The Department is subject to oversight from multiple entities, including the Civilian Oversight Commission, the Office of the Inspector (OIG), outside monitors of lawsuits and settlement agreements, and a federal court. The Department regularly responds to requests for information and documentation from each of these entities and attempts to do so in a timely manner. Year to date, the Department has responded to 140 of the 143 requests for information by the OIG sent to the Office of Constitutional Policing, with only the most recent requests still pending. In the 140 requests, we produced 662 items which included documents and email communications. The Department has also responded to 59 of the 60 requests made by the COC, with only the most recent requests still pending. The sheer volume of requests sometimes makes this challenging, but the Department remains committed to working cooperatively to provide all requested information as required by law.
Historically, County oversight bodies have long taken a contentious approach to dealing with the Department. Admittedly, in the past, the Department also took a contentious approach towards oversight. When Sheriff Luna was sworn in, he committed to changing that approach. He has done so by attending COC meetings, holding monthly meetings with various members of the COC, ensuring responses to the numerous oversight requests, gaining compliance with settlement agreements, and inviting oversight to department meetings and events, among other things. The Sheriff personally and continuously works to improve the relationship. This will take time to change and will require efforts by all parties. Sheriff Luna is committed to continuing this process.
With respect to a subpoena issued by the OIG to the Department for documents regarding an investigation conducted by a unit created in the prior administration, the Sheriff disbanded that unit shortly after taking office. No one in the current administration ran that unit or conducted the investigations in question. Nevertheless, the Department engaged in a diligent search for responsive materials in its possession which resulted in the production of over 55 gigabytes of data, contained on four thumb drives which included emails, phone logs, and other materials responsive to the subpoena.
Following that production, the former IG stated that there were more materials responsive to the request that were not produced. In April 2025, upon learning that the former IG stated there were additional undisclosed materials and believing that there could be no search conducted by the Department that would satisfy the former IG, the Department began the process of hiring an outside attorney to identify what, if anything, was missing. That attorney was hired and is working to determine precisely what the former IG believes is missing from the Department’s response and is also conducting an independent review of the Department’s records to determine if those materials actually exist and can be found. The former IG is aware of this specific effort.
The Department will abide by the law and engage in the legally required process with labor representatives. The Department looks forward to working closely with County Counsel, labor representatives, and the COC to implement the new law and continue building a cooperative and productive relationship grounded in mutual respect, accountability, and the shared goal of public trust.
Prior to the approval of Assembly Bill 847 the Department was forced to file a declaratory relief action seeking guidance from a court about whether the Department could provide confidential records to the COC given the strict confidentiality requirements of California Penal Code Section 832.7. This lack of clarity was recognized by the legislature when it undertook a legislative remedy to address the uncertainty. With the passage of AB847, the Department is dismissing the declaratory relief action.
The Sheriff is committed to transparency in law enforcement and has worked diligently to partner with the COC. He also recognizes the demanding and often dangerous nature of the work performed by our men and women who serve under intense public scrutiny and make split-second decisions to protect our communities. For this reason, the protection of confidential information, including records that safeguard officer safety, privacy, and the integrity of pending investigations, remains of the utmost importance for the Department.
As we move forward it is essential to strengthen collaboration with the COC while ensuring that the rights and safety of our personnel are protected.
The Department became aware of the complaint related to the Palmdale Station CAC at last month’s COC meeting. The complaint was handled according to Department policy, and the complaint was formally documented, and a review is underway.
