As the firestorm over Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez’s now-infamous TikTok escalates nationally, a troubling silence looms from the very law enforcement leadership tasked with protecting the city: Sheriff Robert Luna and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS).
In the now-deleted video, Gonzalez appeared to rally gang members—referencing groups like 18th Street and Florencia 13—to “organize” against ICE agents operating in “your hood.” The rhetoric, laced with dangerous undertones, was blasted by the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), which called the behavior “reprehensible” and demanded Gonzalez resign and face criminal charges.
Yet Cudahy is not patrolled by LAPD. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, making the silence from Sheriff Luna and ALADS all the more deafening.
LAPD UNION STEPS UP, CRICKETS FROM LUNA AND ALADS
The LAPPL wasted no time issuing a scathing rebuke, highlighting the potential danger to officers on the ground. The union’s statement read in part:
“It is reprehensible to even engage in that kind of talk or behavior… It puts lives at risk.”
But where is ALADS, the official bargaining unit for LASD deputies? Where is Sheriff Robert Luna, the self-proclaimed reformer?
Their absence is glaring – and deeply political. Many now question whether Luna and ALADS have been co-opted by the same far-left political forces that have normalized anti-law enforcement rhetoric across Los Angeles County. As one viral post written by a member of the LASD reads:
“The answer of course is Luna and ALADS are in the pocket of leftist politicians who side with chaos and hatred of law enforcement.”
And the question being asked across rank-and-file circles is chillingly direct: Why is the LAPD union defending LASD deputies when Luna and ALADS won’t?
POLITICAL COWARDICE OR CALCULATED LOYALTY
Sheriff Luna’s ongoing refusal to speak ou, an all-too-familiar pattern during his three years in office, continues to send a clear message to his deputies: political optics matter more than your safety.
This isn’t the first time Luna has dodged controversy, his disappearing act has become standard operating procedure, especially when speaking up might rattle his progressive political backers.
Meanwhile, ALADS, an organization that once took bold stances to protect deputies, is missing in action. Their silence fuels speculation that they’ve been politically neutered under a new generation of leadership more interested in backroom deals than boots-on-the-ground defense.
In fact, deputies across the department have taken notice: Pippin has become increasingly inaccessible to the rank-and-file. He’s nowhere to be found when it comes to roll call briefings or engaging with deputies about real issues on the ground. Instead, he sticks to carefully staged photo ops at command posts, barbecues, and public-facing events. From a personnel perspective, it’s clear his priorities lie in political optics, not frontline accountability.
Silence has become a long-standing tradition at ALADS — especially considering they stood by while the Board of Supervisors and the OIG publicly labeled their own deputies as “gang members” and “murderers.” But according to ALADS, they’re just “working behind the scenes.”
DANGEROUS PRECEDENT
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about a viral TikTok video.
When an elected official openly invokes gang culture to rally opposition to federal agents, and law enforcement leadership refuses to respond, it sends a dangerous message: gang intimidation is tolerated if it aligns with the right political narrative.
That is unacceptable.
Law enforcement isn’t a tool for political games – it’s the backbone of public safety.
Sheriff Luna’s silence, coupled with ALADS’ inaction, represents yet another a missed opportunity for leadership, not to mention an outright betrayal of the men and women putting their lives on the line every day in cities like Cudahy.
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