Dueling press releases detail two stories of Altadena rescue

Pasadena Fire Department officials are steamed over a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department press release taking credit for a mountain rescue Monday night. They say the press release is riddled with falsehoods — and that the Sheriff’s Department was barely involved in the rescue of two injured women.

Leave it to sheriff’s Spokesman Steve Whitmore to put it all in perspective.

“Here is what’s important: The people got saved.”

Pasadena rescue squad at Eaton Canyon

Perhaps the most telling detail about the whole operation is on Tim Rutt’s altadenablog, which has a picture of the patients being loaded into a paramedic van — not a helicopter.

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OIR report: Victims allege LA Sheriff’s Deputy is a sex offender

If the tales of drinking and sleeping on duty, sex in county cars (while on duty), visiting a whorehouse (and pretending the purpose of your visit is entirely legitimate) weren’t enough to indicate there are some problem deputies in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, here’s more grist for the mill from the County’s Office of Independent Review’s report issued earlier this week.

This past year, a sergeant was relieved of duty surrounding a criminal
indictment arising out of on duty sexual misconduct allegations. There are three female victims listed in the criminal case. The victims allege the sergeant held them against their will and/or threatened them with a citation if they refused to do as the sergeant requested. One woman also alleges that the sergeant followed her to another location and digitally penetrated her against her will.

This same sergeant, while a deputy, had three administrative cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct. Two of the three cases involved allegations that the deputy was seen “flashing” a woman and young girl and then masturbated while he was home in his garage. The incidents occurred months apart from each other and it does not appear the woman and young girl knew each other.

In the case involving the young girl, her parents, once learning that the man was a
deputy, did not wish to seek criminal action. The Department did, however, conduct
an internal investigation but concluded the case was a “he-said-she-said” and thus,
closed the case as “unresolved.” The woman’s case was pursued criminally but
no charges were filed. Again, the Department investigated the matter internally,
including undercover surveillance of the deputy, but after unsuccessful attempts to
gather new information, the case was inactivated.

Michael Gennaco, who authored the report, offered this analysis:

While all sexual misconduct is problematic, when the acts involve law enforcement officers on duty, it is an egregious misuse of the
awesome power and authority given to them. Further, it potentially stigmatizes all the other officers who zealously and honorably do their job.

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It’s not just drinking that gets Sheriff’s employees in trouble — More from the OIR

Guess what? Besides boozing, brutality, boorishness and belligerence, there’s a fair amount of bimbo chasing going on in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department too.

This little snippet comes from the Office of Independent Review’s Report on misconduct in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department…

Case

Based on an anonymous tip, a local law enforcement agency sent its Vice
Team to an apartment complex alleged to be the location of an illegal
massage parlor and prostitution
ring. While conducting surveillance, the
undercover officers saw a man knock on the apartment door and enter the
residence. Unbeknownst to the Team, the man was a prominent high level
professional Department employee
.

When the Team entered the apartment, they found two women dressed
in provocative lingerie. The employee was found in a bedroom with
one of the women and he was partially undressed — he had removed his
shoes and outer shirt, but was still wearing pants, a t-shirt and socks.

The employee was immediately ordered to raise his hands, was patted
down then handcuffed and moved to another room while a search of the
apartment was conducted.

In the course of the search, the officers found several thousand dollars
in cash inside the apartment and a large stash of condoms. The officers
interviewed the women and both admitted to exchanging sexual acts for
money.

The employee told the Vice Team that he had been referred to the location
by “a friend”
from the Department and was only there to receive a
massage. During the LASD internal investigation, the employee claimed
to not remember which friend had told him of the “massage parlor.”

Although he disavowed any knowledge of the illegal prostitution business,
he admitted that he may have learned of the apartment address from a
website–which was sexually provocative. Because the employee was not
observed violating any law, the Vice Team ultimately released him. The
local agency then immediately reported the incident to LASD.

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Lawsuit targets LA Sheriff’s deputies for sex with alleged crime victims

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday alleges the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department encourages deputies to seek out intimate relationships with alleged victims of crimes.

The lawsuit also alleges the Sheriff’s Department routinely covers up inappropriate relationships and conflicts-of-interests and conducts internal investigations aimed at exonerating accused deputies.

The lawsuit, filed by Arnoldo Casillas on behalf of Alberto Gutierrez of Rosemead, seeks unspecified damages.

“There’s this problem and practice of sweeping this behavior under the rug,” said Casillas at a press conference Wednesday in Montebello.

Sheriff’s officials denied the allegations leveled at the department and Detective Phil Solano, a 29-year-veteran who works at the Industry substation.

Solano did not return three calls seeking comment.

Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_15312967#ixzz0r5NSPvVI

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