A blistering new “Just A Deputy” letter was submitted anonymously to The Current Report yesterday and may be the most damning and comprehensive takedown of ALADS, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, since its inception.
The open letter dated July 2025, and addressed to both Los Angeles County residents and LASD deputies, claims to speak for thousands of sworn LASD personnel who have been watching, with growing outrage, as the very organization created to protect them, is being turned into a weapon to use against them.
The letter details a pattern of backdoor dealings, strategic silencing, and full-on alignment with a sheriff many now believe is targeting his own deputies for political gain.
THE VOTE THAT VANISHED
The letter opens with a bombshell: ALADS, without debate, announcement, or member input, allegedly changed its bylaws to strip dues-paying deputies of their right to vote for union president. That authority now belongs exclusively to the ALADS Board. The change was so secretive that even some board members were reportedly unaware it had happened. The letter poses the question deputies across the county should be asking: how does a union that claims to be the “stronger voice” of its members justify removing that voice altogether?
MEETINGS IN THE SHADOWS
ALADS President Rich Pippin, is singled out as the central figure in this alleged betrayal. The letter claims Pippin holds private meetings with Sheriff Robert Luna as often as three times a month. The same Sheriff who fast-tracked the political hit job against Deputy Trevor Kirk, a legal dog and pony show dressed up as justice engineered to placate activist mobs and prop up his phony progressive “reform” agenda for the cameras.
After Kirk’s conviction, Pippin and the ALADS Board visited Lancaster Station, where over 200 deputies from North County stations packed a briefing to make one thing clear: they wanted a vote of no confidence on Luna. Every single deputy in the room raised a hand in agreement. Pippin refused. He claimed it would have “no gain,” might even make Luna “stronger politically,” and insisted ALADS needed to play nice with the Sheriff for the sake of contract negotiations. When deputies demanded to know where that mythical raise was, Pippin, according to the letter, scoffed like it was a joke. Deputies pushed Pippin to at least poll the full membership for a vote of no confidence in Luna, he shut it down again, dismissing the idea by claiming only 20% would even bother to vote.
The irony? That same “pointless” process Pippin refers to is exactly how he won his power seat as union president. Apparently, voting only matters when it benefits him.
A POWER PLAY, NOT PROTECTION
The deputies didn’t stop there. They urged Pippin to set aside ALADS’ long-standing rivalry with LASPA, the union actually defending Kirk, and show some unity. But instead of rising to the moment, Pippin deflected. He leaned on the legal excuse that ALADS couldn’t represent Kirk, then shifted into a tone-deaf monologue about ALADS’ money, attorneys, and resources.
At that moment, deputies weren’t looking for a high-powered sales pitch, they were looking for solidarity. Instead, they got ego.
And as the letter bluntly states, the problem isn’t LASPA. It’s the leadership vacuum at ALADS.
WHO IS STEVE JAMES?!
Now for the wildcard: Steve James.
Not a deputy. Not a union official. But according to the letter, he’s everywhere he shouldn’t be. He roams the halls of ALADS with VIP status, sits in on internal meetings, goes on deputy ride-alongs, and most disturbing of all, he’s on Sheriff Luna’s payroll.
James, a former Long Beach PD officer who reportedly helped Luna win the election, now serves as Luna’s paid labor consultant. Public records confirm he was introduced at an April 2023 Civilian Oversight Commission meeting by Undersheriff April Tardy as the department’s official liaison to union and labor organizations.
He also works alongside Luna’s Constitutional Policing Director, Eileen Decker, as part of the Sheriff’s handpicked task force to root out so-called “deputy gangs”, a narrative that’s been relentlessly pushed by the Board of Supervisors, the Office of Inspector General, and the Civilian Oversight Commission. Yet despite years of pointless investigations, and media hype driven by the far left progressive agenda, this supposed “epidemic” has amounted to nothing. No prosecutions. No hard evidence. Just a phantom threat used to smear the department and justify the continued political crackdown on deputies.
Despite this, James is allegedly shaping LASD policy, crafting anti-deputy messaging, advising Luna, and operating as a trusted insider at ALADS. The conflict of interest is so blatant it’s comical – and infuriating – at the same time.
As the letter puts it: whose interests is Steve James really serving? Because it sure as hell isn’t the deputies.
NO REPRESENTATION, JUST CONTROL
The letter goes on to paint a grim picture of life under ALADS leadership. Deputies say they’ve had legal representation requests ignored, emails to ALADS attorneys unanswered for over a year, and repeated denials when trying to access union financial records, despite the fact that those same members are the ones funding the organization with their paychecks.
The letter torches ALADS for abandoning its role as a representative body, accusing it of managing deputies like assets, not advocates. It’s not defending its members, it’s muzzling them. Less union, more handler. A mouthpiece for power, not a shield for the rank and file.
A union that once promised to fight for its deputies has instead become the PR arm of the same sheriff who’s throwing them under the bus for political gain.
A LINE IN THE SAND
The letter doesn’t stop at exposure. It issues a direct challenge to fellow deputies across the county: The time to act, is now.
Deputies should demand a forensic audit of ALADS finances and political contributions. Immediate reinstatement of voting rights. Full transparency regarding Steve James’ role, contracts, and compensation. A department-wide vote of no confidence in Luna. And a review of every case where ALADS denied or delayed legal help to its members.
The letter closes with force, and unwavering resolve. The job is already dangerous enough. Deputies shouldn’t have to battle their own union just to be treated with fairness and respect.
Pointing to the recent Baker to Vegas boycott, the letter reminds readers that unity isn’t a theory, it’s a proven weapon. And now, it’s time to use it again, with precision and purpose.
“If we stand with a united voice, we win,” the letter declares.
The letter is a catalyst, arming the rank-and-file with truth and fueling their outrage over betrayal, not just from their own department, but from the very union meant to protect them.
The message is clear: they can no longer stay silent.
Follow Us