An audit by the Los Angeles inspector general examined 300 traffic stops conducted by the LAPD gang unit in 2023 and identified repeated failures to follow department rules on searches, video activation and record keeping.
The review, presented to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, noted inconsistent compliance with policies on obtaining consent for searches, turning on body-worn and in-car cameras, photographing people who were not arrested or detained, and maintaining gang photo records.
Officers are required under department guidelines to activate cameras at the start of an investigation, obtain voluntary consent before searching without a warrant, and provide business cards during detentions. The audit found these steps were often omitted.
Inspectors also reviewed more than 10,000 video files and discovered six encounters that officers never documented in official reports. In nearly every case examined, officers did not issue required business cards.
Department officials told commissioners that training has been updated and that the number of complaints has dropped since the period covered by the data. Twenty-eight complaints against gang unit officers were sustained in 2023 for violations involving cameras and searches.
The inspector general also raised concerns about how the unit photographs suspected gang members and stores those images. The department had previously halted submissions to a state database after discovering false information in some records.
Advocates who spoke at the meeting questioned whether audits alone can restore public confidence, citing earlier incidents of misconduct within gang enforcement units. The LAPD had temporarily disbanded the gang unit at its 77th Street Division earlier in the year over similar camera and reporting issues.
This report is based on coverage by LAist: https://laist.com/news/politics/what-lapd-requires-during-stops-and-where-its-gang-unit-fell-short