Baca Switches Sheriff’s Dept. Raffle Prize From Gun to Cash

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Tuesday that he is banning all gun giveaways in his department and will hand out $500 in cash to the grand prize winner in next month’s Lennox station raffle, instead of the 9-millimeter handgun promised when the fund-raiser tickets were sold.

“We will not now or ever raffle off guns in the Sheriff’s Department,” said Baca, who has faced mounting criticism from gun control advocates since the terms of the Lennox contest were disclosed by The Times last week.

“It’s inappropriate,” said Baca, who recently has joined the push for tougher gun control laws.

The sheriff was caught by surprise when first informed that his department’s Lennox station was offering the winner of its annual fund-raising raffle the choice of a 9-millimeter Beretta semiautomatic pistol--the sidearm of choice among law enforcement officers--or $500 cash.

In an effort to make sure the department is not sending mixed messages, officials said, the station will offer only cash, regardless of whether the winner is a sworn officer or a civilian.

In the meantime, Baca has suspended all department drawings until he can issue a policy regulating other prizes offered in station fund-raisers.

“Fund-raising is important,” said Capt. Garry Leonard, a department spokesman. “We don’t want to stop doing it. But we want to make sure we do it right.

“We plan to compose a policy and put it out to the entire department so we all do it the same way and we do it correctly.”

Some officials have questioned whether it’s legal for the department to hold such fund-raisers. State law prohibits raffles, but deputies have sought to get around the rule by calling their contests “drawings” and asking for voluntary “donations.” In the case of the Lennox station, the funds will be used to finance participation in an annual law enforcement relay race.

Leonard said the department is consulting the county counsel’s office to determine the best way to proceed in the future. The department is also monitoring proposed state legislation that would make it illegal to offer guns as prizes.

The Assembly’s Governmental Organization Committee will hold hearings on the bill (AB 1010) next week.

“At this point, I’m really interested in engaging in this dialogue,” said Assemblyman Herb Wesson (D-Culver City), who is chairman of the panel. “It’s important for us not to send mixed signals.

“On one hand, we’re looking at a series of legislation that will deal with the limitations on guns, and on the other hand, we have individuals giving away guns. We need to send one clear message.”

In recent years, it has become increasingly common for police agencies to raffle off guns--and other law enforcement gear--to raise money for their departments. Although sheriff’s officials estimate that law enforcement officers account for the majority of the people who purchase tickets, members of the public usually are not precluded from participating in the contests.

In the Lennox drawing, tickets are being distributed throughout the station’s district, which includes Lawndale and unincorporated areas around Inglewood and Hawthorne. At least one member of the public reported buying a ticket--which calls for a $1 donation--at a local laundermat.

Lennox deputies were hoping to raise $4,000 to $5,000 to pay for their participation in the annual law enforcement relay race between Baker and Las Vegas. Department officials say they are unsure how many tickets have been sold for the drawing, which will be held Feb. 16.

When first asked about the fund-raiser last week, Capt. Doyle Campbell--another department spokesman--said such drawings are not uncommon in the department. “It’s not a big deal,” he said.

Campbell also said that if a member of the public won the contest and wanted the gun, they would be given $500 to purchase the Beretta from a Long Beach gun store that does business with the department. Spot checks of local gun stores by The Times found that all of those contacted were charging more than $500 for the particular model Beretta on offer at Lennox. Legally, the department cannot distribute guns, Campbell noted. Only gun dealers can distribute weapons, after conducting the state required background check.

Last Thursday, the day after the story appeared in The Times, Campbell revised his statement, however. He said the department would give civilians only cash and would not “facilitate” the purchasing of a weapon from the Long Beach gun store.

While sheriff’s officials sought to clarify their position on the matter, gun control advocates continued to question Baca’s commitment to stricter gun-control laws. (At a news conference in August, Baca and Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks joined a majority of the Board of Supervisors in supporting an ordinance banning the sale of guns and ammunition on all county property.)

Ben Bycel, executive director of Women Against Gun Violence, said Tuesday that Baca has “done the right thing” in banning the gun raffles in his department.

“He made it clear that the giving of handguns is probably inappropriate for a law enforcement agency,” Bycel said. “This is not a time to be moving more guns into society. This is a time to be taking them out of society.”