L.A. Sheriff's Official Resigns Over Racially-Insensitive Emails

A high-ranking Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department official has resigned in the wake of recent revelations that he shared "inappropriate and unprofessional" emails during his previous job as assistant police chief in Burbank, the L.A. County sheriff announced Sunday.

Tom Angel, who left his position in the Burbank (CA) Police Department last year to become chief of staff for Sheriff Jim McDonnell, came under scrutiny after the Los Angeles Times obtained emails sent by the then-Burbank police official via his department email account including off-color jokes and derogatory statements about minorities, reports the Los Angeles Daily News .

The emails that led to Angel's resignation included insensitive comments about women, Latinos, African-Americans and Muslims.

"Despite the Sheriff's Department's many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do," McDonnell said in his statement Sunday. "I intend to turn this situation into a learning opportunity for all LASD personnel."

The sheriff said he plans to hold meetings with groups throughout the county to discuss racial, ethnic and religious tolerance, as well as revisit and reevaluate current training curriculums.

The sheriff's department will also revisit its policies with respect to "ensuring accountability and enhancing cultural and ethnic sensitivity and professionalism among our personnel," McDonnell said.

As one example, the department will begin implementing random audits of the email accounts of sheriff's department personnel, he said.