MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
312 SOUTh I liii. SIREIO

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SHEILA KUEHL
DON KNABE
MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH

MAX HUNTSMAN
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September 30, 2015

TO:

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Mayor
Supervisor Hilda L. Solis
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
Supervisor Sheila kuehl
Supervisor Don Kn
--

FROM:

SUBJECT:

REPORT BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

Enclosed please find the Office of Inspector General’s 2015 THIRD QUARTER
STATUS REPORT: The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Implementation of The
Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence Recommendations.
If you have any questions concerning this report, please contact me at (213) 974-6100.
MH:DB:bo
Enclosure
c: Jim McDonnell, Sheriff
Sachi A. Hamai, Interim Chief Executive Officer
Patrick Ogawa, Acting Executive Officer
Mary C. Wickham, Interim County Counsel

County of Los Angeles
Office of Inspector General
MAX HUNTSMAN
INSPECTOR GENERAL

THIRD QUARTER STATUS REPORT:
The Los Angeles Sheriffs Department
Implementation of The Citizens’
Commission on Jail Violence
Recommendations

2015

September 30,

2015

Inspector General

2015

THIRD QUARTER STATUS REPORT

Since the Office of Inspector General’s (DIG) 2015 Second Quarter Status Report
on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Department or LASD)
implementation of the Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence (CC]V)
recommendations was submitted on July 24, 2015, the Department has made
progress in several areas. The DIG continues to make unannounced inspections,
speak with prisoners in every jail facility and meet regularly with unit and Custody
Division commanders as well as personnel from all CCJV related commands.
This report provides updates on the implementation status of each CCJV
recommendation which is “In progress” or “Partially implemented.”
Recommendations 4.11, 4.12, 6.1, 7.6 and 7.14 are all now “Implemented,
additional monitoring required.” For recommendations that require additional
monitoring and which are addressed in the Rosas, et al. v. Baca (Case No. CV 1200428 DDP) (Rosas) Implementation Plan, the DIG will coordinate with the Rosas
monitors to ensure that items are monitored thoroughly but without duplication.
The table below reflects the implementation status and monitoring requirements of
each of the five sets of recommendations. In addition to these updates, the DIG
has reviewed the Department’s personnel rotation policy which was implemented
pursuant to CC]V Recommendations 5.7, 5.8 and 6.8. The DIG’s analysis of the
Department’s implementation of the rotation policy is discussed in a subsequent
report. The DIG respectfully submits its 2015 Third Quarter Status Report.

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Inspector General
IMPLEMENTATION STATUS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Implemented,
Requires No
Additional
Monitoring

Implemented,
Requires
Additional
Monitoring

Partially
Implemented

In Progress

Total

USE OF FORCE

0

10

0

2

12

MANAGEMENT

7

7

0

0

14

CULTURE

0

8

0

0

8

PERSONNEL AND
TRAINING

2

8

0

0

10

DISCIPLINE

0

13

1

1

15

Total

9

46

1

3

59

Cciv
Recommendations

USE OF FORCE
3.8 PPI

and

FAST should

be replaced with a single,

reliable and comprehensive data tracking system.

Status: In progress, funding approved

—

No change in status since the OIG’s 2015

Second Quarter Status Report.

3.12 The

Department should purchase additional body

scanners.

Status:

In progress

The Board’s correctional consultants issued a report on August 16, 2015, that
contains body scanner staffing and cost assessments as well as recommendations
for the number of scanners that the Department should purchase for each facility,
where they should be located and necessary staff to operate machines tailored to
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Inspector General
each facility. The Department reports that it will adopt all of the consultants’
recommendations, that it has submitted a budget request to match recommended
staffing levels and that funds have been allocated to purchase additional scanners.

MANAGEMENT
411

Management should be assigned and allocated
based on the unique size and needs of each facility.

Status:

Implemented, additional monitoring required

In July, the Department reorganized upper management within the Custody
Division by appointing a second captain at HCF, MC] and NCCF. At these facilities,
one captain will be responsible for security operations and the other for
administrative operations. The Department also filled the vacant commander
position over HCF.
In September 2014, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Department to fill 19
new full-time clerical positions to replace deputies and custody assistants who
would be moved to line duty. The Department reports that 16 of the 19 clerical
positions have now been filled and that it is interviewing for the remaining three.
The OIG reviewed the allocation of sergeants and lieutenants at each facility to
ensure that these middle management positions were based upon the unique size
and needs of each facility. The operational staffing models at each facility are
relative to the number of deputies. Ratios of sergeants to deputies are relatively
consistent throughout custody, ranging from 1:6 to 1:17.5. This recommendation
is now implemented with additional monitoring required.

