Some of Los Angeles’ most troubled inmates were being guarded by some of Los Angeles’ most troubled deputies.
For years, it appears that a way of protecting the public from renegade officers was transferring the offending deputies to the jail system, where they remained despite complaints, convictions, or other misconduct. This is the latest development to be unearthed by the Los Angeles Times, and a twist to a story that has captured the attention of jail reformation activists and government oversight agencies.
The practice of using jail reassignment as a punishment was suspended recently, but the issue was raised as early as two years ago, by a Sheriff Department watchdog.
How many deputies are currently at the jails after being subjected to a disciplinary transfer is unclear, as those records are confidential.
From the Los Angeles Times:
Enrique Munoz’s record included allegations of fraud, loan sharking and threatening to kill somebody when he was sent to Los Angeles County Jail for three years.
But he wasn’t there as an inmate. He was assigned to work there as a jail deputy, part of his Sheriff’s Department-sanctioned punishment for assorted misconduct.
For years, the department transferred problem deputies to the system’s lockups as a way of keeping them from the public. Other deputies were allowed to remain working in the jails after being convicted of crimes or found guilty of serious misconduct, according to confidential documents obtained by The Times.
Read the full article here.