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•July 25, 2007

History of the Mexican Mafia Prison Gang

It is rare for law enforcement to have an opportunity to hear from the mind of one who lived it. Today, Mundo (with a new identity) continues to assist law enforcement to understand how criminal organizations operate.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•July 13, 2007

Skinhead and Other White Supremacist Gangs

When I make any gang presentation I usually set the fundamentals down first. After giving the definition of a criminal gang, the question most asked is, How do gangs begin? White supremacist gangs began with young people who perceived themselves as outsiders suffering from injustice, just like every gang.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•July 5, 2007

Mexican Drug Cartel Cowboys and DTOs

For more than a decade, Los Angeles street gangs have been killing about 550 to 600 people in L.A. County each year. What you probably don't know is that Mexican nationals, primarily illegal aliens, murder about an equal amount yearly. Many of these murders involve rivalries and vendettas that originated in states, cities, and ranchos in Mexico. They usually often involve Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO).

Articles•by Richard Valdemar•July 1, 2007

Investigating Gangs Outside the Gang Squad

I remember riding with another L.A. Deputy Sheriff in an East Los Angeles gang car in 1975. To me, it was a privilege working with a special gang suppression unit, but my partner complained that he hated working gangs because it was useless. But he was wrong.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•June 28, 2007

Developing Gang Informants

Not everyone is graced with the skills necessary to identify and develop gang informants. It's like the ability to strike up a conversation with a stranger of the opposite sex when dating; some people just have that flirtatious flair, and some don't.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•June 27, 2007

The Structure of Gangs

Why do the otherwise productive anti-gang programs of New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and Philadelphia not work in Los Angeles? Why do these same cities seem overwhelmed by the flood of Southern California gang members?

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•June 18, 2007

The Tactics of a Gang Hit

The best laid plans and tactics often fall apart after the first shots are fired. However, learning what has worked well against your enemy in the past, listening to the advice of veterans, and participating in practical tactical training that includes repeated realistic practice, will give you that tactical edge in combat.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•June 1, 2007

The Business of Gangs

The dynamics of Los Angeles and the Crip and Blood gangs of the 1980s presented certain criminal entrepreneurs with to opportunity to control the drug trade in large sections of the city, and the L.A. drug lifestyle provided an unlimited consumer base for expansion; it was supply and demand economics in its most vicious form.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•May 9, 2007

The Dawn of the Crips

No matter where you heard it, Stanley “Tookie” Williams was not the co-founder of the Crip street gang in Los Angeles. Many of the leaders of the first Crip gangs knew each other at Washington, Fremont, or Locke High Schools. But more often they were fellow inmates at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, Youth Authority, and Fred Shaw or Bob Simmon’s Home for Boys.

Inside the Badge •by Richard Valdemar•May 9, 2007

Be Ready for School Shooters and School Takeovers

All of the experts agree that America will experience more “active shooter” situations in schools in the near future. What can you, an ordinary first responder, do to prepare a response to a school shooting or hostage situation at one of your local schools? Plenty.

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