Skip to Content
Crime

Racial Profiling Study Results Rejected by LAPD ~ Los Angeles Police Department

The Los Angeles Times reports:

The Los Angeles Police Department on Tuesday rejected the findings of a study that found its officers frequently discriminate against African Americans and Latinos when making traffic and pedestrian stops.

Top LAPD officials, speaking before the civilian commission that oversees the department, acknowledged that minorities are more frequently subjected to searches and other action during stops than are whites, but dismissed the claim of widespread racial profiling among officers and defended the department's efforts to address the issue. They also attacked the study, saying that analysis of data from traffic and pedestrian stops cannot accurately determine whether officers are biased.

Police Chief William J. Bratton said the study, released in October by Yale University legal scholar Ian Ayres and promoted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, was "of no value."

"We live in an imperfect world. There are many issues and questions for which unfortunately there are no perfect answers. This issue of bias and profiling is one of those issues," he said. "I've got a lot of concerns about their conclusions. This department does not engage in racial profiling."

Photo: LAPD at Dodger Stadium by Susan Catherine

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

No Cops, No Chaos: Long Beach’s Peaceful Protests vs. L.A.’s Police-Fueled Clashes

Like my favorite Basque band, Eskorbuto, famously proclaimed in their political anthem: “Mucha Policia, Poca Diversion.” The logic is straightforward: No police, no violence; too many police, too much chaos.

June 18, 2025

Kids of Taqueros Take Over East L.A. Taco Stand to Keep Families Safe

Jonathan, his brother, two sisters, and the children of other employees announced last Friday via social media that they would be temporarily taking over the business, saying: “We continue the work in honor of our parents.”

June 18, 2025

L.A.’s DIY Underground Hardcore Scene Raises $10K For L.A.’s Undocumented Families Affected by ICE

"We're in crisis mode," says Victor Campos, the Director of Mosh for Youth. "Immigrants build our communities, and they thrive with immigrants. If we look at who's being taken by the raids, it's hard-working Latinos. They're going to Home Depots, to swap meets, to places of business, and taking our people away. Families are left broken and shattered by these raids, so it's our responsibility as individuals with platforms to do something about it."

June 17, 2025

Unhoused Residents and a Chef Getting Off Work Get Unintentionally Caught in Violent Police Actions Against Protesters in DTLA

A Black woman in a wheelchair who did not appear to be involved in the protests found herself trapped among dozens of protesters. When a line of police advanced towards her and the remaining protesters, two people put their bodies on the line a sthey struggled to move her wheelchair away from the police.

June 17, 2025

Who Allowed ICE To Arrest Vendors and Customers at The Santa Fe Swap Meet?

Suspicion is falling on management, despite its formal denial that employees knew anything about it. "“Who let them in? That’s what we want to know,” said a vendor. “They have speakers; they could have alerted people,” said one vendor.

June 16, 2025

Sheriff’s Department Says Little Girl Seen In Viral Video Was Taken Into ‘Protective Custody’ by DCFS, Not ICE

L.A. TACO has confirmed that the viral video posted today by Union Del Barrio showing a little girl crying in the backseat of a truck has to do with a warrant for a murder investigation.

June 16, 2025
See all posts