4.12

LASD should create an Internal Audit and
Inspection Division

Status: Implemented, additional monitoring required

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Inspector General
The OIG is now meeting monthly with the IMPAAC to discuss existing and future
projects and audits. The QIG has attended the IMPAAC’s Shooting Review, an
executive panel evaluation of deputy-involved shootings for deputies with multiple
shootings or related issues of concern.
The Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources approved the Law
Enforcement Auditor’s Exam (Exam). The exam filing period opened on
September 3, 2015. The Department reports that it will not activate the IMPAAC’s
Phase III staffing plan. Those staffing resources will instead be allocated to meet
Custody Division staffing mandates pursuant to Rosas. This recommendation is
now implemented with additional monitoring required.

PERSONNEL AND TRAINING

6.1 The Department should review and revise its
personnel and training procedures to reflect
Custody’s status as a valued and important part
of the Department.
Status: Implemented, additional monitoring required
The Department reports that it has now revised its plan to implement a new policy
requiring duty statement acknowledgements from outside overtime deputies. The
policy will now require deputies to sign a waiver acknowledging they have read
specially-selected policies relevant to their overtime assignment on the
Department’s intranet. The signed waiver, accompanied by a memo from the
deputy’s captain, will be sent to the unit commander where the deputy will work his
or her overtime assignment. This recommendation is now implemented with
additional monitoring required.

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Inspector General

DISCIPLINE
76 lAB should be appropriately valued and staffed by
personnel that can effectively carry out the sensitive
and important work of that bureau.
Status:

Implemented, additional monitoring required

The Department reports that it will not activate the lAB’s Phase III staffing for a
final investigative team consisting of one lieutenant and six sergeant positions.
Those staffing resources will instead be allocated to meet Custody Division staffing
requirements mandated by Rosas. This recommendation is now implemented with
additional monitoring required.

7.14

The grievance process should be improved to
include added checks and oversight.

Status: Partially Implemented
The OIG met with the newly appointed Grievance Coordinator on July 28, 2015.
The lieutenant coordinator has one sergeant assisting him and anticipates hiring a
civilian staff member in September to complete the centralized grievance team.
Smaller teams are now in place at each facility, with the exception of PDC-North
and PDC-South, which share one team.
The Grievance Coordinator reported that his first priority is to create uniformity in
how complaints are processed and analyzed between facilities and that he has
begun meeting with the satellite teams to discuss implementation plans for Rosas
compliance. The Rosas plan requires compliance with grievance provisions by
December 31, 2015. The grievance team is currently drafting policy to guide
Department personnel through the grievance process. Among other improvements
to the existing grievance system, the Grievance Coordinator reports that he plans
to develop a handbook and processes similar to the Service Comment Review
Handbook, which is a guide for Patrol Division watch commanders when handling
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Inspector General

public complaints. He will also develop a data tracker which will be used as the
early-warning system for personnel issues and grievance trends.
The Department reports that it is encouraging the use of conflict resolution in the
custody setting. The Grievance Coordinator issued a Custody Division Directive
promoting and encouraging supervisors to use conflict resolution to resolve less
serious complaints and the new grievance form will contain text that stresses its
use generally. The Grievance Coordinator identified a need for and the OIG
recommends personnel training to accompany this important initiative.
Lastly, the grievance team is in the process of identifying data collection and
tracking mechanisms that will make grievance data more useful and informative for
the Custody Division command, including the creation of more meaningful
complaint categories.
The Department’s implementation of iPads is currently three months behind
schedule due to delays in fabricating the iPad wall mounts. The Department is
identifying an outside contractor that it will engage to fabricate the wall mounts and
now anticipates full iPad implementation by April 2016.
As of July 1, 2015, the Department’s grievance processes are subject to monitoring
by the court-appointed monitors on the Rosas litigation. The OIG will continue to
monitor the Department’s progress in this important area.

7.15

The use of lapel cameras as an investigative tool
should be broadened.

Status: In progress (alternative implementation)

The Department continues to move forward with its five-year implementation plan
for fixed cameras. The Department reports that it began receiving the necessary
infrastructure to install the Closed Circuit Television (CCW) system network at
Century Regional Detention Facility. The Department anticipates receiving the
system’s entire infrastructure by October 2015, when installation is slated to begin,
and reports that it remains on target for the December 2015 completion date.
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Lastly, the Department reports that it is seeking funding to accelerate the
installation of the CCW cameras at PDC.

7