[juliannamed]

7 deputies from L.A. County sheriff's gang unit placed on leave

All are suspected of belonging to the alleged Jump Out Boys secret clique that celebrates officer-involved shootings. Investigators are trying to determine if they committed serious misconduct.



Shown is the tattoo that members of the alleged Jump Out Boys are suspected of supporting. OSS stands for Operation Safe Streets, which includes the gang unit.


By Robert Faturechi, Los Angeles Times May 17, 2012

Seven deputies from the Los Angeles County sheriff's gang unit have been placed on leave on suspicion that they belong to a secret clique that celebrates shootings and brands its members with matching tattoos, sources confirmed.

The move is a sign of the intensifying nature of the investigation of the "Jump Out Boys." Suspicion about the group's existence was sparked several weeks ago when a supervisor found a pamphlet describing the group's creed, which promoted aggressive policing and portrayed officer shootings in a positive light.

Days after The Times reported on the discovery of the pamphlet, the captain of the division gathered his deputies for a private briefing, during which he told them that they had shamed the department by forming the group and urged those responsible to identify themselves, a source with knowledge of the unit's inner workings said.

At some point, one deputy came forward, and named six others, said sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.

All seven of those deputies were placed on leave with pay sometime this week. Internal affairs investigators are trying to determine whether the deputies violated Sheriff's Department rules or committed serious misconduct.

The deputies under scrutiny have all worked on the Gang Enforcement Team, a unit divided into two platoons of relatively autonomous deputies who target neighborhoods where gang violence is high, locate armed gang members and take their guns away.

Investigators are looking at whether the deputies sported matching tattoos. The suspected design of the tattoo was obtained by The Times and confirmed by two sources: It includes an oversize skull with a wide, toothy grimace and glowing red eyes. A bandanna is wrapped around the skull, imprinted with the letters "OSS" — representing Operation Safe Streets, the name of the larger unit that the Gang Enforcement Team is part of. A bony hand clasps a revolver. Investigators suspect that smoke might be tattooed over the gun's barrel after a member is involved in a shooting.

One source compared the notion of modifying the tattoo after a shooting to a celebratory "high five."

Despite the disturbing allegations, sources say there is currently no evidence that the men were involved in improper shootings or other misconduct. Still, the revelations have heightened concerns. What investigators are most concerned about isn't the alleged tattoos, but the suspected admiration they show for officer-involved shootings, which are expected to be events of last resort.

The department has long grappled with unsanctioned cliques inside its ranks. Last year, the department fired half a dozen deputies who worked on the third, or "3000," floor of Men's Central Jail after the group fought two fellow deputies at an employee Christmas party and allegedly punched a female deputy in the face.

Sheriff's officials later said the men had formed an aggressive "3000" clique that used gang-like three-finger hand signs. A former top jail commander told The Times that jailers would "earn their ink" by assaulting inmates. This week, two former jail supervisors told a county commission created to examine jail abuse about troubling deputy behavior.

One said jailers ignored orders from direct supervisors, preferring instead to listen to rank-and-file deputies who had worked at the jails for several years and earned the informal title of "OG," short for "Original Gangster."

Another testified about becoming alarmed by how large numbers of deputies assigned to the same floor made it a habit to arrive and leave work together and not mix with colleagues from other floors. "This is reminiscent of a gang…. This is how gang members act," said retired Lt. Alfred Gonzales.

The Jump Out Boys, sources said, was a name coined by Compton-area gang members alluding to how quickly deputies from the unit would jump out of patrol vehicles to stop them.

One source with knowledge of the inner workings of Operation Safe Streets said the deputies placed on leave this week consist of current and former Gang Enforcement Team members.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore confirmed that seven deputies were placed on leave, but declined to discuss the details of the probe. "We took the appropriate action and we will continue to take the appropriate action," he said. "It's still early in the investigation."

Whitmore said placing so many deputies on leave over one incident hasn't happened since the 2010 Christmas party fight involving the "3000" deputies. He said the action is one of the largest mass leaves ever ordered by the department.
I sure wish I could get a paid vacation while the boss investigates me.

[zabiqapara]

Aren't these the good guys?

[CymnMaync]

The streets will be safer once these idiots are gone from them.....................hehe

[CymnMaync]

Aren't these the good guys?

Yes they aren't...

[77chawzence]

officer involved shootings are "events of last resort" ?!?!

bullshit.


tell that to the guy playing with a nozzle from a garden hose while waiting for his friend to come home. he was killed by cops who never even identified themselves.

tell that to the deaf, native woodcarver that was minding his own business walking down the street whittling when a cop jumped out of his cruiser, trotted around the corner after him and shot him dead.

...events of last resort my ASS!

[55TRATTERENRY]

...Nowadays, everything is police abuse. Everyone cries and moans. If I was a cop these days, I wouldn't give a shit. I'd go thump some skulls and get rid of the turds causing problems. Everyone hates you anyway, may as well do something to better the world.

that's exactly the problem solid, too many officers have this mentality and act in that manner. if they operated with respect and within the confines of the laws that they are meant to enforce, public opinion of them would improve. its hard to respect police when they clearly have little or no respect for either the citizens or the law. you don't uphold the law by breaking it, right?

