Documents Show LA Sheriff's Department Hired Thieves, Statutory Rapists And Bad Cops

from the when-all-you-have-is-bad-apples... dept

Thu, Dec 5th 2013 7:58pm — Tim Cushing

Information recently published by the LA Times indicates it may be tougher landing a job in retail than to be employed by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Obviously, the LASD has to hire from the human race, but considering the responsibilities inherent in these positions, you'd think the department would be a bit more selective.

What's been uncovered by Robert Fautrechi and Ben Poston ranges from collections of minor offenses to some truly troubling (and criminal) behavior.

The Times reviewed the officers' internal hiring files, which also contained recorded interviews of the applicants by sheriff's investigators.

Ultimately, about 280 county officers were given jobs, including applicants who had accidentally fired their weapons, had sex at work and solicited prostitutes, the records show.

For nearly 100 hires, investigators discovered evidence of dishonesty, such as making untrue statements or falsifying police records. At least 15 were caught cheating on the department's own polygraph exams.

Twenty-nine of those given jobs had previously had been fired or pressured to resign from other law enforcement agencies over concerns about misconduct or workplace performance problems. Nearly 200 had been rejected from other agencies because of past misdeeds, failed entrance exams or other issues.

Did I say a "bit" more selective? Make that "tons" more selective. Apparently the LASD is a firm believer in that famous bit of mutual fund boilerplate: "past performance is not an indicator of future success." The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department isn't looking for the best men and women for the job. It's just looking for warm bodies.

Here's something that apparently won't prevent you from landing an LASD job.

David McDonald was hired despite admitting to sheriff's investigators he had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl whom he kissed and groped. He was 28 at the time.

It's OK, though. McDonald has an explanation.

"I was in love," he said in an interview with The Times. "I wasn't being a bad guy."

Seems legit. Time to clear a few thousand people off the sex offender registry. "Love" is all you need.

Need more?

Linda D. Bonner, jailer - Fired a weapon at her husband who was (according to her) fortunately running in a zigzag pattern, or "things would be much different." Her response to publication was that the sheriff's office was "wrong" about her background.

David E. Esparza, jailer - Stole $2,200 worth of military equipment. This theft wasn't initially disclosed during interviews. Esparza offered no response other than to state the information was "confidential."

Edward Marquez, jailer - While working for an unnamed sheriff's department, Marquez pulled over a car in which his girlfriend was a passenger and attempted to issue a ticket to the male driver. His girlfriend filed a complaint with the department.

William Salazar, deputy sheriff - Displayed his gun during a confrontation with a park patron who approached him about walking his dog without a leash. Fired his shotgun in the air in a police department parking lot. Suspended for a day for suspicion of falsifying timecards.

Ferdinand Salgado, jailer - While serving as a county police officer, was suspended for soliciting an undercover cop.

The Sheriff's office claims it was pressured to hire several officers in the wake of the Dept. of Public Safety disbanding and dropping its duties on the LASD. Apparently, it's OK to do a lousy job if you're under pressure. The person who first vetted the applicants' files, former Undersheriff Larry Waldie, first stated there needed to be "grave reasons" to not hire potential employees. When pressed further, Waldie simply shut the conversation down.

Waldie said: "That information was not brought to me ... I don't recall any of these specifics so don't ask me anymore."

The county spokesman has, of course, denied placing pressure on the sheriff's department to hire more officers. Both narratives are non-starters considering how quickly the buck is being passed. But Waldie is likely correct about one thing: there was pressure.

Internal Sheriff's Department records reviewed by The Times show the union representing the former county officers was also lobbying Waldie to hire specific members, including some who had committed serious misconduct during their careers…

One taped recording of a background interview suggests the department made special accommodations for the county officers.

Once you're on the "inside," you're golden, especially if there's a powerful union backing you up.

In the recording, a sheriff's investigator tells an applicant who was caught cheating on his polygraph exam that normally that would have meant "goodbye, you're done, there's no second chances." The investigator then told the applicant that he and other suspected cheaters might not be disqualified "as a favor because, you know, it's law enforcement." The applicant was eventually hired.

The Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) has fought hard to keep this information from surfacing, as Reason reports.

The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS), the union that represents LASD deputies, tried in September 2013 to stop the records from being unveiled, going after the Times and the reporter who had acquired the records, Robert Faturechi, saying he unlawfully possessed background investigation files containing personal information of deputies.

"What part of 'stolen property' is such a mystery to the L.A. Times?" ALADS President Floyd Hayhurst said in a statement on the ALADS website. "If any harm comes to deputy sheriffs or their families because of the stolen files, we will hold the Los Angeles Times responsible for their complete lack of journalistic integrity," Hayhurst said.

The union tried to secure a court order temporarily blocking the publication but the judge shot it down, claiming the union failed to present evidence supporting its claims that publication would cause "irreparable harm or immediate danger."

“The court declines to issue [an order] imposing a prior restraint on defendants’ free speech based on the speculative hearsay testimony of anonymous witnesses,” she wrote.

