True Crime Blog
George Ramos is a Firestone legend. He wasn’t a gunslinger nor a valiant leader of men, he didn’t hook and book and make the streets safe for women and orphans—at least not directly. At least not usually. He was our station mechanic, one who would respond to assistance requests armed with a crescent wrench. There…
I had a fun blog prepared for today but it’s going to have to wait. I’m angry about what is happening to our country right now, how a certain facet of society is destroying America, and I’m going to vent about it here. If you’re angry too, read on. If not, this blog isn’t for…
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…
Even a couple of hard-charging Firestone deputies could hit a dry spell now and then. This was the result, we always reasoned, of someone having pissed off the arrest gods.
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…
On any night in South Los Angeles, gunfire crackles against the backdrop of revving motors and booming thumps of amplified bass. But on New Year’s Eve, those nightly but sporadic—and oftentimes purposeful—volleys of gunfire, are lost in the celebratory expenditures of what some of us consider to be precious metals.