Police Magazine

Richard Valdemar

Sergeant (Ret.)

Sgt. Richard Valdemar retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after spending most of his 33 years on the job combating gangs. For the last 20 years, he was assigned to Major Crimes Bureau. He was also cross-designated as an FBI agent for 10 years of his career when he served on the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force. From 1995 until his retirement in 2004, Valdemar was a member of the California Prison Gang Task Force, helping prosecute members of the Mexican Mafia.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•March 11, 2009

How We Took Down the Geraghty Loma Gang

Just like it is beneficial for a military unit in combat to know the topography of the battle area, your recognition and assessment of the surrounding terrain and the tactical advantage of controlling the high ground can make all the difference. If you can, take the high ground, but if you can’t at least cover the high ground when you approach.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•March 10, 2009

Some Cops Are Just Not Cut Out to Work Gangs

Picking the right people, who have the skills and ability to work with gangs and in small specialized units, makes or breaks any gang unit, but the OSS (Operation Safe Streets) leadership (in a major lapse of sanity) promoted TC and transferred him into the gang unit. He was placed in charge of a team, and this team became a problem.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•February 20, 2009

Protecting Gang Witnesses

Every outlaw biker knows that “snitches wind up in ditches,” but Buck Garrett wanted more than just Margo Compton. He wanted to make an example of her to any other future want-to-be informants. Buck wanted the twins to be killed in front of Margo’s eyes before she died.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•February 19, 2009

Gang Intelligence and Surveillance

Here is a hint; one of the best ways to build usable gang intelligence to fight gangs is through surveillance.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•February 4, 2009

The Gang Investigator’s Library

Here are some law enforcement gang sources and authors that I would recommend. I am unable to list everyone because I only have a limited space. I tried to give a varied mix of more recent textbooks, non-fiction books, Websites, and blogs. I’m going to organize this alphabetically by author.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•January 28, 2009

Breaking the Viking Code

“East Los Angeles 24 handle, 23 to assist, 245 just occurred,” came the strangely calm and feminine voice on the radio. The call was directed to my unit. She further described that at least four victims were down and an ambulance and paramedics were already dispatched. She said it was possibly gang related.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•January 19, 2009

Searching for an East L.A. Gang Fugitive

Smiley Saenz is no soldier for his barrio. He has brought no glory to his gang, only shame. His brutal murders were cowardly acts of wild uncontrolled violence and his victims are as likely to be women, children, or random citizens as they are gang rivals.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•December 31, 2008

Taggers, Tagger Crews, and Tag Bangers

Tagger crews often include people from different ethnic backgrounds and both male and female members. The boys are “Kings” and the girls are “Queens.” The most prolific are kids from 13 to 17 years old. Taggers dress like most other kids but can adopt gang-like dress. Mostly they wear baggy dark colored clothing or perhaps professional sport team clothing. Taggers need their tools so they often travel with various sizes of aerosol paint tips in a case. They carry “Mean Streak” paint mark

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•December 22, 2008

TRG (Tiny Rascal Gangsters): Asian Gangs in Long Beach

The TRG shooters ran back to the barbecue on Orange Street then changed their clothing in a garage. An associate hid the 9mm and a second pistol in a laundry basket in his closet.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•December 17, 2008

Chalino Sanchez and the Narcocorridos

After Chalino Sanchez, corridos became Mexico’s and the American Latino’s equivalent to gangsta rap and they became super popular. Chalino wrote about his brother, Armando, and his boss, Rigo Campos. He wrote about the good, the bad, and the ugly. He sang about men who overcame impossible poverty to survive and prosper (for a while) as men of means and power, as valientes. They lived and died by violence in a corrupt system standing up for their own dignity.

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