The Sheriff's Department itself opened up an investigation into the "leak" of hiring documents and ALADS followed up its temporary injunction attempt one month later with a lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction. This too was rejected by the judge, again citing the union's lack of evidence and the First Amendment's protections against prior restraint. A week after being shot down, ALADS issued its statement questioning the "journalistic integrity" of the LA Times for daring to expose the sheriff's department's shoddy hiring practices.

Rather than investigate the leaks and file lawsuits attempting to block this info, both entities would be better served throwing some time and energy into overhauling its hiring practices and working towards ensuring only the best applicants get the job -- not just those with "insider" connections.

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Filed Under: hiring practices, la sheriffs department, police

31 Comments

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silverscarcat (profile), 5 Dec 2013 @ 7:58pm

What is this?
Reno 911 or Police Academy?
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Internet Zen Master (profile), 5 Dec 2013 @ 8:18pm

So, who else wants to bet that if ALADS was part of the federal government it'd try to claim "national security!" as the reason for blocking the publication?
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Dec 2013 @ 8:32pm

It seems there are a lot of corruption incidents going on with local police, not just the LAPD. What about this recent one in NY with the victim being charged over the police shooting at him, missing and hitting innocent by-standers? Is it any wonder we are getting these sorts of incidents when the hiring is of this caliber?

That the information is so damaging in appearance that the local union has to call in the lawyers attempting to suppress this sort of information getting out tells you just how bad the corruption is.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Dec 2013 @ 8:59pm

How ironic it is when people with a criminal background are having a hard time getting any job; Except in law enforcement.
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Sex positive!, 5 Dec 2013 @ 10:12pm

Some laws are illegitimate
Laws against consensual sex (statutory rape, prostitution) are illegitimate. Violating laws that have no legitimacy in the first place isn't newsworthy, nor should it affect employment. Stick to valid examples such as theft & violence, Tim - and stop being sex-negative.
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Pedobear, 6 Dec 2013 @ 12:52am

Re: Some laws are illegitimate
Pedobear approves of this comment.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 1:54am

now tell me that all cops are honest!
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Ninja (profile), 6 Dec 2013 @ 2:12am

Sheriff: So why do you think we should hire you?
Cop-aspirant: I recently tased a teen displaying potentially aggressive behavior.
Sheriff: Not bad, hired! And you?
Cop-aspirant2: I beat a homeless, schizophrenic guy into a pulp with other 6 officers.
Sheriff: Terrific! You should tell those others to call me, I got jobs for them. And you?
Cop-aspirant3: HULK SMASH!
Sheriff: Hired!
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DMNTD, 6 Dec 2013 @ 3:44am

Re:
Cop-aspirant4: I tazed him BRO!
Sheriff: *high-five*
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 4:46am

Re: What is this?
Super Troopers - Altered State Police
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 4:48am

Re:
Gangs have been known to recruit members of rival gangs
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 4:51am

Re: Re:
Cop-aspirant5: I can't hit the broad side of a barn with a shotgun
Sheriff: you get a hiring bonus
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Baron von Robber, 6 Dec 2013 @ 7:44am

Re: Re: Re:
Cop-aspirant6: He triped
Sheriff: Hired & Promoted!
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 7:44am

Hiring practices these days are often not based on merit but they're based on everything else like race, gender, height, etc...
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Dec 2013 @ 7:46am

accidentally fired their weapons, had sex at work and solicited prostitutes
Oh the horrible tragedy! they hired people who had accidents, had sex, and some even payed money for it. THE HORROR!
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mattshow (profile), 6 Dec 2013 @ 8:59am

Maybe the "sex at work" cop can try the George Costanza defense:

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mattshow (profile), 6 Dec 2013 @ 9:00am

Re:
Let's try that again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvNS7JfcMM
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Zonker, 6 Dec 2013 @ 11:10am

In the recording, a sheriff's investigator tells an applicant who was caught cheating on his polygraph exam that normally that would have meant "goodbye, you're done, there's no second chances." The investigator then told the applicant that he and other suspected cheaters might not be disqualified "as a favor because, you know, it's law enforcement." The applicant was eventually hired.

At least these new hires know who to prosecute for teaching them how to beat a lie detector.
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Christenson, 6 Dec 2013 @ 11:38am

How do I "Cheat" on a bogus Polygraph Test?
Seriously, a polygraph test is like reading tea leaves...the science is completely debunked, except that habitual liars have a somewhat better chance of passing than honest folks in certain circumstances, per antipolygraph.org.

So...how, exactly, do I cheat on this test?
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Anonymous, 6 Dec 2013 @ 12:04pm

Re: Some laws are illegitimate
I agree!
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Gwiz (profile), 6 Dec 2013 @ 1:35pm

Re: How do I "Cheat" on a bogus Polygraph Test?
So...how, exactly, do I cheat on this test?

