This is long. Sorry. I name names…read more
The East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is full of incompetent staff. I'm sorry but I need to give my honest opinion. I have lived in many other cities of Los Angeles County, many serviced by LASD and I have not had the issues that I have with them. I have a tenant who lives right next door to me and is under eviction. One Sunday, that tenant threatened my life. I left my house with only my phone, did not take my purse or anything else because there was no time. I called the East LA Sheriff Department and waited for them at a nearby McDonald's. I waited 2 hours in the parking lot. I could not even go into the restaurant because I did not have my wallet and had no money. Whenever I would call to follow up they told me that deputies were busy with other calls. And finally, the last time I called they told me that the deputies showed up at McDonalds and left because I was not there.
I was livid! After waiting for 2 hours in a hot parking lot with no water or anything the deputies lied and said they showed up! They never showed up. When I asked the dispatch person why they did not call me, she said they did. I asked her to give me the number that they called, and she gave me some wrong number that was not even mine!
I refused to go home. I spent a total of 6 hours outdoors. I went to City Terrace Park and I called East LA Sheriff's again and Deputy Quinonez basically told me that I was not a priority since I was not physically hurt. So, I need to be stabbed by my tenant before I am considered a priority?! I have talked to Deputty Quinonez on other occasions and he is always a smart a$$.
On another occasion I called 911 because a person who had previously attempted to unalive themselves was saying that they wanted to try to unalive themselves again and that person was having a crisis. That person was inside a car with their abusive partner parked in the street. I expected an ambulance to show up. Instead, only deputies showed up. The deputies spoke to the person and to the person's abusive partner, and they " determined " that the person was not in danger. These deputies are far from being medical or mental health professionals. Anyway, they never came to speak to me, and I was the one that placed the call and the one that had prior knowledge of this person's previous attempts to unalive themselves.
One day I was at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's office for paperwork. While there I spoke to deputy Reel (if I remember correctly, he is a supervisor) about the incident with the person trying to unalive themselves. Deputy Reel said that IT IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO UNALIVE YOURSELF!!!!! And Deputy Reel also kept giving me the "short staff" excuse for deputies not showing up for other calls.
I also brought up the time my tenant threatened to unalive me. Deputy Reel told me that if she did not have a weapon, it is not a crime. I asked deputy Reel, "So if I say to you right now that I am going to unalive you, that is not a crime?" He said, "correct".
When I lived in Northern Los Angeles County if the deputies showed up for someone claiming they will unalive themselves, they would let the fire dept handle it and let them take the person to a hospital where they would be evaluated, placed on hold, and given mental health treatment.
Anyway, I have other bad experiences, and I can name names. That will be for another occasion. I keep receipts.
East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, do better.
Sheriff Luna, do better.
People of East Los Angeles, be more discerning and expect more from your local authorities.