A Tradition of Violence

Retired Captain Mike Bornman served 36 years on the LA County Sheriff's Department. Mike worked a number of assignments ranging from the Firestone station to internal affairs, where he investigated misconduct claims that led to dozens of convictions. He says that when it comes to evaluating deputy gangs, the department must judge a person's entire history and not just tattoos.

Watch the interviews with the candidates on YouTube.

Send your questions about deputy gangs and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to [email protected]

Follow @lasdgangs for more updates, and follow Cerise on Instagram and TikTok @yourmajestcee and @cerisecastle everywhere else.

Cerise Castle speaks checks in with Sheriff Robert Luna in the midst of his re-election campaign. Luna discusses the department's current stance on deputy gangs, and why he believes a nuanced approach towards department members with affiliated tattoos is necessary. He discusses the LASD's role in working with federal immigration authorities and preparing for FIFA World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics.

Watch the interviews with the candidates on YouTube.

Send your questions about deputy gangs and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to [email protected]

Follow @lasdgangs for more updates, and follow Cerise on Instagram and TikTok @yourmajestcee and @cerisecastle everywhere else.

Andre White is the youngest candidate in the race for LA County Sheriff. In this interview, he recounts retaliation he faced after reporting a supervisor. He says that current leadership is out of touch, and it is time for the department's younger generation to lead.

Watch the interviews with the candidates on YouTube.

Send your questions about deputy gangs and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to [email protected]

Follow @lasdgangs for more updates, and follow Cerise on Instagram and TikTok @yourmajestcee and @cerisecastle everywhere else.

Host Cerise Castle sits down with Palmdale Lt. Oscar Martinez, candidate for Sheriff of Los Angeles County. Oscar supports the constitutional sheriffs movement and believes there needs to be AI implemented throughout the department. He doesn't believe deputy gangs are real, and wants to see more cooperation with ICE. 

Watch the interviews with the candidates on YouTube.

Send your questions about deputy gangs and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to [email protected]

Follow @lasdgangs for more updates, and follow Cerise on Instagram and TikTok @yourmajestcee and @cerisecastle everywhere else.

Eric Strong recently retired after 32 years in policing after working at the Compton Police Department, LA Sheriff's Department and the Department of Probation. He is running to the left of Sheriff Robert Luna on a progressive platform. If elected, he promises to investigate deputy gang members and create ICE-free zone across Los Angeles. 

Watch the interviews with the candidates on YouTube.

Send your questions about deputy gangs and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to [email protected]

Follow @lasdgangs for more updates, and follow Cerise on Instagram and TikTok @yourmajestcee and @cerisecastle everywhere else.

A Tradition of Violence is back to cover the 2026 Election for Sheriff of Los Angeles County. Current Sheriff Robert Luna is facing a field of 8 challengers, including some familiar faces.

Cerise attempts to interview former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and his now retired Assistant Sheriff, Brendan Corbett, who are both running. Candidates Karla Carranza and Sonia Montejano share their visions for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Watch the interviews with the candidates on YouTube.

Send your questions about deputy gangs and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to [email protected]

Follow @lasdgangs for more updates, and follow Cerise on Instagram and TikTok @yourmajestcee and @cerisecastle everywhere else.

Hi A Tradition of Violence fans! We want to share a new podcast that we think you'll love - Fallen Angels: A Story of California Corruption.

About the show: Fallen Angels is a journalistic thriller — Chinatown meets Spotlight — one that takes us into the shadows of sunny LA. Over 10 thirty-minute episodes, we go deeper and deeper into the intermingled world of power and privilege. L.A. Times investigative reporter Paul Pringle is our host – but he doesn’t simply narrate this story. Like a classic L.A. Noir, as Paul and his team of reporting colleagues, who joined forces in secret from their bosses,  investigate the story, they meet obstacles and stonewalling at every turn — from USC,  from the city, and more troubling still, from their own organization.

Listen here and subscribe to Fallen Angels: A Story of California Corruption on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy gangs don’t seem to be going anywhere. In fact, their violence and influence seems to be growing. So, what is there to do to stop them? Doesn’t anyone care? 

A Tradition of Violence is hosted and executive produced by Cerise Castle. She's an award winning journalist who wrote the first ever history of deputy gangs for Knock LA, available at lasdgangs.com

Music by Yelohill and Steelz.

For breaking news and updates on deputy gangs, follow @lasdgangs on social media.

To support Cerise’s reporting, and for exclusive bonus content, subscribe to the patreon.com/lasdgangs. 

Deputy gang members aren’t the only ones who are responsible for violence and corruption. Actions of LA County Sheriff’s Department personnel have led to unlawful arrests, devastating injuries, and even deaths.

A Tradition of Violence is hosted and executive produced by Cerise Castle. She's an award winning journalist who wrote the first ever history of deputy gangs for Knock LA, available at lasdgangs.com

Music by Yelohill and Steelz.

For breaking news and updates on deputy gangs, follow @lasdgangs on social media.

To support Cerise’s reporting, and for exclusive bonus content, subscribe to the patreon.com/lasdgangs. 

LA is home to the entertainment industry. Police agencies work closely with writers, producers and executives to create programming that puts them in the best light. These television shows dominate network programming, and influence the beliefs of their viewers.

A Tradition of Violence is hosted and executive produced by Cerise Castle. She's an award winning journalist who wrote the first ever history of deputy gangs for Knock LA, available at lasdgangs.com

Music by Yelohill and Steelz.

For breaking news and updates on deputy gangs, follow @lasdgangs on social media.

To support Cerise’s reporting, and for exclusive bonus content, subscribe to the patreon.com/lasdgangs.