On January 7, as flames tore through Pacific Palisades and Malibu, Mayor Karen Bass was overseas, despite deadly wind warnings issued nearly a week prior. The catastrophic Santa Ana wind event resulted in the Palisades Fire, which burned 23,000 acres, destroyed 6,800 homes and structures, and tragically claimed 11 lives.
Bass continues to face significant backlash for her absence during the fire’s onset, her administration’s perceived failures, and the lack of adequate funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which was the primary responding agency for the Palisades Fire.
Now, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna finds himself similarly under fire for his handling of the crisis and his absence during a critical meeting with the President of the United States, city leaders and stakeholders in the community.
OPERATION IN FLAMES
On the evening of January 7, the Eaton Fire ignited in Altadena shortly after 6:00 PM, rapidly spreading due to forecasted winds of up to 80 mph. The fire started in unincorporated Altadena, falling under the jurisdiction of the LA County Sheriff’s Department and the leadership of LA County.
Sources say LASD’s response to the Eaton Fire was plagued by mismanagement and poor coordination at the department’s executive level both internally and externally.
On Monday January 6th The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles Office forecasted “Life Threatening Destructive Wind Conditions.” Luna’s response to the warnings issued by weather forecasters up to five days before the event was to largely ignore the warning absent one post on the department’s official “X” account.
Essentially, Luna failed to prepare for what would arguably be the largest single disaster in the history of Los Angeles.
Retired LASD Captain Mike Bornman criticized the department’s failure to work proactively with fire agencies:
“Why didn’t the ‘leadership’ of the sheriff’s department seek out and work cooperatively with the fire department at the early stages of this incident? Surely someone knew that the fire was racing toward inhabited homes, regardless of whether or not they received text message orders to evacuate. Did no one act proactively?”
Department sources say the failure to immediately mobilize all four patrol divisions onto the 12/12 schedule was further evidence Luna was ill-prepared to be Sheriff of the largest sheriff’s department in the country – especially during a disaster.
Department sources at the executive level say “there was no valid reason or argument not to have made the decision to immediately mobilize the four patrol divisions, especially once the fires began on Tuesday”.
Instead, the department pushed the decision and mobilized almost the entire Detective Division to 12/12 shifts early Wednesday morning, January 8th.
The Mobile Field Forces were too understaffed to effect evacuations. Multiple reports have the fire in Eaton starting at 6:38, yet evacuation orders in West Altadena weren’t issued until 3:30 THE NEXT DAY.
And yet, the LASD leadership did not go far enough.
One might argue a preemptive decision to place the patrol divisions on the 12/12 shifts would have taken keen insight and foresight. These are the skills and decision making prowess Sheriff Luna has proved he does not possess.
Luna could be of the belief that full mobilization to the 12/12 schedule would have potentially taxed the already overworked and exhausted patrol personnel who would have made up the bulk of the deployment.
Insiders say that argument falls completely flat and is further evidence of the mismanagement by not only Sheriff Luna, but also his newly appointed Assistant Sheriff of County Wide Operations, Jason Skeen.
Skeen, who many department sources agree is an adept administrator a.k.a. “bean counter”, has a woefully weak resume and has very little field experience at the most formative ranks of deputy, sergeant and lieutenant; where the skills at managing tactical incidents and emergencies are honed.
One recently retired LASD executive said, “Jason Skeen is a very smart guy, but he has almost zero field experience. He has less than 5 years of combined time in the field at the ranks of deputy, sergeant and lieutenant. He primarily hid behind a desk in the stations he was assigned to as both a deputy and sergeant.”
The department relied on the use of Mobile Field Forces (MFF) to augment the Altadena and Lost Hills Sheriff stations during the early hours and days of both the Eaton and Palisades fires. This is where all sheriff stations and units with uniformed personnel assigned to patrol and or quasi-patrol related functions send roughly half of their on-duty personnel to help with an emergency.
