The accused were removed from their posts “without police authority,” the LAPD chief said.
In light of complaints from whistleblowers who suspected racism and discrimination by officers within the Los Angeles Police Department, a rapid investigation into the department’s recruitment and employment sector is currently underway, Prime Minister Jim McDonnell said Tuesday.
The police chief said he noticed a complaint that had been made at work several weeks ago when “inappropriate” comments were being made at his workplace while attending the Los Angeles Police Commission meeting on Tuesday.
McDonnell also said that audio of the racist conversation was recorded and that the accused was pulled out of his unit and sent home “without police authority.”
McDonnell said the department is filling the positions left by the officers under investigation, allowing the department to continue working and load people up.
Commissioner Maria Lou Callanche asked McDonnell to clarify the internal due process of the department and whether the officers could be fired on the spot.
McDonnell said the process occurs and does not occur overnight. He said it was “certainly taken very seriously, research. We have dedicated important resources to it, but it will be as fast as possible and quickly.”
Commissioner Teresa Sanchez Gordon said that it would be “disappointing” when comments were made not only as a lower class in the department but also as an authority figure.
“We hope that this research will actually impact and send a message that our department cannot continue its toxic environment,” added Sanchez Gordon.
Meanwhile, board president Errol Southers said his retirement would result in the loss of 100 officers the following year.
He praised the recruitment category because “approximately 100 people apply every month.” ”
He hopes the investigation will address alleged discrimination allegedly allegedly allegedly by some applicants when applying to the department.
In a public comment, LAPD activist and critic Jason Reedy said racist remarks were common in “every station, every department at every level of the department.”
“Now, LAPD says it is trying to investigate whether the latest recordings have been made illegal. The concerns of this committee, LAPD and the media are that this scandal is a barrier to growth.
On Monday, the LA Times reported details of complaints filed by whistleblowers. This included around 90 recordings of police officers and supervisors making lightly parochial statements to potential recruits and colleagues based on race and orientation.
The complaint accused LAPD Sergeant. Denny John leads such a conversation.
John, recruited by Asians, was asked in a conversation with his subordinate who was talking about Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela, who died in 2024 from a septic shock. John is said to have said, “I know why he died. He ate too many tacos.”
The complaint also alleged that John commented that the female civilian supervisor looked like a man and made crude jokes about Asian women. Additionally, the officers allegedly made some dim-like comments about black applicants, female colleagues and LGBTQ+ colleagues.
The conversation was recorded between March and October in the city’s HR construction, according to the Times.
The board of directors of the Los Angeles Police Protection Federation, a union representing LAPD rank and file officers, is also seeking accountability.
“We are eager to reporting officers talking this way about potential recruits, colleagues and supervisors. This accused language is unacceptable, and the language identified as being in these recordings should question our ability to do our own to high standards, so that officers must adhere to,” the board said in a statement.
“After a thorough, fair and transparent investigation into this alleged misconduct, any officer found to have broken public trust must be held accountable,” the statement continued.
Lappl also noted that several officers and supervisors on the scene were removed until the results of the investigation were revealed. Board members questioned why Deputy Director General Mark Reina, who is in charge of the recruitment force, was not relieved because of “what appears to be his lack of full surveillance,” the board added.
Greg Smith, the lawyer representing whistleblowers, told the Times, where they work with inspectors, due to concerns about retaliation and personal safety.
Officers also allegedly misrepresented to show more time than the time cards were actually working, confidential information was disclosed to other agencies, and racial and sexual bias was applied to the choice of officers, the Times reported.
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