Block Looks at ’91 as Year of Restraint : Sheriff: He praises deputies’ performances and cites firing of 55 officers as evidence of department’s vigilance.

Despite allegations of brutality, Sheriff Sherman Block said Tuesday that his deputies performed with restraint in 1991 and that the department acted vigilantly by firing 55 officers.

Summing up what he admits has been “not a very pleasant year,” Block also said the unprecedented criticism directed at the Sheriff’s Department caused him “a great deal of distress and some anger.” But, speaking at his final monthly news conference of the year, Block said he hoped the impact of such scrutiny would be positive.

“I think many officers today are certainly more aware that they’re working in a fish bowl and that every action they take is going to be scrutinized and re-scrutinized by someone,” Block said. “So, they are perhaps less impetuous in taking an action than they may have been in the past . . . I think in the long run, it’s going to be for the better.”

The sheriff pointed out that 10 deputies were wounded by suspects in 1991 as compared to six the year before, contributing to his belief that the streets of Los Angeles County are becoming increasingly dangerous for law enforcement officers.

Given that context, he contended, it was not surprising that deputies shot 55 suspects in 1991--more than in any other year during the last decade. Of those shootings, a record 23 were fatal, according to sheriff’s officials. In 1990, deputies were involved in 50 shootings, 18 of which were fatal.

Block acknowledged that his department came under attack in 1991 for four of the fatal shootings, which occurred during a one-month stretch from Aug. 3 to Labor Day. However, he described the incidents as an “anomaly.”

“If you look at those four shootings, it looks like we’ve gone wild out there,” the sheriff said. “But if you take the year in perspective . . . I think our people out there overall probably showed great restraint in dealing with a lot of violence-prone individuals in this community.”

Reacting to criticism that the department has been slow to investigate allegations of misconduct, Block said that 55 sworn personnel were dismissed in 1991 for a range of offenses, including excessive force, sexual harassment and dishonesty.

“I’d say that is pretty aggressive,” Block said. “In fact, if you would talk to the union representatives, they will tell you our disciplinary process is Draconian.”

Shaun J. Mathers, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, agreed with Block’s assessment.

“I think that they are extremely harsh,” Mathers said in an interview. “You can very easily go from a search for the facts to a witch-hunt mentality, and we’re very concerned about that.”

Asked about his future as sheriff, Block said he had no plans to leave the post he has held since 1982.

“I’ll be here in 1992. God willing, I’ll be here in ’93 and ’94 and so on,” said Block, who is up for reelection in 1994. “To paraphrase a former President, you may have me to kick around for a while longer.”