This led to poor relief of personnel and countless deputies being held over for shifts exceeding 20-23 hours. One department source assigned to one of the Incident Management Teams (IMT) who are responsible for managing personnel during major incidents and disasters said, “Activating 12/12 shifts is a no-brainer. The relief of personnel when on 12/12 shifts ensures waves of deputies arrive to an incident for deployment every 14 hours or so. This almost ensures nobody is kept and or left in the field for the long stretches beyond 19 hours which was commonplace during the first week of this emergency.”
Numerous department insiders including executives at the Hall of Justice agree Sheriff Luna failed to adequately plan and deploy resources during the early hours of both the Eaton and Palisades fires. This failure to properly manage resources continued for over a week. The ramifications for not activating and mobilizing sworn department personnel was likely one of the contributing factors which led to inadequate evacuations for many Altadena residents. The massive failure of leadership led directly to the deaths of more than 17 people. LASD is responsible for evacuations, working in unity with Cal Fire and the Office of Emergency Management.
Additionally, Sheriff Luna stalled the order to activate the National Guard. They serve an important function in deploying them for containment purposes, evacuations, and freeing up law enforcement to focus on looter suppression and other illegal activity. They should have been on the ground Tuesday at the latest. The National Guard did not show up until Thursday. Once activated, they respond within four hours per a high level source
The January 2025 wildfires were horrific, the loss of life, homes and property is nothing short of devastating. One can only imagine how many more lives and/or properties may have been saved or spared by a more wise and keen use management of resources.
As Chief of the Long Beach Police Department, Luna earned the nickname “Bunker Bob” for his absence of leadership and gross mismanagement of officers in the field during the “George Floyd” protests and rioting. It was Sheriff Alex Villanueva who saw what was happening on the news and deployed with 50 deputies to take control of the city. The population of the city of Long Beach is equivalent to roughly two to three of LASD’s patrol stations jurisdictions. Although it was obvious Luna took on more than he could handle when he took office in 2022, Luna’s handling of every aspect of the Eaton fire shows he is way out of his league.
MISSING IN ACTION
President Trump, in town to survey the devastation just days after his inauguration, was a rare opportunity for the head of the largest Sheriff’s Department in the country to engage with the President about LA County’s disaster response needs, and the President’s main objective was to assess the damage firsthand and how the federal government could expedite help to the area.
Instead, sources Sheriff Luna’s priorities were squarely focused political networking. While a significant portion of LA County was still in chaos, Luna left the area to attend the annual Peace Officers Professional Association (PPOA) retreat in Carlsbad.
With another potentially dangerous weather event approaching that could trigger mudslides in burn scar areas, this left many, especially those who noticed his absence at the meeting with the president, to question his commitment to managing the county’s disaster response.
Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva took to X (formerly Twitter) to publicly criticize Luna, accusing him of disrespecting the President and failing to adequately represent the largest sheriff’s department in the nation during such a critical time.
Villanueva also condemned Luna’s decision to send the Assistant Sheriff of Custody Operations in his place, calling it an unacceptable move given the stakes.
“Luna’s absence at the meeting with President Trump shows a lack of leadership during a crisis,” Villanueva wrote. “The citizens of LA County deserve better representation, especially in moments of disaster.”
The backlash against Luna and Bass highlights growing frustration with LA County leadership during emergencies. Both officials now face mounting questions about their priorities and ability to lead during times of crisis.
WHO… IS NUMBER TWO…
The frustration surrounding Luna is part of a broader issue. Undersheriff April Tardy’s lack of visibility sources say has fueled further outrage among executive personnel.
Many are asking why Tardy, as the second-in-command, didn’t step up to handle the crisis in Luna’s absence.
“Our leadership is missing in action,” said a source. “The mayor was gone, the sheriff’s in Carlsbad chasing votes, and the undersheriff is nowhere to be found. Who’s actually in charge?”
IS LUNA’S HEALTH A HAZARD?
Insiders say Luna’s big political push towards the 2026 election was a reaction by a post on X regarding health rumors and the possibility of him stepping down. The post sparked an unexpected controversy.
