You know what the most surprising thing about the latest Merrick Bobb report on the LA County Sheriff’s Department and the SCV Sheriff’s Station is?
No, it’s not the fact that there are actually people in the SCV who would shove a black woman into a bush and call her a “nigger” (there are, read the report), nor is it the fact that the SCV has more anti-semitic cases than any other jurisdictions (it does), it’s the fact that for as long as I’ve run SCVTalk.com, the Merrick Bobb reports keep singling out the SCV Sheriff’s Station among all the LASD stations as “in need of improvement,” painting a picture of a station that is lax in its paperwork and reporting, doesn’t take complaints seriously, and doesn’t bother with (or even ignores) hate crimes taking place in the SCV.
In 2007, for instance, the report said the SCV Sheriff’s Station was in the “need of most improvement” for how it handled citizen complaints and misconduct investigations.
“Unlike the Los Angeles Police Department, when someone complains to the Sheriff’s Department about a deputy, the complaint is investigated locally at the station, rather than by an Internal Affairs Division. Bobb found that in Santa Clarita, when a citizen’s complaint conflicts with a deputy’s report -even when a third party witness is available- that the officer gets the benefit of the doubt,” I wrote in 2007.
And then, in late 2007, the Merrick Bobb report found that the SCV Sheriff’s Station’s “internal force reviews” weren’t completely thorough. Again, the report singled out the SCV Sheriff’s Station and said it needed improvement.
Even if those two reports elicit a collective shrug from the SCV, this new report ought to case some real soul searching.
That’s because the latest report finds that the SCV Sheriff’s Station, in a randomized sampling of hate crime cases, “did not always seem to go the extra mile to ensure a thorough investigation in which all leads were followed, all documentation collected, and all witnesses interviewed.”
The report mentions one SCV case in which a group of five white men surrounded a black woman and her white girlfriend. The men allegedly “pushed [the black woman] into some bushes, yelling Nigger and pretending to be monkeys.” According to the report, the SCV Sheriff’s station took a statement and noticed the scratches on the victim’s face, but never investigated this disgusting crime; the case was moved into an inactive file just six months later.
The woman never got justice.
There are other incidents mentioned as well (The Signal covers one in their report), but overall, the report found that the SCV Sheriff’s Station had one of the worst records for completing hate crime files:
And all that’s before you get to the other nugget in the report: The SCV Sheriff’s Station used more force in arrests from 2004-2009 than any other region except for Crescenta Valley Deputies.
To be fair, I think the Sheriff’s Station has improved markedly in the last few years. Back in 2005/2006, they had an absentee commander, a decrepit website, and very little media outreach. From my perspective, things improved dramatically when Captain Anthony LaBerge came on board: he built a new website, he appeared regularly at City Council meetings, he talked to the press, and he produced semi-regular reports. I see the same proactive attitude continuing with Captain Paul Becker, and, from my own personal anecdotal observation, the Deputies at the station are usually willing to answer questions and hand out information.
That said these reports keep singling out the SCV Sheriff’s Station, and that bugs me. The station says they are reviewing the latest report and will have a response (and we will post that response here on SCVTalk). In the meantime, here’s hoping that the next Merrick Bobb report doesn’t mention our Station at all.
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Years ago when I still lived at home, I caught a guy peeking into my bedroom. When he saw me spot him, he ran off. I reluctantly called the Police, thinking that I would be wasting their time, and asked them if this was something I should report. I thought at best they would take a report over the phone. Wrong. They sent a squad car out immediately. The cop took a report and inspected the area where the peeping tom was. Real nice cop and didn’t act like what just happened was nothing.
Years later when I was living on my own, I lived close to the UCLA campus and right across from townhouses filled with college kids that threw obnoxiously loud parties till 3am. I know how much cops love noise complaints, but man, those Police were on it each time I called. And usually within 10 to 15 minutes max.
Fast forward to 2006 and I’m now living in the SCV. We had a peeping tom situation a few years back. We called the SCV Sheriff’s station. They said they would try to have a squad car drive down the street if one was in the area. That was it! My husband had to run the peeping tom off himself.
A friend of mine had a nasty run in with an SCV Sheriff around Christmas time in 2008. Her car had expired tags. The Sheriff who stopped her impounded her car. He left her on the sidewalk with her 8 year old son and all of the Christmas gifts she had just bought. At night! I got stopped by the Police when I was 16 for expired tags (it was my dad’s truck) and all they did was give me a fix it ticket.
From my little experience with the SCV Sheriff’s Department and what I’ve heard from other people, not to mention the way the department handled that string of rapes and they can’t solve a murder that happened in broad daylight and with a handful of witnesses, the SCV Sheriff’s Department seems pretty worthless. We always joke that if you want to kill someone and get away with it, do it in the SCV. We’ve also been told that if you want a Sheriff to show up, you have to tell them you saw someone with a gun.
Let’s give Captain Becker a chance.
