Update (January 28, 2019): Mayor Eric Garcetti wants an investigation into the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) after an LA Times report found the Metropolitan Division of the LAPD targeted Black drivers for traffic stops.
"Angelenos deserve to understand the full picture when something outside the ordinary happens with any of our officers,” Garcetti said according to the LA Times.
The mayor called the report “something that troubles me and is deeply concerning" and said, "Every Angeleno deserves to be offered dignity and respect."
The Metropolitan Division is meant to prevent crime and accomplishes this in part through traffic stops. The Times found 50 percent of the division's traffic stops were of Black drivers. Black people comprise just 9 percent of Los Angeles' population.
KTLA reports the LAPD was conducting an audit of the division before Garcetti ordered his own; the department is now expected to devote more time and resources to complete its review quickly.
Police Chief Michel Moore said he welcomes the mayor's call for an investigation and hopes it will help build the public's trust in the police force.
“I look forward to a more expansive conversation on the topic,” Moore said. “Critically important is that the communities of South Los Angeles, and particularly the African American community, have confidence that this department’s efforts are genuine and intended to save lives.”
Original: New data show Black citizens are disproportionately targeted by a special unit of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The Metropolitan Division of the LAPD was founded in 2015 to combat rising crime. Crime rates dropped in 2018 but at the expense of Black residents, according to data analyzed by The Los Angeles Times.
Black people make up a mere nine percent of L.A.'s population but account for almost half of the traffic stops. Most stops were found to have been made in southern L.A., where one-third of the population is Black.
The data also showed the Metropolitan Division recorded more traffic stops than any other LAPD personnel.
The data don’t show why the people were stopped or whether they were detained, searched or ticketed.
“This is stop-and-frisk in a car,” said civil rights lawyer Connie Rice. “Do you want the trust of the poorest communities, that are the root of the [1992] riots, or do you continue … massive stop-policing that creates mistrust?”
LAPD Chief Michel Moore insists officers patrol areas based on crime rates, not race. He also argues residents appreciate the increased police presence, according to the San Diego Tribune.
“A person who’s living in these … communities is experiencing a disproportionate level of violence than other Angelenos and is suffering from that,” he said. “And the symptom, that means there are more police officers there. It’s been my experience that that’s where the community wants us. The people who are experiencing the violence are asking for us to be there to help them.”
Resident Precious McLaughlin agrees increased police presence can make criminals “less likely to do something they’re not supposed to” but also said she believes the patrols “open up the door for harassment, being overbearing in the community, creating distrust between the community and the police.”
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