LASDHQ

text in an orange yellow gradient that reads, "Celebrate Halloween safely and responsibly. image of three people walking down a street. the three people are pictured from the waist down, wearing a witch costume with black shoes, a ghost with white shoes.
Halloween Safety 900 900 SIB Staff

Halloween Safety

Halloween is a fun night for kids and adults alike. It is a time when thousands of trick-or-treaters dress up in their favorite costumes and venture out to fill their bag and buckets with all the candy they can carry. Adults dress up in their best costumes to head to parties, local bars and restaurants to celebrate as well.

As with every Halloween, we urge you to be safe and watch out for one another. 

If you follow these safety tips, everyone will have a great night!  

Parents & Children:  

  • Parents should plan their trick-or-treat route ahead of time and avoid busy streets.
  • Drive extra safely on Halloween. Drive below the posted speed-limit, especially in residential areas. Children are excited and may not be paying attention to vehicles when crossing the street. Do not pass another vehicle that has stopped in the roadway. They could be dropping off children.

  • Children under the age of 12 years-old should trick-or-treat with an adult.
  • Explain to your child the importance of looking both ways twice and listening to your surroundings before crossing the street. Remind them to continue to watch for cars even when they are crossing the street. Remind them not to cross mid-block.
  • Trick or treat with a group and stay together.  
  • Parents or responsible adults should accompany the children while trick or treating.  
  • Children should wear visible costumes that are easy to walk in and see. Light-colored costumes are best. Use retro-reflective tape. 
  • If you wear a mask, make sure you can see. Consider using non-toxic make up instead. Carry a flashlight so drivers can see you. 
  • This is a night of heavy foot traffic, use a crosswalk when available or cross at intersections. Look both ways before crossing the street!
  • Only approach well-lit homes that have their porch lights on.  
  • Set up a meeting place in case you get separated from your group.
  • Talk to your children about the 9-1-1 system and how to dial the number in the event of an emergency.
  • Parents, after you are done collecting candy, please inspect the candy before allowing the children to eat it. If you find opened candy, discard it.
  • Discard any type of treat that looks suspicious.  
  • As you may have noticed, Fentanyl pills are being produced in different colors, and some dealers have attempted to smuggle these pills in candy packaging.
  • Although we don’t believe children are the target of these smugglers, we want you to remain diligent to ensure these illicit products have not accidently been mixed in with your children’s candy.

Adults Planning to Party / Drivers  

  • Decide before going out whether you plan to drink or drive. You can’t do both. 
  • If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver, take a cab, ride-share or use public transit. Anything that doesn’t involve you getting behind the wheel.  
  • Party hosts: Offer non-alcoholic drinks to designated drivers and don’t allow anyone who may be impaired to leave. 
  • There will be many kids out and about dressed up in costumes. This is another reason to slow down and be extra cautious. Obey all traffic signs and signals!  
  • Avoid driving through residential areas where trick-or-treaters are likely to be. 
  • Watch for children in costumes that may be harder to see at night. Look out for trick-or-treaters who may cross the street mid-block, or from behind parked cars. 

Halloween is a night child predators are looking for victims. Prior to going out, talk to your children about strangers. Instruct them to NEVER get into a stranger’s vehicle under any circumstance. If someone stops and asks your child for help or tries to lure your child into their vehicle, tell them to scream as loud as they can and run.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department wants everyone to have a fun, safe and most importantly, have a Happy Halloween! 

Sheriff alex villanueva graphic. portrait of sheriff in tan shirt black tie. Sheriff's uniform, on greeen background with the hall of justice building behind him faded in the back ground.
IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY 1024 249 SIB Staff

IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY

IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY

October 28, 2021

As homicides continued to rise, the Board of Supervisors voted to require all Los Angeles County employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face discipline, up to and including termination. 

