June 8, 2021. Last night, the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley (DPSFV), an umbrella organization representing Democrats and Democratic Clubs in and around the San Fernando Valley, voted to stand in solidarity with the family of Andres Guardado, on the one-year anniversary of his death, in condemning his murder and the ongoing acts of police brutality rampant in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
DPSFV recognizes that these acts of police brutality perpetrated by members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department disproportionately impact Black and Latinx communities throughout Los Angeles County. DPSFV joins many individuals and organizations in calling for systemic reform of law enforcement agencies, including the Sheriff’s Department which has a history of misconduct.
We hold Sheriff Alex Villanueva accountable as the head of the organization for the continuing culture of police brutality.
In 2018, DPSFV supported Mr. Villanueva in his bid to serve as the Los Angeles County Sheriff based upon the reforms that he promised to bring to the agency. We were optimistic that his administration would bring a “breath of fresh air” to a law enforcement agency in much need of reform. However, these promises have yet to be fulfilled.
Based upon the aforementioned injustices, and Sheriff Villanueva’s failure to take decisive measures to reform and eradicate this culture of police brutality present in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley calls for the resignation of Alex Villanueva as Los Angeles County Sheriff.
“Sheriff Villanueva ran on the notion of reforming the Sheriff’s Department. His actions have done the complete opposite of reform. He has worked to keep hidden the real problems of deputy gangs, and misconduct. Accountability is key, and we need to hold our Sheriff accountable for his actions and inaction.”
– Sean Rivas, Chair, Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley
Resolution
Holding the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Accountable
WHEREAS on June 18, 2020, 18-year-old Andrés Guardado was shot five times by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy, after which nearby business owners reported the warrantless seizure and destruction of area video surveillance footage by sheriff deputies and Sheriff Alex Villanueva placed a “security hold” on the autopsy, but the L.A. County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner defied that hold, released the autopsy that ruled Guardado’s death a homicide, and initiated an inquest into Guardado’s killing — the first inquest of its kind in 30 years — prior to the inquest, Deputy Art Gonzalez testified that the deputy who killed Guardado was a prospective member of the “Executioners,” a deputy gang operating from the Compton Sheriff’s Station and one of 18 deputy gangs that have historically operated in LASD; and
WHEREAS the murder of Andrés Guardado by deputies was part of a 45% increase in LASD shootings in 2020 alone as compared to 2017-18 levels, joining the killings of Dijon Kizzee, Fred Williams III, Dana Malik Young, and at least 13 others just since the murder of George Floyd, despite uprisings led by Black Lives Matter to demand police accountability and community investment, including in L.A. County, where nearly 80% of the 928 people killed by police since 2000 were Black or Latinx, yet only two police officers have been charged;
WHEREAS Sheriff Villanueva has been called to resign by the Civilian Oversight Commission; has stonewalled requests from the Office of Inspector General regarding deputy shootings; has sued the county to block and avoid a subpoena to be questioned about LASD’s deputy gangs and has allowed deputies to harass and intimidate grieving families seeking justice; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, in solidarity with the family of Andrés Guardado on the one-year anniversary of his death, condemns the murder of Andrés Guardado and acts of police brutality in Los Angeles County that disproportionately impact Black and Latinx communities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Los Angeles County Democratic Party recognizes systemic police brutality in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, including deputy gangs, such as the one that was accused of involvement in the death of Andrés Guardado, and calls for reform in the Sheriff’s Department and holds Sheriff Alex Villanueva accountable for perpetuating a culture of police brutality and therefore calls for his resignation.
Authored by: Elise Moore, Godfrey Santos Plata, and Alton Wang
Supported by: LACDP, Stonewall Democratic Club, Los Angeles County Young Democrats, Stonewall Young Democrats, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, Pilipino American LA Democrats (PALAD), Korean American Democratic Committee, Progressive Democratic Club, Northeast Democratic Club of Los Angeles, Monterey Park Democratic Club, Democrats of Pasadena Foothills, Bruin Democrats, Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee, East Area Progressive Democrats, Long Beach Young Democrats, Democrats For Israel LA, Feel the Bern San Fernando Valley Democratic Club, Heart of LA Democratic Club, Democratic Alliance for Action of Santa Clarita, Miracle Mile Democratic Club, Burbank Democratic Club Community Sponsors: Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles; ACLU of Southern California; SEIU 2015; UNITE HERE Local 11; NUHW; UFCW 770; Roofers Local 36; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Southern California; TransLatin@ Coalition; Centro CSO: Community Service Organization; La Defensa; Dignity and Power Now; Black Alliance for Just Immigration; National Immigration Law Center; Youth Justice Coalition; Khmer Girls in Action; Essie Justice Group; Check the Sheriff Coalition; Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition; Social Justice Learning Institute; InnerCity Struggle; Community Coalition; Labor Community Strategy Center; Brotherhood Crusade; Reform L.A. Jails; Anti-Recidivism Coalition