Four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department are under investigation for allegedly making racist and sexist comments while working with recruits of new officers, accusations that Mayor Karen Bass called “especially scandalous and unacceptable” on Friday.
A Lieutenant, a sergeant and two officers assigned to the recruitment employment division have been assigned home pending an internal affairs investigation, in accordance with multiple sources of application of the law. Sending an employee to home is reserved for the most serious investigations.
The accusations arrive at a time when LAPD has fought to attract new officers, and the news of the investigation caused acute words of the mayor of the city.
“The growth of LAPD ranks is a priority of this administration, and for the security of our city, so this behavior is especially scandalous and unacceptable,” Bass said in a prepared statement. “The boss and I are on the same page about the urgent need to fix the recruitment and hiring process and make sure that the officers trapped in the past do not tarnish the badge for everyone else.”
Police chief Jim McDonnell accepted the elimination of officers after learning about specific accusations. The bass was also informed of the serious nature of the probe.
“I am deeply disappointed by the reports that certain officers were registered making racist and offensive comments regarding department applicants. Such behavior is in direct opposition to the central values of this department and the trust that we strive to maintain the communities we serve, ”said McDonnell in a prepared statement.
McDonnell said the department took immediate measures after learning of the accusations.
“The officers involved have been assigned to their homes, without police powers, waiting for a complete and exhaustive investigation. Let me be clear: there is absolutely any place in the LAPD for racism, discrimination or any behavior that undermines our mission of fair and impartial surveillance, ”he said.
“We are committed to transparency and responsibility, and we will ensure that this investigation is carried out with maximum integrity. For the people of Los Angeles: I want to assure you that we continue to build a police force that reflects the diversity, values and expectations of this great city, ”he added.
The investigation comes only a couple of months after the boss's possession, and it may be his first proof of responsibility within the department. As Sheriff of the County of the, McDonnell obtained a reputation for having zero tolerance for misconduct.
A source described the alleged comments as shocking and raw: “It is much worse than what Nury Martínez and the council members said,” said a police officer who was not authorized to discuss the details of the investigation.
Martínez resigned from the City Council after a conversation surreptitiously registered among her, the then president of the Federation of Work of Angeles County, Ron Herrera, and then members of the Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo Cities Council became public. The audio recording presented offensive comments on black, Oaxacanos indigenous and others.
Two sources said that the officers now under investigation had used racist and sexist language while arguing women's recruits and officers. The sources refused to describe the comments, but said the officers belonged to different races.
The Los Angeles Police Protection League, the union that represents the base officers of the department, issued the following statement on Friday: “Any obstacle to increasing LAPD's ranks must be eradicated and that includes any alleged conduct that does not Defend the high standards, as police officers, we are retained.
The scandal occurs in the midst of a growing concern for the waning ranks of LAPD and its slow recruitment rhythm. McDonnell has acknowledged that at the time of its appointment, the department had 1,200 officers less than when it for the last time in the department 15 years ago.
“We have the ability to put 60 in each class, and we are not seeing close to that,” he said, adding that he expected the department to soon rationalize the hiring process.
The investigation could raise doubts about what role the four supervisors played in the selection and the rejections of officers' candidates in recent years.
The budget proposed by the Department for Fiscal Year 2026 projects the loss of 150 police due to the writing and recruitment wear. That would leave a force of about 8,620 officers before June 30, 2026, the lowest deployment in approximately 30 years, according to public records.
When announcing the McDonnell team last October, Mayor Karen Bass established several objectives, including “work with him to grow and strengthen LAPD.”
The deadly Palisades fire last month showed that the department can be stretched during a large disaster and the next number of Olympic Games and Olympic Games as massive challenges. Despite the department's reduction ranges, LAPD data shows that many types of violent crimes have fallen, especially homicides and shootings. However, McDonnell has said that some of the minor crimes may be without reporting.
The results of the investigation could have serious consequences for the department.
In 2022, a jury granted CMDR. Lillian Carranza $ 4 million in damage to her demand for sexual harassment against the city for a naked photograph that was seen as her and shared throughout the department. The city has appealed that verdict.
In 2021, a Los Angeles police officer who shared a photo of George Floyd with the words “take your breath” in a Valentine's format avoided the punishment after an internal disciplinary panel of members of the community found him not guilty of administrative positions.
The then police chief Michel Moore had directed the officer to the panel, known as a rights board, in May 2021 with the recommendation to say goodbye to the officer. The boss does not have the authority to fire officers.
The personnel writer Libor Jany contributed to this story.