The Board’s vaccination mandate is causing a mass exodus within the Department, which is an absolutely absurd result.  I have repeatedly stated the dangers to public safety when 20%-30% of my workforce is no longer available to provide service, and those dangers are quickly becoming a reality.  We are experiencing an increase in unscheduled retirements, worker compensation claims, employees quitting, and a reduction in qualified applicants.  As a result, homicide rates will continue to rise, response times will increase, solve rates will diminish, arrests will decline, patrol services will significantly decline, and patrol stations will close. 

A large part of our workforce who is close to retirement finds it easier to simply retire, than be forced into a decision which should be a personal choice.  Other personnel who were called “heroes” for diligently working in service to the community during the pandemic, while other professions stayed home, have decided to finally get those surgeries they have been putting off for injuries sustained throughout their careers (knees, shoulders, back, etc.). 

This unintended consequence to public safety was predictable.  In the near future, unless something changes, the “defunded” and “de-staffed” Sheriff’s Department will no longer be able to sustain the staffing levels required to maintain public safety at the status quo.

My personnel already wear masks and would submit to routine COVID-19 testing, so termination makes no sense. 

Personally, I am vaccinated and believe the vaccine works, but the choice to receive the vaccine is a personal one, and an individual who served the community tirelessly before there was a vaccine should not now be fired because they made a decision about their own body.

If you have an opinion on this matter, please call the Board of Supervisors and voice it.  With the pandemic diminishing, there is no justification for the Board mandate; it is like putting up the storm windows after the storm has passed. 

Sheriff Alex Villanueva

See my Response letter regarding the matter here.

Voice your concerns with your district supervisor

Name and numbers of the Board of supervisors.
help solve the murder of Diego Ortega-Reza 1024 682 SIB Staff

help solve the murder of Diego Ortega-Reza

Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Homicide Detectives and Family Members Plea to the Public for Information that will Help Solve the Murder of Diego Ortega-Reza

On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Homicide Bureau detectives held a press conference near the area where Diego Ortega-Reza was shot back in July of 2021.  Lieutenant Charles Calderaro announced a $15,000 reward in exchange for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for taking Diego’s life. The reward is sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

Diego was a shy, yet enthusiastic teenager who had just graduated from high school and was looking forward to going to college. Like most teenagers, he enjoyed gatherings with friends and family. His sweet nature and effervescence were obvious, and were characteristics which endeared him to his siblings and friends.

On July 5, 2021, at approximately 12:45 a.m., 18-year-old Diego was in the front passenger seat of a gray Toyota Sienna minivan. Diego, along with his younger brother and a friend were returning home from a 4th of July party. They were driving westbound on Cesar Chavez Avenue. As they approached the intersection of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Lorena Street, an unknown person fired gunshots at their vehicle. Tragically, Diego was struck by gunfire and sustained a fatal gunshot to the head. The driver of the vehicle, immediately drove to a nearby hospital and Diego was then transferred to a trauma center where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. Diego died on July 10, 2021.

“I know somebody saw something. It was a very special day in this country. Somebody had to be outside, they saw, they heard something. Please help us. The entire family is devastated. My other son was a passenger and he is doing badly. He wanted to be here but he couldn’t. He can’t, he has taken it badly. Whoever did this has caused an immeasurable pain to us. My son was not a bad person, he had no tattoos, nothing,” said in Spanish Diego’s mom, Socorro Ortega. “Do not defund the police that help us, investigators, please do not take away funds. They’re crucial, there is not enough police on the streets,” she added.   

Sheriff Villanueva thanked the Board of Supervisors for approving the reward but noted that more is needed. “It takes investigators to solve these crimes, it takes patrol deputies to prevent them from happening, and it takes a lot of work in between. From 2019 to now, there has been an 87% increase in homicides while we’re being defunded, while we’re losing homicide investigators and we’re seeing a reduction in patrol deputies,” said Sheriff Villanueva.   

“I was moved to put forward this reward in an effort to call on residents to help us bring accountability to the murder of Diego,” shared Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District. “I encourage members of the public with information pertaining to this heinous crime to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau. What happened to Diego was tragic. The County will continue to make investments in community prevention strategies to address community trauma and violence. By working together across community and local government agencies, we can enhance the public safety of our communities,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis.

