{{Short description|American police officer (1924–1998)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox police officer |name = Sherman Block |image = Sherman Block, 1986 (cropped).jpg |caption = Block in 1986 |birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|7|19}} |death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|10|28|1924|7|19}} |badge_number = |birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, US |death_place = Los Angeles, California, US |nickname = |department = Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department |service = |service_years = 1956–1998 |rank = Sheriff |awards = |relatives = Berle Adams (cousin) |other_work = |education = Washington University in St. Louis }} '''Sherman Block''' (July 19, 1924 – October 28, 1998) was the 29th Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California from January 1982 until his death.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Los Angeles County Sheriffs - Past to Present |url=https://www.laalmanac.com/crime/cr68.php |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=www.laalmanac.com |archive-date=2023-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330134938/https://www.laalmanac.com/crime/cr68.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=1998-10-30 |title=Sherman Block, Los Angeles County Sheriff, 74 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/30/us/sherman-block-los-angeles-county-sheriff-74.html |access-date=2023-09-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2016-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313103855/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/30/us/sherman-block-los-angeles-county-sheriff-74.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was preceded by Peter Pitchess and succeeded by Lee Baca.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC NEWS {{!}} Special Report {{!}} 1998 {{!}} 09/98 {{!}} US midterms {{!}} Close second for dead sheriff |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/09/98/us_midterms/207790.stm |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=news.bbc.co.uk |archive-date=2021-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115011455/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/09/98/us_midterms/207790.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Biography== Block was born to a Jewish family and grew up in Chicago.<ref name=LATWide /><ref>{{Cite news |first=Tom |last=Tugend |title=A Jewish Life |newspaper=The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles |date=November 5, 1998 |url=https://jewishjournal.com/tag/sherman-block/ |quote=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. |access-date=January 15, 2020 |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203123336/https://jewishjournal.com/tag/sherman-block/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Long-ill L.A. county sheriff Sherman Block dies at 74|newspaper=The Daily Bruin|date=October 29, 1998|url=https://dailybruin.com/1998/10/29/long-ill-la-county-sheriff-she/|quote=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."|access-date=January 15, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115153500/https://dailybruin.com/1998/10/29/long-ill-la-county-sheriff-she/|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the grandson of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. His grandfather had been a chazzan in Vilna.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=1998-11-05|title=A Jewish Life|url=https://jewishjournal.com/old_stories/1261/|access-date=2021-04-26|website=Jewish Journal|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115160229/https://jewishjournal.com/old_stories/1261/|url-status=live}}</ref> Block was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. He served in the United States Army for 3{{frac|1|2}} years during World War II in Europe and the Pacific.<ref>SCV Historical Society. [https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2533.htm "Sherman Block"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207223805/https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2533.htm |date=2021-02-07 }}, ''scvhistory.com website''. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref> During the war, Block's father and uncle purchased a deli, where he worked after returning home from 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1999-08-05|title='Lenny' and Me|url=https://jewishjournal.com/old_stories/1901/|access-date=2021-04-26|website=Jewish Journal|language=en-US|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404003918/https://jewishjournal.com/old_stories/1901/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://jewishjournal.com/old_stories/1901/|title='Lenny' and Me|last1=Pfefferman|first1=Naomi|publisher=Jewish Journal|date=August 5, 1999|access-date=December 18, 2018|archive-date=April 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404003918/https://jewishjournal.com/old_stories/1901/|url-status=live}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=County Supervisors Liable for Indemnifications {{!}} Prison Legal News |url=https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2002/may/15/county-supervisors-liable-for-indemnifications/#case-2633 |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=www.prisonlegalnews.org |archive-date=2023-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606001242/https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2002/may/15/county-supervisors-liable-for-indemnifications/#case-2633 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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 was movie producer Berle Adams.<ref name=LATWide>{{Cite news|first=David |last=Freed |title=Wide Respect : The Sheriff: Deli King to Top Lawman |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date= May 17, 1987|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-17-mn-867-story.html }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} *
{{s-start}} {{S-civ|pol}} {{succession box | before=Peter J. Pitchess | title=Los Angeles County Sheriff | service_years=1982-1998 | after=Lee Baca }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Block, Sherman}} Category:1924 births Category:1998 deaths Category:Los Angeles County, California, sheriffs Category:McKelvey School of Engineering alumni Category:Law enforcement officials from Chicago Category:Jewish American military personnel Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:20th-century American politicians Category:United States Army soldiers Category:20th-century American Jews