Walnut : Council Backs Sheriff Block
The City Council has given a unanimous vote of confidence to Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block and his department in the wake of recent controversial deputy-involved shootings and allegations of officer misconduct.
Saying the law enforcement agency has drawn undue criticism from the media and the public, Mayor Ray T. Watson--who served with the Sheriff’s Department for 33 years--requested the show of support at Wednesday’s meeting.
“Let’s not condemn a department of 8,000 people for (the actions) of a small minority,” he said.
Councilman William Choctaw qualified his vote, saying it extended only to the sheriff’s services in Walnut, not countywide.
The department has provided contract services to Walnut since the city’s incorporation in 1959.
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