Posts by Mike Bornman

The Argument Against the “Law Enforcement Gangs” Narrative“Our first responders are uniquely strong, brave, and emotionally flexible. They are called upon to support us on the worst days of our lives. They hear and see things that are burned into their memories forever. They see the worst of humanity, and then they go home and…

“Small mistakes, the lack of care, little accidents, and somewhere a tipping point is passed, and things go badly wrong.“ Alan S. Kesselheim Recently, I heard someone voice the opinion that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had “dropped off a cliff” as the result of the federal criminal trial and conviction of Deputy Trevor…

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.“ Benjamin Franklin On December 31st, 2024, between eight and ten PM, the LASD’s Computer Assisted Dispatch system (CAD) began to fail. By midnight, the failure was complete. The system had died. This mobile-digital system is a critical tool for every department member who works in a…

Crushing Overtime Requirements Within the LASD Are Still the Name of the Game “Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse.“ Lily Tomlin It has been over six months since my October 3, 2023, article in The Current Report, “The Murder of a Deputy Sheriff Amid Questions of Leadership,” and working…

As initially reported in my most recent article on “The Current Report, Leadership Failure“ State DOJ Poised to Take Over the LASD, dated April 2, 2024, I discussed the impending arrival of a report from the CA-DOJ regarding their findings of a nearly 3-year long investigation into the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Looking back, I find…

“A society which chooses war against the police better learn to make peace with its criminals.” – Anonymous Cops Are tired.  Who can blame them? Over the past few years, they have been relentlessly attacked by those who would destroy not just them personally, but the institution as well.  Cries of “defund the police,” “all…

“Each betrayal begins with trust.” –  Martin Luther  The concept of administrative betrayal, or “moral injury” is not a new one.  Frankly, I would prefer to use the term administrative cowardness to describe the actions or inactions leaders take when dealing with their personnel.  In 2023, the publication Police1 conducted a survey of 4100 officers “to explore the biggest…

“The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for.“ Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) We have all heard about the age-old concept of “fight or flight”, which is the body’s physiological reaction that occurs when we are faced with something mentally or physically terrifying.  It’s nature’s way of protecting us from harm.…

Like many others associated with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, we were left speechless this week when we learned of the unexpected death of Sergeant Danilo Castaneda.  While the final results are unknown at this time, preliminary information tells us that he died while at home on Tuesday, January 2nd, the apparent victim of…

By Michael Bornman, retired Captain LA County Sheriff’s Department “A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”  – John C. Maxwell The recent senseless murder of Palmdale Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer has once again shed light on the absolute inadequacy of Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.  As a…