Sherman Block
Block in 1986
Born(1924-07-19)July 19, 1924
Chicago, Illinois, US
DiedOctober 28, 1998(1998-10-28) (aged 74)
Los Angeles, California, US
EducationWashington University in St. Louis
RelativesBerle Adams (cousin)
Police career
DepartmentLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Service years1956–1998
RankSheriff

Sherman Block (July 19, 1924 – October 28, 1998) was the 29th Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California from January 1982 until his death.[1][2] He was preceded by Peter Pitchess and succeeded by Lee Baca.[3]

Biography

Block was born to a Jewish family and grew up in Chicago.[4][5][6] He was the grandson of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. His grandfather had been a chazzan in Vilna.[7] Block was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. He served in the United States Army for 31⁄2 years during World War II in Europe and the Pacific.[8] During the war, Block's father and uncle had purchased a deli, where he worked after the war before establishing his own business, Block's Kosher Kitchen, on Chicago's South Side. Although initially successful, he expanded it too fast and was ultimately forced to close it. Block then moved west. He studied at Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in engineering, before he moved to Los Angeles. He was at first employed as a counterman at a kosher deli there.[7] In 1956, Block joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as a deputy sheriff, becoming the first deputy in the department to work his way through every rank to the top.

In 1962, Block arrested comedian Lenny Bruce for obscenity, namely using the term "schmuck" during a comedy routine. Block had been sent to one of Bruce's performances by his superiors because he spoke Yiddish and thus could follow Bruce's act, which was peppered with the language.[9][10]

During his tenure he became the highest paid elected official in the United States.

In the Live Action Video for Kids/Real Wheels video, "There Goes A Police Car", Block appeared at the end of the video to tell the viewers the purposes of police officers and deputy sheriffs. He also encouraged the viewers to visit a police or sheriff's station and practice using the 911 system for emergencies.

He was held liable for indemnifications by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a civil rights class action 42 USC §1983 for punitive damages and the violation of constitutional rights.[11]

He died during his campaign for re-election, which he was expected to win. He still obtained about one third of the vote, as Lee Baca's opponents wanted the County Supervisors to appoint his successor. Block's death broke the tradition of the incumbent Sheriff selecting his successor.

The Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SBSLI) was created in 1988. This is a program designed to stimulate personal growth and leadership, and ethical decision-making in California law enforcement front-line supervisors. California Law Enforcement Officers who hold the rank of Sergeant are the individuals who get to attend this program.

His cousin is movie producer Berle Adams.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Los Angeles County Sheriffs - Past to Present". www.laalmanac.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  2. ↑ "Sherman Block, Los Angeles County Sheriff, 74". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1998-10-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  3. ↑ "BBC NEWS | Special Report | 1998 | 09/98 | US midterms | Close second for dead sheriff". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  4. 1 2 Freed, David (May 17, 1987). "Wide Respect : The Sheriff: Deli King to Top Lawman". The Los Angeles Times.
  5. ↑ Tugend, Tom (November 5, 1998). "A Jewish Life". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020. Block, who died last week at age 74 from a massive brain hemorrhage, was the first Jewish sheriff in the 148-year history of Los Angeles County.
  6. ↑ "Long-ill L.A. county sheriff Sherman Block dies at 74". The Daily Bruin. October 29, 1998. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020. It was the day before the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and prefaced his remarks by telling reporters, "Tomorrow is the holiest day of the year in my religion, so I'll be praying for all of you."
  7. 1 2 "A Jewish Life". Jewish Journal. 1998-11-05. Archived from the original on 2020-01-15. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  8. ↑ SCV Historical Society. "Sherman Block" Archived 2021-02-07 at the Wayback Machine, scvhistory.com website. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  9. ↑ "'Lenny' and Me". Jewish Journal. 1999-08-05. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  10. ↑ Pfefferman, Naomi (August 5, 1999). "'Lenny' and Me". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ "County Supervisors Liable for Indemnifications | Prison Legal News". www.prisonlegalnews.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
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