[GaryBulguihb]

No, you don't uphold the law by breaking it, but public opinion is never going to improve. You could take a 1000 cops, who uphold the law, respect citizens, good community servants...all it takes is one asshat cop, to ruin the reputation of all of them.

I really think it's not about public perception at this point. It no longer matters. We need cops who will just do the RIGHT thing. Regardless of what anyone thinks about it.

True story. A little old lady was trapped in her own home. Gang bangers moved in, she lived in the attic terrified. She would not say anything out of fear for her life. Cops couldn't do anything, couldn't get those guys. The whole time this lady lived in fear.

Then, a few renegade cops decided to do something. They didn't have a warrant. They walked right into that home, kicked the shit out of the gangsters, tossed them out into the street. Said if they came back, they were dead men.

Those cops broke a lot of laws. But, in maybe 20 minutes, that problem was solved.

gang bangers today..."domestic terrorists" tomorrow....
slippery slope.

[GaryBulguihb]

solid I understand your point and we usually agree on this stuff. Clearly her rights were being violated and something needed done.

but its a slippery slope busting into homes and removing "criminals"...that day it was gangbangers but sometime DHS will send them in after the "domestic terrorist". Its a dangerous precedent that's all I was getting at.

[77chawzence]

No, you don't uphold the law by breaking it, but public opinion is never going to improve. You could take a 1000 cops, who uphold the law, respect citizens, good community servants...all it takes is one asshat cop, to ruin the reputation of all of them.

I really think it's not about public perception at this point. It no longer matters. We need cops who will just do the RIGHT thing. Regardless of what anyone thinks about it.

True story. A little old lady was trapped in her own home. Gang bangers moved in, she lived in the attic terrified. She would not say anything out of fear for her life. Cops couldn't do anything, couldn't get those guys. The whole time this lady lived in fear.

Then, a few renegade cops decided to do something. They didn't have a warrant. They walked right into that home, kicked the shit out of the gangsters, tossed them out into the street. Said if they came back, they were dead men.

Those cops broke a lot of laws. But, in maybe 20 minutes, that problem was solved.

if the police dept fired those "asshats" instead of protecting them and giving them paid suspensions, it would go along way to improving public opinion.

when those who are meant to enforce the law routinely flaunt the law, how do they expect the rest of us to abide by it?
it only goes to further the "do as i say, not as i do" mentality that the cops wear with pride.

that little old lady should have owned a gun or two, and she could have solved her own problem.

we need cops that will do the right thing, sure...but are they doing what's right, or what they perceive as right? there is a difference.

[gWhya5ct]

You've got to understand, these guys, are adrenalin junkies. Disagree, that's OK, but the areas some of these guys patrol, is rough.

It takes a certain kind of person to fight crime in these areas. Your average person has no idea about that.

Bottom line, in a high crime area, are the bars coming off the windows in the homes, or being put on. Are the local folks walking their dogs at night, or are they hiding in their homes.

I'm becoming more and more of a fan of old school justice. Small town years ago, turds cause problems, you run them out of town.

Nowadays, everything is police abuse. Everyone cries and moans. If I was a cop these days, I wouldn't give a shit. I'd go thump some skulls and get rid of the turds causing problems. Everyone hates you anyway, may as well do something to better the world.

I might have sympathy for the argument if cops were not sporting plastic shields. riot gear, and busting heads in OWS, while while protecting the likes of JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

[77chawzence]

If it was your grandma. Honestly, what would you do? Recommend a firearm for her, or go stomp the shit out of those guys, and send them packing?

This is a true situation, not made up. This is life.

If you want the rights to defend what you love, and to protect. God damn, give some cops that right too. Let them clean shit up on occassion.

i would have stomped the ever lovin shit out of them for sure. but i'm not a cop. i also would have recommended grandma get a gun for the times when she was alone. speaking of which, where were her kids/grandkids? why didn't they send the gang bangers packing?

when the police took their oath, they basically gave up the right to make that distinction between what laws they should or should not follow. if they want to act like vigilantes then they should not be cops. period.

[Rugda]

True story. A little old lady was trapped in her own home. Gang bangers moved in, she lived in the attic terrified. She would not say anything out of fear for her life. Cops couldn't do anything, couldn't get those guys. The whole time this lady lived in fear.

Then, a few renegade cops decided to do something. They didn't have a warrant. They walked right into that home, kicked the shit out of the gangsters, tossed them out into the street. Said if they came back, they were dead men.

Those cops broke a lot of laws. But, in maybe 20 minutes, that problem was solved.

solid, don't take offense to this, but there's a lot of loose ends with this "true" story...

for starters, how did the cops gain knowledge of the g/b'ers unlawfully occupying her home? the story says she hid in the attic, too scared to talk to anyone.

did one of the neighbors call the police to report the home invasion? if so, would the police not have the duty to investigate the premises? a report of a crime in progress (which this story sounds like) would not require a warrant, would it?

why didn't the police arrest these criminals, instead of beating them and sending them on their way to perhaps take up residence in another old lady's home?

do you have a link for this story that may help shed some light on these questions? or is this an old cops' tale told to rookies to keep them psyched on the job?

the fact is, the cops are obligated to hold themselves to a higher standard in order to have the right to wear the badge. don't wanna play by the rules? transfer to the fbi or cia or any other alphabet agency...