The anonymous movement within the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) known as “Just A Deputy” has once again spoken out, this time with one of the most searing critiques yet of Sheriff Robert Luna’s leadership.
The latest letter, penned by a frustrated deputy and Marine Corps veteran, was in response to Luna’s “Leadership Philosophy” memo, which was circulated internally and later uploaded to social media.
The memo touted values of integrity, accountability, and compassion that, according to the letter, do not match the lived reality within LASD. The new anonymous letter rips apart Luna’s rhetoric as “all just talk,” calling out nepotism, favoritism, and a toxic environment where morale is collapsing and suicides continue to haunt the ranks.
From Hollow Gestures to Rank-and-File Despair
In the new letter, the anonymous deputy dismantles Luna’s frequent emotional displays and public statements as little more than “theatrics.” While Luna sheds tears at funerals and issues carefully worded memos about deputy wellness, the writer argues that meaningful follow-through is nonexistent. Instead, a culture of favoritism flourishes, where “those who pull your strings reap the rewards, while dedicated leaders who genuinely care are passed over.”
The deputy’s words echo the themes of earlier “Just A Deputy” letters, dating back to 2023, which described the department as riddled with corruption, collusion, and betrayal of its rank-and-file members. One letter alleged that ALADS, the powerful deputy union, was colluding with Luna and betraying deputies through backroom deals that prioritized politics over pay and protection.
Another highlighted the despair after the murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, blasting Luna’s lackluster response as morale within the department cratered. Yet another letter described suicides among deputies as a grim reflection of a leadership vacuum where cries for help are met with spin instead of substance and solutions.
The Call for Real Leadership
The latest letter pulls no punches in describing what real leadership should look like. The Marine veteran writes longingly of a leader who “stands in the trenches with us, fights alongside us, and takes the real brunt of challenges before their troops.” Instead, deputies see Luna and his command staff “hiding behind a desk,” disconnected from the daily dangers faced by line personnel.
The letter also skewers Luna’s oft-repeated claim that “we are a family.” To the rank and file, this rings hollow when they are reduced to “six-digit employee numbers on a spreadsheet,” while their executives remain “hidden in the shadows.” What deputies need, the author argues, is “fire-in-the-belly leadership” that prioritizes wellness, fights for fair compensation, and refuses to implement ill-conceived mandates that strangle morale.
A Pattern of Discontent
This letter continues a clear pattern. From the first letters in 2023, which documented spiraling suicides and blasted failed responses to tragedy, to the more recent letters exposing union corruption, betrayal, favoritism, low morale, and the absence of genuine leadership, the anonymous campaign has become a barometer of growing unrest inside LASD – painting a grim picture of a department that feels leaderless and exploited.
A Challenge to Sheriff Luna
The deputy closes with a direct challenge to Luna: to step out of the shadows, prove that his words are more than empty gestures, and stand with his deputies not just at funerals, but “in the everyday battles we fight.” It’s a stinging indictment that once again puts the spotlight on LASD’s leadership crisis, and raises questions about how long rank-and-file deputies will tolerate what they see as exploitation disguised as leadership.
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