 to March 31.
Along with the firings, the report reviewed 121 other disciplinary actions against sheriff's department employees.
In one instance, a sheriff's captain was demoted and forced into retirement after intervening on behalf of a female employee of an elected county supervisor. The intoxicated employee had been pulled over by a sheriff's deputy for driving on the rim of one tire and the woman called the captain on her cell phone and handed it to the deputy.
"The captain allegedly interceded on the motorist's behalf and intimidated the deputy," Gennaco wrote.
A lieutenant and another captain involved in the incident also were given five-day suspensions for their conduct.
What has happened to our integrity?
The report by the Office of Independent Review examined the firings for deputy misconduct that ranged from selling three stolen life vests on
e-Bay to entering a home to plant guns and drugs. Deputies also were fired earlier this year for having sex with and providing drugs to jail inmates.
"One of our missions is to provide transparency to the department, and the sheriff should be credited for allowing our group to provide that window to what traditionally has been a secret world," said OIR Chief Attorney Michael Gennaco.
The office was created by county supervisors in 20001 to review internal sheriff's investigations of misconduct.
The report covered incidents reviewed by OIR attorneys and investigators from Jan. 1 to March 31.
Along with the firings, the report reviewed 121 other disciplinary actions against sheriff's department employees.
In one instance, a sheriff's captain was demoted and forced into retirement after intervening on behalf of a female employee of an elected county supervisor. The intoxicated employee had been pulled over by a sheriff's deputy for driving on the rim of one tire and the woman called the captain on her cell phone and handed it to the deputy.
"The captain allegedly interceded on the motorist's behalf and intimidated the deputy," Gennaco wrote.
A lieutenant and another captain involved in the incident also were given five-day suspensions for their conduct.
What has happened to our integrity?
