[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he new sheriff will be firing 16 members of leadership brass in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, according to an email obtained by the Long Beach Post.
Alex Villanueva, who was elected with promises to reform and rebuild the department, is apparently wasting no time in implementing changes. The sheriff-elect will be sworn into office on Monday, and that’s the last day for top brass members including the undersheriff, four assistant sheriffs, and several division heads, according to the report.
Earlier this week, Villanueva told L.A. Taco that he would not get into details on plans for firing specific employees
“But as a general statement, I can say we are going to hold all of our managers and supervisors accountable for what they do and for what they fail to do,” Villanueva said in our exclusive interview. “We are no longer going to allow individuals in the organization to fail upwards.”
Villanueva also said he plans on implementing a "truth and reconciliation commission", which would allow members of the department past and present to confess to crimes and violations without consequences. Villanueva believes this will help free wrongfully imprisoned people and bring back wrongfully terminated personnel.
“We have had about two decades of corruption and incompetence and year after year of one bad decision after another bad decision,” he explained. “We want to make sure we make people whole again as best as we can. We are interested in wrongful convictions and wrongful terminations, both sides of the coin.”
According to the email, the following people will be let go, says the Post:
- Undersheriff Jacques LaBerge (No. 2 in command at LASD)
- Assistant Sheriff Kelly Harrington (head of custody operations)
- Assistant Sheriff Jill Serrano (head of administrative and technology operations)
- Assistant Sheriff Bob Denham (head of patrol operations)
- Assistant Sheriff Eddie Rivero (head of countywide operations)
- Chief Warren Asmus (chief of staff to Sheriff Jim McDonnell)
- Carol Lin (director of strategic communications to McDonnell)
- Gymeka Williams (director of community outreach to McDonnell)
- Secretary Martha Reyes (executive secretary to McDonnell)
- John Stedman (head of special operations division)
- Stephen Johnson (head of detective division)
- Eric Parra (head of East Patrol Division)
- Kelly Fraser (head of South Patrol Divisions)
- Joseph Gooden (head of Central Patrol Division)
- Christy Guyovich (head of Custody Division Specialized Programs)
- Jody Sharp (head of Custody Division General Population)
