They are civilian bosses of the Los Angeles Police Department and are tasked with overseeing the department, but members of the police committee recently included the opportunity that police officers allegedly made racist and sexist. , says they have been left in the dark recently. Comment on a new recruit that spurred a burning rebuke.
The Police Commission on Tuesday called for the Los Angeles Police Department to get closer to dealing with serious allegations against officers and whether they would result in punishment.
Commissioner Vice President Rasha Gerges Shields said on the disciplinary issue at a weekly meeting of the committee at police headquarters, citing concerns about comments allegedly made by LAPD recruiting and employment officers. “Great visibility.”
The comments that officers are allegedly working with recruits have been called “particularly outrageous and unacceptable” by the committee, police union, activist and Mayor Karen Bass. The exact statement that police chief Jim McDonnell said was recorded has not been released.
Department sources said the initial investigation into the remarks placed the aide, a sergeant and two officers on administrative leave until the results of a broader interior investigation were revealed. A source in one department described the alleged statement as “worse than what Nury Martinez and council members said.” City and Labour leaders have made displeased comments about black people, Indigenous Oaxacan and others, referring to secretly recorded city hall scandals.
On Tuesday, McDonnell confirmed that two additional officers were on leave. This is usually reserved for serious investigations.
McDonnell also said the captain was relieved of his obligations on another matter without providing details. Two sources with knowledge of the investigation identified the captain as Robin Petilo, who runs the recruitment department, and said her temporary removal was in response to complaints against her.
Petilo did not immediately respond to messages left on her cell phone issued by her city.
The charges come when LAPD, like other police stations across the country, struggles to recruit officers and keep others up.
After learning of the specific allegations, McDonnell approved the removal of officers from their duties and later explained to the mayor about the serious nature of the investigation.
Over the past few weeks, several commissioners expressed shock after learning from news and social media about allegations against the executive, including drunk driving.
Tuesday’s Gerges Shields, coupled with the fact that it’s openly made at work, calls for police allegations to employers who “unacceptable” the taste of comments, and how serious they are about to make such allegations. He said he raised questions about whether he accepted it. , and whether this sent a message to the executives that such behavior was tolerated.
“It shows that everyone thought this was an acceptable action or that they thought nothing would happen to them if they were caught,” she said at the committee meeting.
Gerges Shields said that Django Sibley, executive director of the committee, would like him to work with the department without elaborating on her expectations so that she can see more visibility into her handling of LAPD’s disciplinary issues.
“I think it’s important for the committee to see more regularly how it looks,” she said.
The department has already provided the committee with annual updates to the committee on the number of officer complaints received and how many have led to discipline.
McDonnell called the suspicious racist and sexist comments “of serious concern to everyone, and certainly to us all,” and the complaints were made anonymously, but the department said the possibility. He said measures will be taken to protect whistleblowers from certain retaliation.
“This was a very disappointing experience for everyone,” he said.
He then said the city’s HR department will “see if there are any negative effects to perform a case biopsy,” and will implement the role played by officers involved in the selection and rejection of candidates in recent years. Ta.
Gerges Shields wants to explain that decision in another case where he has tracted on social media, and another case where department officials recommend training officers who call citizens “black footballs.” He said.
Gerges Shields said she and some of her colleagues “feeling that wasn’t the right result.”
During the public comments period at Tuesday’s meeting, William Goode, a well-known police watchdog using the online handle @filmthepolicela, confirmed that “Black Fool” comments were made against him. Gude said he emailed McDonnell repeatedly for several months, copying it to other departments and committee staff and asking for explanations of why officers were not being disciplined to make their statement. He has not yet received the response, he said.
A Gude email said comments were made during filming in November 2020 when Hollywood officials were “convicted of illegal searches.” Officers initially refused to identify themselves and made a comment, the email said.
After reviewing body camera footage of the incident as part of an internal investigation, the department recommended that officers receive a two-day suspension due to allegations of inappropriate search. However, according to Gude’s email, the “Black Fool” commented on an interdisciplinary issue.
Under state law, most officer disciplinary matters are considered private.
The investigation will take place just a few months after McDonnell’s tenure and could prove an early test of accountability within the department. As LA County Sheriff, McDonnell has gained a reputation for being zero tolerance to fraud.
When he announced McDonnell’s choice in October, Bass laid out several goals, including “Working with him to grow and strengthen LAPD.”
The committee has been calling for a greater role in officer discipline in recent months. Last year, several members were removed from city council debate by reforming critics’ powers to completely fire anyone suspected of misconduct on LAPD chiefs, and critics’ efforts to make accountability efforts He expressed concern that he had ruled out the disciplinary process that he seriously undermined.
Police unions opposed the change and insisted they would concentrate too much power in the hands of the chief.
A promotion to review cases of officers accused of fraud and change the composition of the disciplinary panel, which determines whether they should be fired or faced with punishment. It ultimately failed.
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
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