Sources say that upon learning of the post, Luna and his advisors launched immediately into damage control mode. Democratic strategists, including Jeffrey Millman who worked on Luna’s 2022 campaign, quickly crafted a counter-narrative, using the situation as an opportunity to announce Luna’s re-election bid for 2026 in an article published by the Los Angeles Times. The announcement also dismissed the health rumors as untrue.
When asked why the post prompted such a swift and significant push toward announcing his bid for a second-term, sources who worked under Luna at the Long Beach Police Department suggested the nature of the post could negatively impact his ability to fundraise. This concern reportedly fueled the aggressive effort to invalidate the claims.
However, the Los Angeles Times article alone did not satisfy Luna’s campaign team and closest advisors. Thirty days after the article’s publication, Luna’s private attorney, from a law firm where his daughter practices, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the poster. The letter, laced with allegations of falsehoods, demanded both a public apology and the removal of the post.
The cease-and-desist letter has drawn criticism from legal experts and free speech advocates, who view the Sheriff’s actions as an attempt to intimidate critics. High-profile attorney Julie Hamill, principal attorney at the California Policy Center, publicly weighed in, calling attention to the potential misuse of legal threats against free speech.
“As a public official, Luna must prove that [the poster] acted with actual malice—knowing that the statements were false or recklessly disregarding their falsity,” Hamill explained. She also highlighted California’s robust anti-SLAPP laws.
SLAPP, or “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation,” laws are designed to protect individuals who speak out on matters of public interest. Under California law, a defendant can challenge a SLAPP suit by demonstrating that their actions were in furtherance of their rights to free speech or petition on a public issue.
Hamill added: “Statements made in a place open to the public or a public forum in connection with an issue of public interest are covered under the statute. The beauty of anti-SLAPP laws is that the prevailing defendant in an anti-SLAPP motion is automatically entitled to recover their attorney’s fees and costs.”
The Sheriff’s threats of legal action have sparked concerns about the use of “lawfare” to suppress criticism. Critics argue that as a public figure, Luna should focus on addressing the public’s concerns rather than attempting to silence dissent through litigation.
The controversy surrounding this incident raises questions about the boundaries of free speech and accountability for public officials. Luna’s re-election campaign, launched under such contentious circumstances, has set the stage for heightened scrutiny as the 2026 election cycle unfolds.
POLITICAL POSTURING
With re-election in 2026 already on his agenda, Luna’s attendance at the retreat, which is traditionally used to strengthen relationships and secure endorsements from the powerful police union, is seen as prioritizing politics over leadership.
“This isn’t about leadership—it’s about politics,” said one source. “Sheriff Luna is chasing endorsements when his county needs him here, managing the crisis.”
Adding to the controversy, newly elected District Attorney Nathan Hochman participated in the PPOA meeting via Zoom while remaining in LA. Critics questioned why Luna didn’t take the same approach. “Hochman stayed in LA and still participated. Luna’s decision to leave was self-serving, especially during a time when lives and property are at risk,” said another source.
Luna’s trip to Carlsbad coincided with former President Donald Trump’s visit to California. Trump’s presence brought national attention to wildfire management and disaster response, presenting an opportunity for local leaders to advocate for federal resources.
“It’s unbelievable,” said a political insider. “The sheriff should have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the president, making the case for more resources and support. Instead, he’s in San Diego, glad-handing union representatives.”
THE FIRE FALLOUT
As wildfires continue to displace families and destroy property, residents feel abandoned by their elected officials. “This is life or death for us,” said a Malibu homeowner who was forced to evacuate. “The people we elected to protect us are focused on their own careers.”
Sources say Luna’s office has defended his attendance at the PPOA retreat, claiming that other high-ranking officials are overseeing operations. However, critics argue that leadership isn’t just about delegation—it’s about being present, accountable, and prioritizing the needs of the community in moments of crisis.
The pattern of absences from LA County’s top officials tasked with the public safety of millions during these wildfires has left Angelenos feeling betrayed. For residents living in fear and uncertainty, these actions send a clear message: politics is taking precedence over public safety. The county deserves better. Leadership isn’t about campaign endorsements or conferences—it’s about showing up when the community needs it most.
As one resident put it, “The county is burning, and our leaders are nowhere to be found.”
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