Los Angeles County is investigating sheriff's department's 'deputy gangs'

(CNN) The Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) is launching an investigation into "deputy gangs" or groups participating in gang-like activity at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department, the Commission said Thursday.

The investigation, which will be conducted by pro bono attorneys and is expected to last up to six months, will look into the "continued existence and impact of deputy gangs and evaluate what is needed to eradicate them," the Commission said.

The Commission was created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to "improve public transparency and accountability" in the sheriff's department, according to its website.

"Numerous reports" show deputy gangs still exist, but "their scope and impact is unknown," the Commission said in a statement. Investigators will look at how many gangs are currently in operation, their effects on the community and evaluate if the sheriff's department's current policies are effective, the group said.

According to California statute, law enforcement gangs are a group of officers who identify themselves with a name and a symbol of some type, and "engage in a pattern of on-duty behavior that intentionally violates the law or fundamental principles of professional policing."