All Rise

Sheriff Luna recently came downstairs to the briefing room at East L.A. Station. For many of us, this was our first time meeting him or being around him. I mean, we all were around the last few Sheriffs all the time. We don’t know Luna. He came into our briefing room. I stood up. No one else did. I am not sure why, and I might not want to know.

All I know is, when my Sheriff enters the room, I rise. I rose for all the others, including when I sat in a federal courtroom as a member of the public sitting in the audience section of the U.S. Federal Court as I watched my longest-serving Sheriff account for actions that were found illegal by a jury. Heart-breaking as much now as then.

Sheriff Luna spoke about his upbringing in East L.A. and how much he looked up to the Department as a little boy growing up in the area. I love that he loves our Department — that is a big deal. He came on the Department only having a handful of friends and even less, if any, enemies. He talked about the first few months on the Department and said he has to deal a lot with an issue that he probably never imagined: station logos and tattoos.

Station logos and tattoos? Really?

No one wants him to succeed more than me. I love this Department so much, and if it thrives, I thrive. I attended the Tanaka/Baca trials (burning excess “V,” in case anyone asks) because we are a family, and sometimes, we need to see how our family stumbles along with how it thrives. 

I thought about how the issue of logos and tattoos is just a silly diversion put up by a board of supervisors who are very unfriendly to us and who have to be handled with kid gloves. Alex wasn’t willing to do that, which is why I voted for him. Sheriff Luna’s approach is most likely the smart move, so when I stood up as the oldest guy in the East L.A. briefing room and asked if it would matter if the deputy he went 10-8 with was wearing tattoos, he smiled and gave me a wink. I think he knows he has to keep the board of supervisors happy. He asked who I would suggest he go on his first ride-along with, and I said anyone of the amazingly brave deputies who I am honored to serve with would be just fine. He smiled again, and I knew he probably has the politically savvy skills we need to move forward with the Board. I think he “gets us.”

Back to that whole “Sheriff’s family” thing.

One of the finest men to wear a deputy’s uniform is named Scott Craig. I had the extreme honor of serving with Sergeant Craig at Pico Rivera Station and listened to testimony once where he questioned a deputy who made a lot of bad decisions, resulting in him facing an ICIB investigation, which Craig headed. He told the deputy, “We are one big dysfunctional family,” and nothing could be a better description of our amazing family. We are big. We are a family. And, sometimes, we are a bit dysfunctional. 

Welcome to the family, Sheriff Luna.  

Lee Baca used to live a couple of miles from me. He occasionally was seen at a local Starbucks, and sometimes, I wonder what I would say if he walked in while I was there. While I am not sure what I would say, I know what I would do.  

I would rise.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at JWalker@PPOA.com.