If you have information about Diego’s senseless murder, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or if you prefer to provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org/.

Graphic of Sheriff Villanueva next to Hall Of Justice
SUBPOENAS UNDER AB 1185 1024 249 SIB Staff

SUBPOENAS UNDER AB 1185

SUBPOENAS UNDER AB 1185

October 20, 2021

Tomorrow, neither I nor my Undersheriff will appear under oath before the Civilian Oversight Commission (COC), due to pending legal concerns which have yet to make their way through the courts regarding the scope and authority of the new law concerning oversight.  This is a matter which must be given time to make its way through the legal system.  A conflict of interest has existed between myself and the Board of Supervisors for some time now, and through their appointed commissioners they have vilified me for using the legal system to clarify the many areas which are undefined and unclear in the subpoena process.  Rather than allow due process to work, the Board’s commissioners further clog the system with unnecessary actions, in an effort to delegitimize both myself and my department.

There was no need for subpoenas. I agreed to appear voluntarily, at minimum, 3 times per year, and have already done so.  The COC does not extend the courtesy of checking with my schedule or even sending a special request to appear, they just issue subpoenas.  Although they have subpoena power, it is an abuse of power to simply use it to demand I show up and then testify under oath. There is no current investigation.  They are not a legislative body.  They have no authority over a duly elected sheriff, other than oversight. They are there to offer advice, not interrogate.  I have freely answered questions in the past, so why now do they want to interrogate me under oath in an adversarial setting?

Tomorrow’s COC meeting will be filled with the same rancorous politically motivated rhetoric as usual.  As they grandstand and gaslight, remember these are the same BOS appointees who voted unanimously for my resignation, with zero evidence of misconduct, yet have been deafeningly silent regarding the federal indictment of former Chair of the Board of Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas for 20 counts of public corruption.  The same Mark Ridley-Thomas who appointed most of the commissioners to their positions on the COC.  The same Mark Ridley-Thomas who called for my resignation, then authored a Board motion ordering County Counsel to explore ways to overturn the results of the election and remove me from office.  One COC commissioner, personally appointed by Mark Ridley-Thomas, actually led a “citywide prayer service” in support of Mark Ridley-Thomas this past weekend.  With his indictment, a new light has been shed on his, and his surrogates, obsession towards my removal from office.

The COC will condemn me loudly for pursuing the legitimate legal process that any Sheriff would avail themselves.  Yet, this same COC chose not to honor a continuance of their subpoenas in order for the Undersheriff and I to retain independent counsel, after current County Counsel Rodrigo Castro-Silva was notified of a clear conflict of interest. Unfortunately, at times the Board of Supervisors’ interests and the Sheriff’s interests will be at odds and the Board will infringe and interfere on the authority of the sheriff. The law provides for these differences and I am seeking clarity, as is appropriate under the circumstances. 

Do not be deceived by their politically motivated rhetoric. Understand and know this department provides requests for information to the COC and Office of the Inspector General. Please visit our tracker on the LASD.org website. OIG and COC receive regular updates as to their information requests and have received thousands upon thousands of documents to inform them regarding oversight. These subpoenas are political theater and once the courts rule on the issues at hand, it will be seen by all for what it was. I remain committed to transparency and accountability, but under a process which is constitutionally sound, and not a political weapon to attack others. I seek a remedy in the court in an effort to establish a fair process going forward where the rules and standards are clear for all sheriffs and Boards of Supervisors throughout the state in dealing with the new transparency laws should they find themselves in similar disagreement.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva

Graphic of Sheriff Villanueva next to Hall Of Justice
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VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE vs “VACCINE MANDATE POLICE”

VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE vs “VACCINE MANDATE POLICE”

October 8, 2021

In Los Angeles County we have a Board of Supervisors who repeatedly call to empty the jails and release felons back onto the streets; a District Attorney who refuses to prosecute many misdemeanors and has effectively de-criminalized a myriad of crimes through his special directives; a homeless problem in excess of 80K which continues to grow without solutions; a 54% increase in homicides; and all this occurred as LASD was defunded and stripped of 1,400 positions. 

