True Crime Blog
When I first started at Metro, Bobby Mallon broke me in. I’ve written about the Special Investigations Bureau before, an LASD Detective Division assignment that is now called Major Crimes Bureau. When I went there in 1996, the Metro detail had recently assumed the responsibilities of the Fugitive detail when it was disbanded due to…
Law enforcement is shooting itself in the foot over COVID-19 and the questionably lawful orders they are being asked to enforce. Governors are releasing convicted felons from prison and sheriffs are emptying their jails, all in the name of COVID-19. Meanwhile, some officials are going after otherwise law-abiding citizens who dare to defy their orders…
The last day of March was a tough day in this already difficult time in our country and in our world. But that day, in particular, hit especially hard for me and many of my colleagues. Not only was it the 28th anniversary of the death of Nelson Yamamoto, a young Firestone deputy who was…
For most cops, there is a fork in the road when it’s time to leave patrol. Cops who choose not to promote tend to either go into investigations or go tactical. For the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, tactical means the Special Enforcement Bureau. SEB comprises five details: Special Enforcement Detail (better known as SWAT),…
Not to be badmouthing my own department, but the Gun Grip Fiasco is such an excellent example of idiocy and red tape, I cannot resist telling the story. Recently there was a post in a Facebook group in which we were discussing department-issued weapons. I didn’t tell my convoluted story there, but some of you…
Here at the Rafter S, I’m the cow boss. Impressive, right? Well, let’s dive into that a little deeper. A cow boss’s job is to oversee the day-to-day operations of a ranch. He assigns each cowboy his or her duties and he is responsible for the hiring and firing of the cowhands. For the man…
If you happened to be in the horseshoe-shaped cowboy town of New Plymouth, Idaho last Saturday night, you might have thought the rodeo had come early this year. Dusty pickup trucks, cars, and a sea of bobbing cowboy hats filled the fairgrounds parking lot, as family and friends gathered to pay their respects to a local cowboy…
The Fox TV Series, Deputy, has sparked some strong opinions from many of my colleagues from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the agency which is portrayed. Deputy: The Television Series Before the premiere episode, a trailer was circulating on Facebook, especially in some of our LASD groups. Many were upset by the way our…
We’ve just passed the two-year anniversary of The Murder Memo. Origin of the Name A murder memo is a document used at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. It contains the particulars of a case: identification of the victim, the date, time, and location of occurrence, and suspect information if there is any. The team…
“The Plymouth Speech” came about one night in Chinatown over gin and tonics while I sat with two of my best friends, Mac and Johnny B., lamenting a failed weekend with a high school sweetheart I’ll call Linda. “Sweetheart” might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there were obvious feelings each of us had…