Rampart Scandal Palucas
Rampart Scandal
One of the greatest atrocities to happen within the Los Angeles police department was the corruption scandal has centered on a group of anti-gang officers in the Rampart station. Rampart, located between downtown and Hollywood, was known to be one of the city's most violent and gang-infested areas.
The L.A.P.D. police department housed a secret and elite group of anti-gang units known as CRASH.
These people were trained to tackle the rising gang-related crime. CRASH officers were required to get to know gang members and keep on top of their activities. Although this program was highly successful to reduce gang crime, critics say officers harassed and abused suspects and falsified reports.
Rafael Perez came forward with the story that several officers within the department frequently made false arrests, beat civilians, and sent innocent people to jail. When the alleged corruption within the police department became known, gang-related violence increased by forty percent within the Los Angeles area. "Those disclosures showed that the LAPD ignored some calls for reform and created an atmosphere ripe for corruption, and that Mayor Richard Riordan and City Council members backed policies that eroded the Police Department's ability to control wayward officers" (The Seattle Times, March 1)..
These acts of violence are in response to a massive scandal in which officers are alleged to have framed, beaten and shot innocent people (Deutsch, 2000).
In order to determine if the allegations were true, the city Police Commission requested an independent panel to investigate the department and make recommendations. The review board consisted of twenty-four people from all professions: attorneys, professors, management consultants and veterans of the Christopher Commission probe of the Los Angeles Police Department.
While the investigation was ongoing, approximately two dozen Rampart station officers either quit, were fired or relieved of their duty. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office also filed criminal corruption charges against two LAPD officers. Fifty cases involving arrests by Rampart officers were quickly dismissed and many more followed upon investigation.
References
Deutsch, L. (2000, April 13). "Independent panel to investigate scandal-plagued L.A. police force." The Seattle Times, pA9.
LAPD was its worst enemy at Rampart, report says." (2000, March 1). The Seattle Times, pA2.
Violence up in L.A. area hit by scandal." (2000, March 12). The Seattle Times, pA3.
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