Once I heard {that a} swarm of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies executed early-morning searches on the properties of L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and Patti Giggans, govt director of one of many oldest anti-domestic-violence teams within the nation, I noticed county Sheriff Alex Villanueva has gone off the deep finish.
Does our embattled lawman actually assume such a clear try to intimidate his critics goes to rescue his sagging bid for reelection in November? (“NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW” he trumpeted on his Instagram feed beneath a photograph of Kuehl along with her arms up as deputies escorted her from her home.)
Opinion Columnist
Robin Abcarian
If I had been his opponent — as retired Lengthy Seaside Police Chief Robert Luna is — I’d be doing handsprings.
Kuehl and Giggans, who’ve been buddies for many years, are vociferous critics of Villanueva. Kuehl has known as for him to be fired, as has Giggans, whom Kuehl appointed to the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Fee at its inception in 2016.
And now, they discover they’re targets of a felony investigation by the sheriff’s mysterious public corruption unit, which appears to exist solely to harass and intimidate his detractors.
“He’s solely concentrating on political enemies,” George Gascón, the county district legal professional, advised my colleague Alene Tchekmedyian final 12 months after the sheriff tried to enlist him in his first failed vendetta in opposition to Kuehl and Giggans. “It was apparent that was not the form of work I wished to interact in, so we declined.”
Final week, Gascón stated he wouldn’t assist or defend the newest spherical of search warrants in courtroom.
The sheriff would have us imagine that Kuehl improperly steered a small, no-bid contract to Giggans’ nonprofit group, Peace Over Violence, to pay for the creation of a sexual assault hotline for individuals who use public transportation. And that Giggans bribed Kuehl with marketing campaign donations to get the contract. Kuehl stated she didn’t even know concerning the contract till she was invited to a information convention the place it was introduced.
Thursday, on Fox 11 Information, Villanueva stated cash used to fund the hotline was “embezzled.” Reporter Phil Shuman pointedly requested the sheriff why he was on TV speaking concerning the probe since he stated he had recused himself from the investigation.
How did this absurd state of affairs come about?
A number of years in the past, the county’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, generally generally known as Metro, realized in surveys {that a} disturbingly excessive share of feminine riders reported being sexually harassed on its trains and buses. In 2014, practically 1 / 4 of passengers stated that they had skilled some type of undesirable sexual conduct. Almost a 3rd stated that they had stopped utilizing public transportation as a result of they felt unsafe.
Metro approached Giggans, who based Peace Over Violence, which works to finish sexual, home and interpersonal violence. Might her group assist Metro develop a plan to enhance the state of affairs?
“They sought us out,” Giggans advised me Friday morning. “We’re well-known within the subject.”
With an preliminary contract, Peace Over Violence developed a publicity marketing campaign known as “Off Limits,” as in, “sexual harassment is off limits at Metro.”
Metro then determined it wished to offer a devoted hotline. Victims might report harassment and let Metro safety know the place it was occurring and obtain referrals for counseling and different assets.
After the primary 12 months, Metro determined to increase the “sole supply” contract and budgeted $160,000 per 12 months for Peace Over Violence, which has an annual funds of about $5.5 million, most of which comes from authorities grants.
Based on Giggans, the hotline by no means received sufficient publicity on trains and buses, which she blamed on the Metro undertaking supervisor, Jennifer Loew, who had initially been very supportive of the collaboration.
“We all know hotlines,” stated Giggans, who based one of many first home abuse hotlines within the nation. “You’ve got to get the quantity on the market, you’ve got to saturate the trains. She by no means did.”
As a substitute, Loew grew to become a critic. She divided the variety of calls to the hotline by its annual value and determined that the hotline value $8,000 per name, a waste of cash, she felt, at a time when Metro was dealing with an enormous deficit.
“Our reply is that’s not some huge cash to service somebody who has been raped or sexually harassed,” stated Giggans. “If you wish to argue with us about that, go forward.”
Loew additionally made many complaints of misconduct in opposition to Metro and filed a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit in opposition to the company, which her husband, Adam Loew, advised me had been settled late final 12 months for $625,000 plus some again pay.
The contract for the “Off Limits” hotline ended final 12 months, Giggans stated. As of late, the San Gabriel Valley-based nonprofit Challenge Sister Household Companies is dealing with calls. And there’s a textual content line that goes on to Metro’s Transit Safety Division.
Within the meantime, the sheriff has custody of Peace Over Violence’s server, which has hampered the group’s capacity to serve its shoppers.
Deputies rifled by Giggan’s drawers and closets on Wednesday and impounded her automobile.
“And now I’m pissed,” she stated, in a remark caught by TV cameras as she watched the automobile being towed.
“That is uncontrolled,” she advised me. “I’m not going to again down. I’ve work to do.”
Amongst her upcoming duties: On Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Civilian Oversight Fee has scheduled “a particular listening to on deputy gangs inside the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division” to spotlight its report on an issue that has plagued the division for many years. You’ll be able to watch it on-line or attend in individual at Loyola Marymount College.
Villanueva has claimed that the gangs “don’t exist.” I’m not positive what else you’ll name teams of regulation enforcement officers who dub themselves the Banditos, the Grim Reapers or Vikings, have themselves inked with matching tattoos and interact in what many describe as lawless conduct.
Then once more, actuality is just not our sheriff’s sturdy swimsuit.