Readers React: Sheriff Scott: A few bad apples don’t make a rotten department

To the editor: The Times suggests the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is a deeply flawed organization. I disagree. (“Problems in L.A. County Sheriff’s Department run deep,” Editorial, Sept. 24)

Ours is a 164-year-old organization, and like any large department, it has had its share of troubling periods. Usually those times are defined by the disturbing, sometimes illegal actions of a small group of employees.

Nevertheless, the Sheriff’s Department remains a great organization; its men and women routinely deliver a high level of public service and are committed to their chosen profession. The vast majority of our 18,000 employees perform in an exemplary manner every day, not within an “ingrained culture of contempt,” but within a culture of dedication and service. The few individuals who tarnish the badge are not tolerated by the rest of the department.

I will continue to identify and remove these corrosive employees. The processes for doing so, although mismanaged for several years, have been, in large part, restored since the beginning of the year. The changes we’ve made cannot erase the negative perception of the department in one fell swoop, but they are real and are making a significant difference.

The department is rapidly departing an era that raised genuine questions. We are working hard every day to restore public trust. I have the greatest confidence in the Sheriff’s Department’s ability to serve the citizens of Los Angeles County.

John L. Scott, Los Angeles

The writer is sheriff of Los Angeles County.

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