(UPDATED!)  This Change.org petition does not have the power to officially lead to a recall of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.  Hopefully it will energize a grassroots movement to launch a genuine recall petition to unseat the Sheriff in November 2020.  In starting this petition, I do not represent any organization, political party, or anyone else's views but my own.  I am simply a voter who made a grave error in judgement.

What I call for is not an easy task: approximately 450,000 registered voters in Los Angeles County will need to exercise their personal political power and sign their names and personal details to see that we get law enforcement leadership that will enable better administration of justice for all County of Los Angeles visitors and residents. 

So what are the reasons why we should recall Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva?

__________________________

THE ANGRY EIGHT:

8 Reasons Why Voters Should Recall Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva

1) The Sheriff’s quoted rationale in ordering and enforcing the involuntary home detention of more than 10 million Los Angeles County residents with quasi-legal curfews included his intent to restrict First Amendment rights of protest, assembly, speech, and as a product, restricted the Fourth Amendment rights of small business owners to protect their personal property and livelihoods;

2)  The Sheriff’s misrepresentations of the level of threat of looting and related criminal activities posed to Los Angeles County people, personal property, and business assets, by arbitrarily imposing curfew on dozens of unaffected Los Angeles County cities and communities, inciting additional community fear and misapprehension;

3)  The Sheriff’s unilateral decision to order the forced shutdown of Los Angeles County Sheriff (sub)stations providing law enforcement to sizable populations, such as unincorporated Altadena and Marina Del Rey, without genuine consideration of public need, feedback, or consultation, creating public safety deserts in a time of increased need for local public safety presence;

4)  The Sheriff’s inability to preserve an appearance of impartiality and propriety in reviewing and overturning outcomes from prior disciplinary procedures involving alleged political contributors and supporters who served with the Sheriff’s Department, with the appearance of quid pro quo actions for reinstatement of controversial and potentially dangerous individuals to serve under badge;

5)  The Sheriff’s incapability of maintaining a reasonably respectful and constructive relationship with Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors and refusing to appear under subpoena, as established by custom, law, and precedent, eroding the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the activities of Los Angeles County’s elected government and justice oversight bodies;

6)  The Sheriff’s complicit and continuing empowerment of the policies, procedures, and norms of segregation of White, African American, and Latinx detainees in Los Angeles County Sheriff’s-operated detention facilities, which perpetuate societal prejudice and fail to rehabilitate detainees to notions of a functional, multicultural society outside of jails;

7)  The Sheriff’s perpetuation of inhumane and unjust physical and mental health conditions for detainees who have not yet been formally charged with a crime, who are housed alongside already-charged and/or convicted detainees in Los Angeles County detention facilities; and,

8)  The Sheriff’s lack of personal leadership in engaging directly with the community in the wake of the crisis brought on by the death of George Floyd at the hands of American law enforcement, remotely broadcasting handpicked supporters and engagements, first choosing to further restrict personal civil rights across impacted communities, rather than first choosing engage in dialogue with community members in-person, and on-the-ground.

__________________________________________________________________

I freely admit that some of the aforementioned reasons are subjective and might relate to the personal leadership style of our Sheriff, but other reasons are clearly and objectively not. 

You, as voters and residents, deserve the right to re-decide and re-assess.

I fully support the people of law enforcement, and as the son of a 38-year, African-American veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Clark County (Nevada) Sheriff, I understand and fully sympathize with the challenges and difficulties faced by our peace officers.  But our law enforcement departments need leadership that protects Officer and Sheriff safety as well as protects the rights of our community members - with genuine integrity, transparency, and compassion.  If you serve in law enforcement, please understand that you have my utmost respect in this challenging time.

As a political scientist, public administrator, and former public servant, I believe that all of our public officials are wholly accountable for their actions and inactions at any level of government, across any jurisdiction, at any time. In assuming the accountability associated with the Office of Sheriff of the County of Los Angeles, I believe our Sheriff could have, and should have, executed his duties in a better fashion.

I invite the Sheriff of Los Angeles County to respond directly to each of these points and explain his behaviors in a clear and transparent fashion, in a manner and demeanor befitting our top, County of Los Angeles law enforcement officer.

Especially with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and considering the potential personal safety risks involved with forming a ballot signature collection drive now, I ask that every potential participant consider their own safety, the safety of their loved ones, and the safety of their communities before choosing to participate in this movement. Now is also a great opportunity for Los Angeles County citizens to establish a valid and provable mechanism for the digital collection of legally-recognized electronic signatures for a petition in LA County.  If this opportunity matches your skill set, we will need expert technical and legal advice if we want to make this happen.

The citizens and residents of the County of Los Angeles deserve better from a Sheriff - and we don't deserve to wait another few years for change. 

Get involved to help put the "RECALL Sheriff Alex Villanueva" option on the November 2020 election ballot so that voters can decide for themselves and provide a genuine performance review of Sheriff Alex Villanueva and his leadership of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.