The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department deleted and then apologized for posting a message expressing sympathy for “the victims and families impacted” by US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The message, posted on X, Facebook and Instagram, said the sheriffs’ “hearts go out” to Iranian “victims”. A swift online backlash followed, and the department then issued an apology that referred to its own original post as “offensive and inappropriate”.
According to a screenshot of the now-deleted post from KTLA, the post read: “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran. While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.”
The since-edited version excludes any mention of Iran, and instead says the department is monitoring “the situation overseas”. In its apology, the department said the original social media post was put up in error and did not reflect views of the chief sheriff, Robert Luna, or the department.
“As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters. Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities,” the statement said. It added that it strengthen “social media oversight protocols”.
Los Angeles is home to a large population of Iranian Americans, numbering about 400,000, and had gained the nickname Tehrangeles. It is also home to the second largest Jewish population after New York, numbering about 500,000.
Politico noted last week that the war between Israel and Iran put the Iranian American population, many of whom fled Iran after the 1979 revolution, in a difficult situation. Many are opposed to the current Iranian government.
The introduction of the sheriff’s department’s thoughts on the issue may come as jarring for some. The department soon got back to more ordinary business with a message more focused on possible security risks because of the overseas conflict that the US is now militarily involved in.
“At the moment, there are no known threats to Los Angeles county. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are increasing patrol checks at places of worship and other sensitive locations throughout the county,” the sheriff’s department said.
