Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka announced his candidacy for Los Angeles County Sheriff during an Aug. 15 press conference at Griffith Park, challenging his former boss, Lee Baca.
Tanaka, who won re-election for a third term as Gardena mayor in March, is a former department undersheriff who came under fire for fostering violence in county jails. He was pressured to step down and announced his retirement from the force, effective Aug. 1.
Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka announced his candidacy for Los Angeles County Sheriff during an Aug. 15 press conference at Griffith Park, challenging his former boss, Lee Baca.
Tanaka, who won re-election for a third term as Gardena mayor in March, is a former department undersheriff who came under fire for fostering violence in county jails. He was pressured to step down and announced his retirement from the force, effective Aug. 1.
He was surrounded by supporters, “current and former supervisors” in the Sheriff’s department when he announced his candidacy, the L.A. Times reported.
Tanaka said he chose to run for the department’s top position “because the community members are long overdue for a new direction from their sheriff. He said that “the lack of accountability as the Sheriff’s Department has been well-chronicled, is an embarrassment to the thousands of hard-working employees, and necessitates a change in command, a new vision.”
Baca would be seeking his fifth term, but has come under fire in recent years for abuse issues and deputy misconduct, for which the FBI has been investigating. He has also been criticized for questionable hires and preferential treatments to acquaintances.
Tanaka was removed from his undersheriff position amid accusations that he authorized beatings of jail prisoners. The County’s Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence reportedly criticized Tanaka for “interfering” with efforts to address the violence issues. He responded by saying he was made a “scapegoat.” And that he was nowhere near the chain of command over the jails during the period of abuse.
He and Baca had a falling out, and Tanaka announced his retirement last spring. He officially left office earlier this month.
Tanaka told the L.A. Times that his former boss “pushed subordinates to hire his friends and relatives and undermined public safety to settle political spats.”
In challenging Baca for Sheriff, Tanaka’s platform he says will be built on restoring trust and credibility to the Sheriff’s department, as well as clearer organizational structure, and improvement to all areas of credibility.
Baca’s political consultant, Parke Skelton, said that Tanaka’s pledge for reform is a contradiction because Tanaka “was the greatest obstacle to reform as undersheriff,” the L.A. Weekly reported.
Meanwhile, another former sheriff has surfaced to challenge Baca. Former Commander Bob Olmstead announced his intensions to run for sheriff Aug. 14, and blames both Baca and Tanaka for the department’s list of misconducts.
Olmstead was the whistleblower who tried to bring awareness to the jail violence three years ago. But he is a political neophyte and his biggest hurdle will be in raising the necessary funds and influential support to mount a viable campaign.
Two other challengers to Baca are LAPD Detective Lou Vince and Patrick Gomez, a retired sheriff’s lieutenant.
The primary election is slated for June 3, 2014. A majority vote-getter will win the seat, otherwise the top two candidates will face off in the Nov. 4 election.