These reckless actions in the name of “woke-ism” have real-world consequences and public safety continues to suffer as a result.  Continuing to defund LASD when there is a $2 billion surplus forces us to make tough choices regarding the allocation of resources. When a decision must be made between responding to a violent felony in progress or serving as the “vaccine mandate police,” the choice is simple. 

The Department will continue requiring all of our employees to register with the Fulgent system but will only seek voluntary compliance and testing for the unvaccinated.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva

Bag of methanphetamine, Large bag, aproxemetly 8 inches by 6 inches, full of white rock like substance.
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Fentanyl Awareness

Fentanyl Awareness: Remember, one bad choice can cost you your life. 

Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical drug that was created to help patients with pain management.  It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. 

Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous and deadly substances ever produced.  Illicit drug manufacturers and distributors discovered fentanyl offers a very effective replacement filler or supplement to street level drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, in 2020, Los Angeles County had a significant increase in opioid deaths.  1,173 deaths involved fentanyl.  As of May 2021, there were 567 deaths in Los Angeles County related to fentanyl overdoses, which is an approximate increase of 57%, from the 395 fentanyl related deaths in the first five months of 2020. –  https://www.dea.gov/

The best way to help combat the Fentanyl drug problem is through awareness and education. #LASD asks that you please take the time to educate your children and loved ones on the dangers of not just Fentanyl, but all drugs!  Remember, one bad choice can cost you your life. 

For more information on research, training and topics about drug abuse, visit: https://www.drugabuse.gov/

Dead on Arrival: Fentanyl awareness Documentary

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Detectives Seek Assistance in Locating Suspect Wanted for Murder

Detectives Seek Public’s Assistance in Locating Suspect Wanted for Murder

On Thursday, October 7, 2021, Homicide Bureau detectives held a press conference to ask for the public’s assistance in locating Joseph Dambra, who is wanted for shooting and killing a family member in the City of San Dimas. Dambra is a White, 62 year old, male, 5’10” and weighs 215 lbs.

On Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at approximately 7:02 p.m., Dambra drove to a family member’s residence located on the 200 block of Valley Center in the City of San Dimas, and shot and killed his brother Richard Dambra. After the shooting, he fled the location going southbound on Valley Center Drive and drove to another residence located on the 500 block of East Allen Avenue in the city of San Dimas an shot his brother’s unoccupied vehicle several times. After the second shooting, he fled the location in an unknown direction.  

Dambra was last seen traveling northbound on the 15 Freeway near the 210 Freeway driving a red and white Ducati motorcycle with a California license plate number 24T1111. Dambra is considered armed and dangerous. People should use extreme caution if they see him, do not approach. Instead, contact your local law enforcement authorities immediately.  

If you have information on his whereabouts, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau, Detective Blagg or Sergeant V. Choi at 323-890-5500.  If you prefer to provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org/.

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SHERIFF UNVEILS THE LASD PINK PATCH PROJECT SUV

SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA UNVEILS THE LASD PINK PATCH PROJECT SUV TO RAISE AWARENESS DURING BREAST CANCER MONTH

On Monday, October 4, 2021, in an ongoing effort to increase public awareness about the fight against breast cancer, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva unveiled the LASD Pink Patch Project SUV in front of the iconic Hall of Justice. Sheriff Villanueva also announced he authorized wearing the LASD Pink Patch during the month of October for all personnel who wear uniforms with a shoulder patch.

