Guarding the Guardians Requires Information
Lack of transparency regarding law enforcement use of force continues in Southern California despite years of struggles waged in the courts and media.
Recent articles and reports addressed this problem as it relates to the Los Angeles Police Commission and the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department.
According to an LA Times article, the Police Commission has not revealed outcomes of over 200 violent police encounters and shootings, including in custody deaths, during the last five years. The Commission cited staffing shortfalls in the Office of Inspector General.
Meanwhile, the ACLU released a report of conditions at Men’s Central Jail – a report that was hamstrung by lack of transparency from the Sherriff’s Department when it came to monitoring use of force complaints.
Police officers are entrusted with tremendous power in our society. It is critical that citizens have access to the information they need to monitor the exercise of that power, especially in high-stakes areas such as use of force.
You can read more about these issues at Police Misconduct and Civil Rights Violations and Prison and Jail Abuse.
