Sheriff Sends Armed Deputies Into Venice, `A Cute Stunt’ Says LA Official, And He’s Expediting Hidden Gun Permits, As County Dem Party Calls On Villanueva To Resign
Written by 991KBU on June 9, 2021
A political battle royale is forming over the L A County sheriff.
Last night … the L A County Democratic Party asked Alex Villenueva to resign from office.
Shootings of unarmed civilians by deputies … and the refusal of the sheriff to allow civilian review of police shootings … the major issue.
But the sheriff’s political moves in Venice … and his decision to issue more permits for carryign hidden handguns in public … are also heating up the issue of Villanueva’s performance.
Some Venice residents … L A politicians … even the L A police chief are criticizing the sheriff for sending 18 armed deputies … wearing battle gear … onto the Venice Boardwalk.
The sheriff’s office called in the LA TV news cameras to shoot video of the sheriff … wearing a cowboy hat … walking among the 200 or so tents and several hundred homeless persons on Ocean Front Walk.
In fact … he had his own video team take pictures of his visit … and post it on the county sheriff’s web sites.
Villanueva has blasted L A mayor Eric Garcetti and westside city councilman Mike Bonin … he says they have allowed the Venice homeless situation to get out of control.
Yesterday sheriff’s deputies hlped six homeless persons into shelters.
Mike Bonin told ABC 7 it was a cute stunt.
NEWSCART 73550 BONIN VENICE
“I do understand that they brought a few people to some services … some housing today … housing that the city has provided … that the VA has provided … and various agencies have provided.
“That’s a cute stunt … that’s a very expensive taxi service …
“And you could certainly house people a lot more cheaply and a lot more cost-effectively … than without a middlemen with guns.”
Mike Bonin … speaking with ABC 7 news.
Bonin said the sheriff’s deputies on Venice Beach simply scattered homeless persons into surrounding neighborhoods.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the LA Times that the sheriff plans to eventually start arresting those who refused to leave encampments by the 4th of July.
The chief told the LA Times that LAPD will not assist the sheriff’s office in clearing the Venice encampments … unless the LA Mayor or city council tell him to do so.
Moore called the sheriff’s move “politics and theater” … and told the newspaper he would have preferred for Villanueva to move into Venice with “less fanfare” and less of a “visual display” of deputies.
And the question comes up … about diverting sheriff’s deputies from homeless work in sheriff areas into the City of Los Angeles.
Villanueva has also used department resources now to set up a special processing unit … to speed up the issuing of concealed weapons permits.
The sheriff says he will divert some department workers to make it easier and faster to get a concealed weapons permit.
Applicants must pass a background test … and attend a class on how to handle their gun.
And at least one county supervisor is asking questions about that.
Under California law … it is illegal to carry a gun hidden on your person.
Villanueva announced he will set up a special unit at the sheriff’s office … aimed at increasing the number of hidden guns … legal hidden handguns … being carried in L A County.
All this comes as serious crime across Los Angeles County is up 95 percent this year …. when compared to last.
The county Democratic Party said Villanueva should resign over multiple failures.
The L A County Civilian Oversight Commission has also called on Villanueva to resign.
The sheriff’s office issued an official statement … accusing the Democratic Party has a radical agenda … and has been hijacked by the radical left.
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For the sixth time this year … a Los Angeles county sheriff’s deputy is accused of a major crime.
Up in Lancaster … a deputy has been officially charged with assault and evidence tampering.
Deputy Nicole Bell is accused beating up a man she had just arrested.
And when the deputy saw a bystander videoing the alleged assault … she is charged with confronting the witness … taking the cellphone and deleting the video. If true … that is tampering with evidence.
The charges were filed by the L A County District Attorney’s office … under the name of George Gascon.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva has just signed a recall petition .. aimed at forcing George Gascon out of office.
In a statement … Gascon said “tampering or destroying evidence tarnishes law enforcement and creates mistrust among the public.”
This would be the sixth deputy criminally charged with an on-duty crime this year alone.
No comment on that from Villanueva.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff functions as the police department for the City of Malibu.