Maybe by giving the least untruthful answer?
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toyotabedzrock (profile), 6 Dec 2013 @ 1:39pm

Maybe they want dishonest people because they think that is the solution to their publicity problems.
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That One Guy (profile), 6 Dec 2013 @ 5:03pm

Re: accidentally fired their weapons, had sex at work and solicited prostitutes
The trick is, any of those things, if done by someone who wasn't a cop, would likely result in a fine, being fired or possibly some minor jail time, yet because they were cops, suddenly it's no big deal.

If the gorram cops aren't respecting the laws, they can hardly expect anyone else to, now can they?
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robert spano, 6 Dec 2013 @ 5:30pm

Re: How do I "Cheat" on a bogus Polygraph Test?
criminals and politicians have no trouble fooling polygraph tests. it is the honest folks who are scared.
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Anonymous, 7 Dec 2013 @ 6:31am

Re: Re: accidentally fired their weapons, had sex at work and solicited prostitutes
True.
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Arthur Moore (profile), 9 Dec 2013 @ 12:38pm

Re: Some laws are illegitimate
While I tend to agree, don't forget the hipocracy that's going on here.

These are the same police that charged others as well. Most of these offenses would result in firing from any other job. Hell, in some cases they did result in an officer getting fired, but the LA Sheriff hired them back into the police force.

Everyone should be held to the same standard and treated the same. If anything people who have the power to violate someone's rights should be held to a higher standard.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jul 2015 @ 11:49am

Re: Some laws are illegitimate
Illegitimate how? I'm pretty sure the example cited goes against the general mores of the community in which he was charged.. 28 year old touching a 14 year old? Seems like a legit charge to me.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jul 2015 @ 11:52am

About the accidental discharge of a firearm..
There is no such thing. It is a negligent discharge. If the gun is in a persons hand, the trigger is depressed, and the gun fires, its negligent and not accidental.

In other words, keep your finger off the trigger until you've met the conditions of discharging a firearm, e.g. positive identification of the target, knowing your target and what is behind it, keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to send a round, which can't be recalled, downrange.
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Robert Hilleary (profile), 4 Dec 2018 @ 11:21am

Leaked documents outlining LACSD shoddy hiring practices
Hah! That’s putting it to them. Big THUMBS UP to the Los Angeles Times for sticking to its guns to maintain the integrity of the free press and print the information about how our local government instittuions are run. In effect, we the taxpayers, renters, and property owners in this county are the actual patrons for whom county wide agencies like the LACSD work.They have neither the privilege nor prerogative to foster cronyism and corruption. There appears to be a college fraternity subculture tightly nested within the ranks of the LACSD organization that includes a surprising number of women as enablers and co-perpetrators where secrets are tightly kept and loyalty trumps wrongdoings. A potent reminder is in order here and that is that their oath is to the protection and betterment of the people in Los Angeles county, not to each other. Furthermore, county agencies are not places for people with axes to grind to covertly advance their antisocial agendas. Hopefully the arrogance and corruption that flourished during the Baca years has seen its zenith and can be wound down and ferreted out as a proper functioning LACSD replaces it with better leadership and transparent recruitment standards.
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Robert Hilleary (profile), 4 Dec 2018 @ 6:08pm

Leaked documents outlining LACSD shoddy hiring practices
Hah! That’s putting it to them. Big THUMBS UP to the Los Angeles Times for sticking to its guns to maintain the integrity of the free press and print the information about how our local government instittuions are run. In effect, we the taxpayers, renters, and property owners in this county are the actual patrons for whom county wide agencies like the LACSD work.They have neither the privilege nor prerogative to foster cronyism and corruption. There appears to be a college fraternity subculture tightly nested within the ranks of the LACSD organization that includes a surprising number of women as enablers and co-perpetrators where secrets are tightly kept and loyalty trumps wrongdoings. A potent reminder is in order here and that is that their oath is to the protection and betterment of the people in Los Angeles county, not to each other. Furthermore, county agencies are not places for people with axes to grind to covertly advance their antisocial agendas. Hopefully the arrogance and corruption that flourished during the Baca years has seen its zenith and can be wound down and ferreted out as a proper functioning LACSD replaces it with better leadership and transparent recruitment standards.
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R/O/G/S, 20 Nov 2019 @ 3:28am

Re: Leaked documents outlining LACSD shoddy hiring practices
re:includes a surprising number of women as enablers and co-perpetrators

EXACTLY.

Their will be no substantive change in such a system until women choose actual equality, as opposed to the pseudo-equality of gender narratives that continue to pit the cops against their husbands, sons, etc.

But in issues of jobs (women in the USA still do not train in, or seek the most dangerous jobs), and other areas, women seek the easy route in administrative, as opposed to action roles.

And the prisons reflect that, with an approximate 1/10 ratio of women incarcerated, to men.

Its the Domestic Violence Industrial Complex (DVIC), underpinned by sectarian, tribal religious narrative.

Its the VAWA and Joe Biden, perpetuating paternalism, for the sake of maintaining religious hegemony, literally at the expense of children, as these shit programs deny equality in every way.

And unsurprisingly, LA is a thriving example of gender narrative, run by these low IQ muscle bound police goon squads, and the women in their ranks, as you noted.
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