Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement this evening, in response to the Sheriff Department’s release of a use of force incident that occurred in Palmdale last year.
“The video footage is gut wrenching. My heart aches for the children we see in this video, and for their mothers.
In the Antelope Valley, there’s been calls for more accountability and transparency. We’re seeing some of those calls being addressed today.
Transparency and accountability starts at the top. I want to commend Sheriff Luna for bringing this incident to light. Although this incident is over a year old, Sheriff Luna moved forward to share the video footage with the community as soon as he learned about it.
He — and I — are committed to constitutional policing. There is no room to tolerate law enforcement practices that do not meet the standards that constitutional policing upholds. I also support accountability measures that will make things better in the long run. Discipling deputies, including firing them, is an immediate but short term fix. Investing in training and increased supervision yields long lasting change.
Lastly, to the law enforcement community who will also see this video today and whose work will be judged harshly in the court of public opinion, I want you to know that I value your work. I do not stand for painting the hard work of thousands of deputies with a broad brush. You work under tough conditions. I thank you for striving to do the right thing, everyday.”