California attorney general launches probe into police department over alleged racist texts – USA TODAY
The California attorney general launched an independent review of a southern California police department after allegations of racist and homophobic messages, excessive force and other misconduct were reported.
The announcement came after hours after the Los Angeles Times reported more than a dozen current and former officers with the Torrance Police Department exchanged hateful messages about Black, Jewish and LGBTQ people. In other messages, officers spoke about using violence against suspects and lying about a police shooting, the newspaper found.
The messages led to the dismissal of at least 85 criminal cases at the local and county level, according to the Times. The officers who sent racist text messages were involved in at least seven use-of-force incidents since 2013, three of which resulted in the death of Black and Latino men according to records obtained by the outlet.
Thirteen of the officers were listed as possible witnesses in more than 1,800 cases spanning more than a decade, according to Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The office has reviewed hundreds of cases involving the officers who were implicated with a focus on pending and post-conviction cases, Risling said. Prosecutors are also reviewing criminal allegations of unreasonable force they have been presented.
None of the officers are facing criminal charges over the messages, but they have been placed on administrative leave according to a statement from city officials.
“My promise to all of our residents and visitors to the city is that I will personally do everything I can to ensure that all people feel welcome, safe and protected in our community,” Mayor Patrick J. Furey said. “This same commitment is shared by all members of the Torrance City Council.”
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The state review aims to “identify and correct potential systemic failures in the department’s policies and practices,” according to a statement from Attorney General Rob Bonta. It will be conducted by the California Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section with assistance from the DOJ’s Division of Law Enforcement.
“Our communities deserve to know they can get equal justice under the law,” Bonta said. “Where there is evidence of potentially pervasive bias or discrimination, it can undermine the trust that is critical for public safety and our justice system.
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Bonta said Torrance Chief of Police Jay Hart requested an investigation into the issue.
“As police chief of the Torrance Police Department, I am committed to accountability, and I will not tolerate any form of bigotry, racism, hate, or misconduct,” Hart said in a statement.
The Torrance Police department is just one of the country’s roughly 18,000 police departments facing state or federal investigation following accusations of misconduct. Attorney General Merrick Garland launched investigations into the pattern and practices of police departments in Minneapolis, Louisville and Phoenix in the wake of massive racial justice and police reform protests following George Floyd’s murder in May 2020.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow N’dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
