May Day 2007 Investigation Update

This morning, during a scheduled update into the investigation of actions by Los Angeles police officers during the May 1, 2007 May Day rally in MacArthur Park; the Department reported to members of the Board of Police Commissioners, allegations of misconduct were sustained against 17 police officers and two sergeants.

A panel made up of members of the LAPD Command Staff reviewed the findings of the comprehensive investigation and prepared recommendations for discipline.  Each officer was served on June 26, 2008, by their individual commanding officer, with the adjudication panel’s findings.  The officer’s will have 30-days to respond to the proposed discipline, known as a Skelly response. 

It is anticipated Police Chief William Bratton will review the findings of the investigation and the officer’s Skelly responses in early August.  Once he has completed his review, the Chief will make the final decision on discipline for the 17 officers and two sergeants.

The officers and sergeants have the option to take their case to a Board of Rights (BOR), if they do not accept the proposed discipline.  A BOR is made up of two LAPD Command Officers and a Civilian Hearing Examiner.  Their findings are then forwarded to the Chief of Police for final adjudication.

State law precludes the Los Angeles Police Department from disclosing specific allegations or findings of a confidential personnel investigation, including the names of the involved officers.

Comments

[NDynamite]

Scape coats.

[Pete Malloy]

Whatever.

Simi Valley PD, here's another 19 applicants with a world of police experience knocking on your door. . .

[Jim Reed]

Should the general public be outraged about the exclusion of any discipline for Command Staff personnel?

Lets look at the history of the protection at any cost of Command Staff. (For the general public, Command Staff is Captains and above).

Chief Parker's philosophy was that Command Staff had to be both protected and isolated from complaints at all costs. For many years, there was a very large two door safe located in Internal Affairs which held investigations into allegations against any Command Staff officer. Access was extremely restricted. Chief Parker believed that Command Staff had to be above all the other officers in order to maintain discipline.

How were complaints against Command Staff handled from Parker days forward? More often than not, if the complaint was judged minor by the Chief, it was closed out and that was that. If the complaint was indeed very significant, the Command Staff officer was able to retire to avoid any department charges.

So how does Chief Bratton justify that there was NO active allegations against any member of his Command Staff? Simple answer. Command Staff is part of the good boys club and therefore falls under the Parker philosphy.

Makes sense to me.

[Looking for a clear picture]

I was hoping that someone could answer this question maybe one of the 19 that will leave? Can't someone within those 19 say something went wrong that day? I wasn't there I have no idea what might have triggered this but something clearly went wrong. If it was to many instructions from way too many people or if the instructions were not clear. I believe that the public that were there need to take some responsiblity and clearly not all the video from that day is great testimony to what happened however, some where in each of your souls you have to admit something went wrong. If it was bad communication, equipment, planning? From someone official who was there, who heard or did not hear all that was going on what happened? I have not followed this story as closly as I should have but that's because the story from the media and the story from "management" is not always the whole story so if you were there what is your side of what went wrong?

[JeffC]

In ref to the Command Staff's inappropriate behavior being "swept under the rug", it just so happens that the same holds true with at least one Ventura County L.E. agency and I'd suspect many others.

If your a sgt or below there is unethical behavior, dishonesty, deception, wrong doing, etc but if you are a lieutenant or above everything is just "a big misunderstanding".

The grass isn't always greener on the other side! I think that it's just a matter of a career in law enforcement having changed for the worst forever. It just really isn't worth it anymore.

Stay safe everyone. Each day is one day closer to retirement!

[confused]

Funny, I'm not saying that these 19 did anything intentional but those two officers that gave testimony in court and then the video showed other wise and the charges were dropped that story has not been posted here. Come to think of it one of those officers left LAPD and went to work for another agency...I guess some agencies will take anyone? Or was all just one big misunderstanding?

[ron]

Hey confused,
I saw the same news report. I don't get it, I think someone who does something like this should be banned from Police Work period. Can you say C D. As long as they lie and fram people there will always be CD Brought on by MISUNDERSTANDING!!!!

[Bob Davis]

In the past twenty years the City and LAPD command staff have mismanaged enough personnel issues to be approaching the 500 million dollar judgment amount.

This includes the 300 plus million dollar judgment from 10 years of then Mayor Bradley fighting the lawfully passed Prop H, the three FLSA litigations resulting in over 50 million dollars (number 4 is in progress) and too many other "smaller" judgments to list. The most recent being the 15 million dollar judgment for trying to destroy three officers by intentional fabrication of the "facts." (Read the court record. It's a disgrace what the LAPD "leadership" at the time did.)

Well I can tell you this May Day thirst for blood is rapidly heading down the same path. I only hope the current LAPD "leadership" learns from the past or the 15 million dollar judgment upheld by the 9th Circuit will be a bargain compared to where this is going.

The law and due process is there for everyone including police officers and there is a heavy price to pay for ignoring it. Right now that price is almost 500 million dollars. Do I hear 600 million?