At his presentation to the CCAC it was refreshing to hear him talk about areas that required improvement as well as what was going very well. Captain Becker appears to be the real deal; he is personable, articulate and has indicated his commitment to our community.
I just wish he would have smiled a little for his press photo.
@Al agreed.
…and we’re surprised there is racism in the SCV Sheriff’s Dept. because????
Answer lies in the first part of their name…Santa Clarita Valley.
Enough said.
@SCVSuckz , there is racism in the Santa Clarita Valley for the same reason it exists elsewhere, because human beings live here.
Since you feel Santa Clarita is so awful, you may want to consider moving.
I personally love it here!
@ Berta Gonzalez-Harper, oh…that’s why there’s more racist incidents here. Wouldn’t have to do with how city leaders set the tone now…would it…hmmm…let’s see…Kellar openly stating “He’s a proud racist”… Buck just being who Buck is…I’m pretty sure we could pull these out all day going back through the minutes and various blog posts.
Bull-pucky….SCV is rampant with racism and as the old sayin’ goes Berta, “The fish stinks from the head down…”
What…me move out of Awesometown and miss all this fun! Never!!! Hoo-Hah!!!!
I’m gonna call BS. Your evidence for the SCV being “rampant with racism” are: 1)A council member said he was racist–rhetorically, and 2) the vague, useless statement “Buck just being who Buck is.” Is that the best you’ve got? If not, do go on and list all the specific ways in which Santa Clarita roils with racism.
I was curious about a phenomenon I witnessed Saturday but wasn’t sure where to bring it up, this thread seems like a perfect place although there isn’t any racism involved to my knowledge.
On Saturday afternoon around 12 I took my kids to old orchard park for lunch. When we got there a sheriff’s car was parked on Lyons with it’s lights flashing and they had 2 kids handcuffed (or zip tied or whatever). Soon a second patrol car pulled up and I thought, OK maybe one for each kid. I kept my distance but observed that nothing about the kids demeanor made me believe that they were resisting in any way, being belligerent etc. Then I look over and see a 3rd car pull up, then a 4th and then a 5th. There were literally 5 separate Sheriffs cars parked there for at least half an hour.
Now I have seen this type of thing in the past and have marveled at how wasteful a use of resources it seems to be. Maybe someone can shed some light on why, what appeared to be, a relatively low key incident requires that much support. Maybe there is a really good reason that I am just not aware of. It appears inefficient and wasteful especially considering how much we here about them not having enough budget to investigate some of these other crimes.
Just curious.
Everyone is a critic…
Is this really in reply to me? I’m not a critic, I am perplexed and I have a question, that’s not the same thing.
well IHeartSCV….I can’t name every incident that has occurred in the Valley since your birth; however, a few hit close to home which give rise to my opinion…most recently last year as I sat in the high school gym at VHS watching the Vikings play a basketball game against another school…many of the players were African-American and some latino…in any case, I listened to the VHS side shout things such as, “We have futures” and watched signs held up depicting monkeys in the opposing team’s uniforms. Now, many administrators and obviously parents were present…heard and saw the same garbage…you think any of them were proactive? Naaahhhh!!!! I got up and said something to Dr. Priez , took my kids and left! Disgusting. My kid left the football team after two years because he was tired of hearing the word “nigger” thrown around the locker room and football field on a daily basis…in obvious earshot of coaches who did nothing to stop it. In November 2009 a report was published and editorialized regarding the increase of hate crimes specific to SCV while hate crimes had decreased in LA county as a whole….much of the increase was attributable to crimes specific to sexual orientation…VHS is known for racial incidents-a mother in Valencia filed a complaint to the sheriff’s dept. in 2005 because her 3 African American/Asian sons were continually harassed, chased, and threatened in their neighborhood by white teens.
City officials and leaders have acknowledged (go check the Signal archives dude…) racial problems have increased in the valley and VHS as well as Saugus High have many problems on campus regarding these issues despite efforts to educate on diversity and tolerance. The sheriff ‘s department even had to patrol the parking lot at one point because of the swastikas on student’s cars…the same lot teachers and administrators park in…they didn’t see this and act on it before the police had to be brought in….why? Another mother, Patricia Jordan’s African American son was attacked by white teens waiting for a school bus…
swastikas on Jewish student’s lockers at Saugus High….increased violence against latinos in Newhall rampant this year….on and on and on….
come on IHeart…you profess to know this valley…went to the schools here…you are either a liar or are in extreme denial….get over yourself and your lack of objectivity….check YOUR facts….and write the truth …quit defending the likes of city council members who have no interest in this Valley, and only in themselves and quit defending the obvious facts that continue to be illustrated both in the reports detailing the sheriff’s department issues and the very serious racial issues in this valley itself…I call BS. Look in your mirror it’s staring back at ya!
SCVSuckz,
And I wish to call “B.S.” on you. I’ve read your crap long enough to recognize what a bigotted and hateful person that YOU are. You spew hatred to anyone whom you consider conservative and/ or religious or who does not share your world view. For all people to write about bias and intolerance! Give me a friggin break.
