L.A. County Sheriff's Department intends to fire seven deputies

The seven belong to a secret law enforcement clique that allegedly celebrated shootings
and branded members with matching tattoos.



This image is the design of a matching tattoo Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators
suspect was donned by members of an alleged clique, the "Jump Out Boys." Officials
suspect smoke is tattooed over the gun barrel after a member is involved in a shooting.
(February 6, 2013)



Seven Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been notified that the department intends
to fire them for belonging to a secret law enforcement clique that allegedly celebrated
shootings and branded its members with matching tattoos, officials said.

The Times reported last year about the existence of the clique, dubbed the Jump Out Boys,
and the discovery of a pamphlet that described the group's creed, which required aggressive
policing and awarded tattoo modifications for police shootings.

The seven worked on an elite gang-enforcement team that patrols neighborhoods where
violence is high. The team makes a priority of taking guns off the street, officials said.

The Sheriff's Department has a long history of secret cliques with members of the groups
having reached high-ranking positions within the agency. Sheriff officials have sought to
crack down on the groups, fearing that they tarnished the department's reputation and
encouraged unethical conduct.

In the case of the Jump Out Boys, sheriff's investigators did not uncover any criminal
behavior. But, sources said, the group clashed with department policies and image.

Their tattoos, for instance, depicted an oversize skull with a wide, toothy grimace and
glowing red eyes. A bandanna with the unit's acronym is wrapped around the skull. A bony
hand clasps a revolver. Smoke would be tattooed over the gun's barrel for members who
were involved in at least one shooting, officials said.

One member, who spoke to The Times and requested anonymity, said the group
promoted only hard work and bravery. He dismissed concerns about the group's tattoo,
noting that deputies throughout the department get matching tattoos. He said there
was nothing sinister about their creed or conduct. The deputy, who was notified of the
department's intent to terminate him, read The Times several passages from the
pamphlet, which he said supported proactive policing.

"We are alpha dogs who think and act like the wolf, but never become the wolf," one
passage stated, comparing criminals to wolves. Another passage stated, "We are not
afraid to get our hands dirty without any disgrace, dishonor or hesitation... sometimes
(members) need to do the things they don't want to in order to get where they want to
be."

Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said starting the termination process shows
that Sheriff Lee Baca "does not take any of this lightly and will move forward with the
appropriate action."

Investigators were less concerned about the tattoos, and more focused on the
suspected admiration they showed for officer-involved shootings, which are expected
to be events of last resort. The deputy told The Times, however, that investigators
reviewed their shootings and arrests and found nothing unlawful.

"We get called a gang within the badge? It's unfair," he said. "People want to say you
have a tattoo. So do fraternities. Go to Yale. Are they a gang?.... Boy Scouts have
patches and they have mission statements, and so do we."

"We do not glorify shootings," he continued. "What we do is commend and honor the
shootings. I have to remember them because it can happen any time, any day. I don't
want to forget them because I'm glad I'm alive."

If the firings are upheld, it would be one of the largest terminations over one incident
in the department's history. In 2011, the department fired about half a dozen deputies
who were also said to have formed a clique. Those deputies worked on the third floor
of Men's Central Jail and allegedly threw gang-like three-finger hand signs. They were
fired after they fought two fellow deputies at an employee Christmas party and allegedly
punched a female deputy in the face.

As part of the widening federal investigation of the Sheriff's Department, a criminal
grand jury recently subpoenaed the agency for materials relating to deputy cliques,
specifically citing several of the groups including the "3000 boys" and the Jump Out
Boys.

When the pamphlet revealing the existence of the Jump Out Boys was initially found,
officials didn't know if the group was real. But eventually, one member came forward
and named the others, according to an official who asked for anonymity because he
was not authorized to speak to the media.

The seven deputies can fight the department's decision to fire them.

robert.faturechi@latimes.com