The Pink Patch Project is a collaborative effort between the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association (LACPCA) and over 500 public safety agencies throughout the United States. As part of this program, participating agencies sell their commemorative pink patches not only to public safety personnel but also to the community. In addition to pink patches, other merchandise, including T-shirts, challenge coins, and stuffed animals, is sold to generate funds. Last year face masks were added to the list. Proceeds from the sale of these items go to fund breast cancer education, research, and treatment. This year, proceeds of all the money raised from the sales of the Pink Patch merchandise will be going to the Pomona Valley Hospital Breast Care Center.

This year, Deputy Francisco Herrera and two volunteers, Edwin Escobar and Christian Escobar, designed the Pink Patch Project SUV. They donated approximately 200 hours of labor to honor their mother and to raise awareness for the terrible disease. The graphics were donated by LA Banners Print Company.  

Please visit www.lasdpatch.com to purchase pink patches and other merchandise. Proceeds from the sale of these items will directly benefit the Pomona Valley Hospital Breast Care Center.

Video

Sheriff alex villanueva graphic. portrait of sheriff in tan shirt black tie. Sheriff's uniform, on greeen background with the hall of justice building behind him faded in the back ground.
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POLICE REFORM LEGISLATION – AB 958

POLICE REFORM LEGISLATION – AB 958

October 1, 2021

Yesterday, AB 958 was signed into law!  I am proud to be a sponsor of this legislation, which is based on the current Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department policy I implemented in February 2020.  

Our current Department policy is consistent with this new law and is already being enforced.  This law will serve to foster organizational change and hold employees to a higher standard of conduct.  We must remain hyper vigilant that benign subgroups do not devolve into cliques that may dishonor the badge. 

I thank Assemblymember Mike Gipson for championing this legislation and Governor Gavin Newsom for signing it into law.

Sheriff alex villanueva graphic. portrait of sheriff in tan shirt black tie. Sheriff's uniform, on greeen background with the hall of justice building behind him faded in the back ground.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MISSUSE OF CORONER INQUESTS 1024 249 SIB Staff

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MISSUSE OF CORONER INQUESTS

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MISSUSE OF CORONER INQUESTS

Amended October 5, 2021

The Board of Supervisors (Board) has voted to open a coroner inquest on three Deputy-Involved Shooting (DIS) cases (Mr. Dana Mitchell “Malik” Young, Jr., Mr. Samuel Herrera, Jr. and Mr. Dijon Kizzee).  What is difficult to understand is for what logical reason. 

All completed internal criminal investigations are submitted to the Office of the District Attorney – Justice System Integrity Division (JSID), as well the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Going forward, my intent is to share force investigations handled by the Homicide Bureau with OIG, shortly after they are given to JSID, unless JSID objects to preserve the integrity of the investigation, or on the following grounds: (1) disclosure would endanger the safety of a person involved in the investigation; (2) the completion of the active criminal investigation would be jeopardized; or (3) the privacy interest outweighs the interests of the disclosure.

Additionally, all three of these cases have been publicly posted for some time at LASD.ORG with the official finalized coroner reports, incident summaries, and names of involved deputies.  In the case of Mr. Kizzee, video footage of the DIS and video of the press conference are also available to the public.

Note: Due to the Board’s funding delay tactics, the Department was not yet equipped with body-worn cameras (BWC) at the time of these incidents, therefore no BWC footage exists.   

A coroner inquest can only address the question of circumstance, manner, and cause of death.  In all three of these cases, those questions have already been determined and the cases are with JSID to decide if the deputies’ actions were lawful.  

Although a coroner inquest may provide for good political theater from which to launch political attacks, this will be a colossal waste of tax dollars and will not provide one single shred of new information.  Additionally, these actions may serve to jeopardize any criminal case which could be determined by JSID.  

The Board should address the real problem; why does it take so many years for JSID to make a decision as to the lawfulness of each DIS?  I have already publicly called on the DA to issue a letter of opinion on each DIS within 90 days of the case being submitted, and I ask the Board to join me.

All loss of life is tragic and our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mr. Young, Mr. Herrera, and Mr. Kizzee.  It is painful to see the Board exploit tragedies for their political agenda.