I’m sure that you snapped a couple of cell phone photos of those “monkey signs” at the basketball you attended. No? Well maybe YOU could have been one of the “proactive” parents there and done something about it, but naaahhh, you’re just the type to bitch about it a year later in a blog. Quite a profile in courage. Well surely you have a tape recording that your son took of just one of the “daily” recitals of the “N” word thrown around in the football locker room in earshot of the coaches. NO???? Your son was so outraged that this was occurring and you or your kid didn’t do anything about it other than quit the team? You railed against the VHS parents for not being proactive. Sounds like you missed the boat also.
Whiskey, my son and his girlfriend went to Valencia High School. I ran SCVSuckz comments past me son, and he said that the white-racist-preppy-jock attitude was very prevalent when he went to the school, and that even the black athletes on Valencia’s own teams were treated badly. He says it disgusted him.
In fact, he was so disgusted by the attitudes of the student body at Valencia, he took the California High School Proficiency Exam as soon as he turned 16, passed it and enrolled in COC. My son also says his then-girlfriend, a pretty red haired WASPY looking Jew, was frequently subjected to anti-Semitic remarks from the girls at VHS.
My son points out that at the “cool schools” in the L.A. area, Hollywood, Santa Monica and Uni, there are racially and ethnically mixed student bodies WITHOUT the racial disharmony.
My son’s comment is that students learn their racist or not-racist attitudes at home, when they are young, and bring them to school with them.
However, we are both sad to hear that Dr. Priesz has not made much progress in improving interracial harmony at Valencia High School.
Well said, WTF. If the incidents SCVS and her kid witnessed did indeed occur, then they should have been made public and acted on. Post your pictures here, write a letter to the editor, attend a school board meeting and complain. Or walk up to the offenders yourself and give them a piece of your mind.
As to blaming teachers for not noticing swastikas on kids’ cars, that’s ridiculous. I don’t walk around the school’s parking lot looking for indications that cars have been defaced. I’m on auto pilot, like most people. The car’s owner is the most likely person to notice and report the crime to the sheriff. And it is the sheriff who should handle the matter anyway. Defacing or tampering with someone’s car is a crime, not an infraction of school rules.
That said, I encourage everyone to take a proactive stance when it comes to acting to keep children safe and reporting incidents of vandalism or harassment. Mr. RM and I embarrass our kid frequently by becoming involved in situations where we see kids misbehaving or acting unsafely. I have stopped kids from vandalising vending machines at the park, and insisted that two boys get off of a third when they had him pinned down on the ground when he was hollering and begging to be let go because it was time for him to go home. Mr. RM has silenced mouthy teenagers using four letter words in restaurants and reported others who parked in our neighborhood (as opposed to their own), smoking and drinking in their parents’ cars. If everyone were more willing to take a stand and get involved, the world would be a better, safer place.
@ReaderMama, I could not agree with you more.
I would also personally add that I was a member several years ago of the Hart Unified School District Diversity Committee, which was created because of race based complaints such as those mentioned. We have not met in some time but I believe Greg Lee is still the Diversity Coordinator for the Hart School District so a phone call to him if the problem continues at whatever Santa Clarita School is also an appropriate step to take. Dealing with these issues is his job too.
SCVSuckz,
I for one agree with you that there is definitely a problem with racism and bigotry in our valley. I can’t quantify it compared to other places but I do believe that it is currently a problem here. We have had a number of people express surprise that we haven’t worked an angle to get our kids out of Live Oak elementary because of all the students coming in from Val Verde for instance. I have had a lot of other eye opening conversations with people since I have lived here where I have found the need to express to them that I am not interested in participating in the conversation any longer because of their disdain towards Latinos or African Americans.
I would also however agree with Whiskey Tango Foxtrot that I have seen you make very bigoted comments regarding conservatives or those who are religious and frankly you can’t have it both ways. You can’t rail against racism and bigotry and then include bigoted comments in your posts.
When I called you on it in the Rainbow flag thread you came back at me with the standard response that basically implies I need to have a sense of humor and to “chillax,” mind you this is exactly the same justification that Bill Reynolds uses when he tells a horribly racist joke about Michelle Obama.
Feel free to blow me off on the issue again, but if you want your views to be taken seriously and more importantly if you want to be part of the solution rather than the problem I hope you will at least consider what I am saying in the spirit it is intended. Because you absolutely have a valid point regarding racism in our valley IMHO.
I’m pretty sure I’ve only called the local sheriffs department twice in my life, and the results were pretty different LOL. When my girls were little I accidentally locked them in the car at the gas station in the middle of the summer. The gas station wouldn’t let me call AAA, only 911. Lovely. So I called, they said they’d send someone out. After 20-30 minutes and no sign of the sheriff someone on a cell phone let me borrow it to call AAA. They were there in about 5 minutes. The sheriff never did show.
Last year we called on a neighbor throwing a party. My husband had asked the party goers to tone it down and they told him to get lost. The sheriff sent out a helicopter. We thought it was a bit overkill LOL.