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L.A. County Sheriff Announces Inquiry Into Deputies' Secret Societies

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell has launched a comprehensive inquiry into secret deputy cliques and is looking into whether gangs that condone illicit behavior are operating within his ranks.

July 27, 2018

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell has launched a comprehensive inquiry into secret deputy cliques and is looking into whether gangs that condone illicit behavior are operating within his ranks, he said Thursday.

McDonnell’s announcement at a meeting of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission comes two weeks after allegations surfaced that as many as 20 deputies at the Compton Station have matching tattoos featuring a skeleton holding a rifle, reports the Los Angeles Times .

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A Compton deputy recently admitted under oath that he was inked with the skull logo in June 2016, about two months before he was involved in a fatal shooting, the Times reported.

McDonnell, who was elected in 2014 on a promise to reform a corrupt agency, said he is partnering with the Sheriff’s Inspector General and county counsel to study why the groups form, whether they are exclusive, if members are required to act a certain way, and if they endorse bad behavior.