Largest sheriff’s department in US enacts transgender policy

LOS ANGELES — The nation’s largest sheriff’s department has enacted a new policy requiring deputies to address transgender and gender non-conforming people using their preferred names and pronouns, officials said Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department policy, which went into effect earlier this month, is meant to reinforce practices that are already being widely followed throughout the department, said sheriff’s Lt. Don Mueller.

The policy prohibits deputies from making offensive comments or asking about a person’s gender transition process. It also says deputies cannot disclose that someone is transgender to non-law enforcement personnel, with few exceptions.

“Most of the policies are to help educate our own and some of the policies are basic, but some terms are not appropriate anymore,” Mueller said.