Los Angeles Police Officers Tampered With In-Car Recording Equipment

Posted on April 8, 2014 | Written By: iadminlaw

Source: Los Angeles Times

According to a recent investigation by LAPD investigators, some Los Angeles police officers tampered with in-car recording equipment to avoid being monitored. The officers, who tampered with equipment in dozens of patrol cars, have also avoided discipline for their actions.

Half of the estimated 80 cars in one South Los Angeles police division were missing crucial antennas that help capture what officers say in the field. Another 10 antennas were removed in surrounding divisions, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The problem came to the attention of Police Chief Charlie Beck last summer, but instead of investigating the situation to identify the officers involved, Beck instituted new checks and balances to curb the problem.

Members of the police commission were not briefed on the problem until months later. Many were alarmed by the fact they were not informed of what was going on.

“On an issue like this, we need to be brought in right away,” commission President Steve Soboroff said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “This equipment is for the protection of the public and of the officers. To have people who don’t like the rules to take it upon themselves to do something like this is very troubling.”

Beck said that he didn’t deliberately withhold the information from the commission members. He insisted that the new checks in place curbed the abuse.

Now that the issue has come to light, it is unclear if Beck and the police commission will be imploring further into who was behind the tampering.

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Source: Daily Journal