LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Name of Agency: Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Los Angeles Police Commission (Current as of May, 2014)

Contact Info:

Los Angeles Police Commission

Office of the Inspector General

201 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 610

Los Angeles, CA  90012

P 213-482-6833

F 213-202-9966

Agency website:  http://www.oig.lacity.org/

Type of oversight agency: Inspector General (Audit, Investigative, Review)

Oversight of: Los Angeles Police Department (municipal police agency)

Number of sworn officers: Approximately 10,000

Population of city: Approximately 4 million

Enabling legislation and authority:

• “Los Angeles Charter and Administrative Code,” Volume I, Article V, Section 573
  (http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/California/laac/administrativecode?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:losangeles_ca_mc, Attachment 1)
• “Policies and Authority Relative to the Inspector General,” Los Angeles Police Commission
  (http://www.oiglapd.org/documents/policies&authority.pdf, Attachment 2)

Number of staff positions in each classification and position:

• Inspector General: 1  (Attachment 3)
• Assistant Inspector General: 3 (Attachment 4)
• Police Performance Auditor IV: 1 (Attachment 5)
• Special Investigator II: 16 (Attachment 6)
• Police Performance Auditor III: 6 (Attachment 5)

Authority/function/jurisdiction of the agency:

• Receives complaints (Accepts and refers to Internal Affairs for investigation)
• Investigates complaints using civilian investigators (Chief of Police complaints or as otherwise directed by the Commission)
• Recommends findings on complaints investigated by civilian investigators
• Monitors investigations conducted by sworn personnel as they are conducted
• Reviews completed investigations conducted by sworn personnel
• Recommends findings on investigations conducted by sworn personnel
• Audits investigations into complaints after completion of investigation
• Conducts investigations, audits, inspections, and research into all aspects of police department’s operations
• Makes policy recommendations
• Participates in and makes recommendations regarding the investigation and adjudication of serious use of force incidents

Scope of agency’s authority:

• May compel production of police agency records (Attachment 2, Section III)
• May compel statements from officers (Attachment 2, Section IV)
• May subpoena documents & evidence (Attachment 2, Section VII)
• May subpoena witnesses (Attachment 2, Section VII)

Mediation available to resolve complaints?

A pilot program for the mediation of biased policing and minor discourtesy complaints has been developed and is currently being implemented.

The Department also maintains an Alternate Dispute Resolution process for minor complaints by the public.

Volunteer board or a commission:

The Inspector General reports directly to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners (Commission), a body of five civilians who act as the head of the police department.  This board is appointed for five-year terms by the Mayor of Los Angeles and confirmed by the City Council.  The Commission sets policy for the LAPD and adjudicates serious use of force incidents.

Agency mission statement:

The mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to provide strong, independent and effective oversight of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and to ensure that the LAPD, its officers, and employees act with honesty, integrity, dignity, and respect towards the public.  In addition, the OIG conducts community outreach to educate the community about the OIG, the Police Commission, and the LAPD on a periodic basis, but especially in the wake of high-profile use of force incidents and other newsworthy developments of particular interest to the community. The OIG carries out its mission through three discrete sections: the Complaints and Audits Section, the Use of Force section, and the Special Investigations and Compliance Section.

Reports by governmental or non-governmental entities:

Chris Stone et al., “Policing Los Angeles Under a Consent Decree:  The Dynamics of Change at the LAPD,” Harvard Kennedy School Program in Criminal Justice Policy, 2009.  (http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/Harvard-LAPD%20Study.pdf, Attachment 7)

Results of surveys of stakeholders (i.e. complainants or police officers) or employees.

N/A

Quarterly or annual reports:

Available at http://www.oig.lacity.org/.

Links:

• Consent Decree (2001):  http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/laconsent.php
• Transition Agreement (2009):  http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/US_v_LosAngeles_TA-Order_071709.pdf
• Monitoring Reports (2001-2009):  http://www.lapdonline.org/special_assistant_for_constitutional_policing/content_basic_view/9010
• “Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department” (Christopher Commission, 1991):  http://www.parc.info/client_files/Special%20Reports/1%20-%20Chistopher%20Commision.pdf
• “Report of the Rampart Independent Review Panel” (2000):  http://www.oiglapd.org/rirprpt.pdf
• “An Independent Analysis of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Board of Inquiry Report on the Rampart Scandal” (2001):  http://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2262&context=llr
• “Rampart Reconsidered” (2006):  http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/Rampart%20Reconsidered-Full%20Report.pdf

Attachments

1)  Los Angeles City Charter (Volume I, Article V, Section 573)

2)  Policies and Authority Relative to the Inspector General

3)  Inspector General (Job Description)

4)  Assistant Inspector General (Job Description)

5)  Police Performance Auditor (Job Description)

6)  Special Investigator II (Job Description)

7)  Harvard-LAPD Study