 A report released by the county Office of Independent Review shows that alcohol-related "incidents" involving LA County Sheriff employees is on the rise.
From January to May 2010, 33 separate incidents took place (including deputies drunk on duty)- a market increase from the previous year. Alcohol-related offenses by deputies rose by
37.5 percent in the first five months of 2010.
In 2008, Sheriff Lee Baca declared that he would prohibit deputies from carrying their firearms while intoxicated - a move that was met with strong protest from union representatives.
Now, as Baca has acknowledged the report's significance in directing attention to the fruitlessness of the department's attempts to put a stop to drinking, critics wonder just how he will crack down on the issue.
The report also lists cases of embezzlement, sexual
misconduct, brutality and sleeping on the job by deputies throughout the
county. Incidents mention in the report (via the LA Times):
- An off-duty deputy was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving with her children in the car, and then arrested months later on another DUI charge. She was arrested a third time for allegedly shooting her gun negligently while off duty and under the influence of alcohol.
- An on-duty deputy was driving a county vehicle to an assignment while allegedly under the influence of alcohol. He ran a red light, hitting another vehicle and injuring two passengers.
- A deputy called in sick but was later found to be out of state. During the trip, she was kicked out of a casino while intoxicated for engaging in overly vulgar behavior during a "booty shaking contest." The deputy was arrested on a trespassing charge after resisting removal.
- Last month, Deputy Randy Barragan, 25, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly fired a handgun in the air on the Redondo Beach Pier after drinking at nearby restaurants. Redondo Beach Police Sgt. Shawn Freeman said Barragan, an off-duty deputy, got out a revolver and fired the gun May 24 while hanging on the pier railing. The girlfriend of the deputy knocked the gun out of his hand, and nearby fishermen tackled him. They held him until officers who had already responded to reports of a man with a gun took him into custody, Freeman said.
- An off-duty deputy was arrested for allegedly driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. When officers stopped her, she asked to be let off "since she was one of them."
Listen to KPCC's Frank Stoltze discuss the issue, here.
From the OIR Report:
An Update on the Alcohol and Firearms Policy
In our Seventh Annual Report we described an incident that had caused the Sheriff to call for a new Department policy banning deputies from carrying their firearms when drinking alcohol off-duty. A deputy had been drinking heavily at a New Year’s Eve party with relatives. While handling his loaded weapon, he accidentally shot his cousin. It was a serious but non-fatal wound. The facts of the investigation made it clear that the event would likely not have happened if either the deputy had not been intoxicated or he had not had his firearm on him.
After the incident, a special task force—in which OIR participated—drafted a policy that provided specific guidance to deputies who intend to carry their firearms off duty and indulge in alcohol. The policy was further refined after constructive input from the employee unions, but as time passed, the Department and the unions reached an impasse on the precise elements of the policy.
In our last annual report, we expressed optimism that the policy would be shortly implemented. However, the policy remains in limbo. As a result of the deputies’ union remaining in steadfast opposition to the policy, they filed an action before the County’s Employee Relations Commission. OIR’s concern about the slowness of those proceedings was brought directly to the Sheriff’s attention recently, and the Department has renewed its efforts to achieve closure in this matter. We are hopeful that when we write our next annual report, that we will be able to report that this policy has finally been implemented.
Meanwhile, the incident that inspired this policy resulted in disciplinary findings against the deputy. He was initially discharged, but pursuant to the internal appeal process, he was allowed to return to the Department in a non-sworn position. OIR opposed this compromise. However, when the Department persisted with the settlement, OIR persuaded the Department to insert language into the agreement that permanently prevented the former deputy from reapplying for a sworn position.
Read the full OIR Report, here.
Related Links:
Alcohol-related offenses by LA County deputies on the rise
LA Sheriff's Department
Has Alcohol Issues; Lee Baca Vows To Crack Down
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