Baca’s Leadership at Two Stations

Re “2 Stations Led by Baca Known for Problems,” Nov. 13:

In the second attack this year on deputies at Century sheriff’s station, The Times has again reported disproportional statistics and 2-year-old, unsubstantiated complaints of discrimination.

The article stated that in 1996 Century station had more than [three times] the number of shootings compared to LAPD’s southeast division. It did not mention that Century deputies make twice as many felony and weapon-related arrests than any other L.A. Sheriff’s Department or Los Angeles Police Department station and four times more than any police department of similar size in California.

As for the complaints of women and blacks “avoiding” assignments at Century, the article overlooked the most common element of those who haven’t liked working there--laziness. During my nine years as a deputy, which included trainee, patrol, dispatching and watch deputy positions at Century station, I watched hard-working deputies succeed no matter if they were white, black, Latino, male, female, heterosexual, gay or lesbian. Those who didn’t have the desire to maintain Century as the top-rated patrol training area returned to other assignments and blamed everyone but themselves.

I would like to see The Times fairly compare Century’s dangerous patrol area, where three hard-working deputies have recently lost their lives serving the citizens of Lynwood, Athens, East Rancho Dominguez, Firestone Park, Florence, Walnut Park and Willowbrook.

SCOTT ANDERSON, Rancho Cucamonga

*

The story should have been run before the election, not a week afterward. Voters needed to know about Sheriff-elect Lee Baca’s track record. It is now obvious that an outsider should have been selected and that the department has been given a free ride relative to the constant scrutiny of the LAPD.

The level of misconduct, racism and lack of discipline cannot be downplayed. Not only do the new sheriff and his deputies need to be held accountable, but so does the Board of Supervisors. Anything less than stringent oversight will inevitably lead to more beatings, abuse and deaths while allowing the promotion and continued employment of those thugs whose salaries the citizens pay.

WALTER KATZ, Van Nuys