City Council approves funding for Police Commission and inspector general to follow up on Rampart Board of Inquiry

The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve funding and staff resources for the Police Commission and the Office of the Inspector General to carry out a broad review and follow-up to the Rampart Board of Inquiry report, passing the committee recommendation by roll call (14 ayes).

The commission and inspector general presented a scope of work to the council that extends beyond the board of inquiry’s management audit to examine hiring and background screening, internal affairs and disciplinary systems, informant and search-warrant practices, officer-involved-shooting reviews, specialized unit oversight, and personnel-tracking systems. The Police Commission said it would seek outside expertise and pro bono assistance where needed and expects additional resource requests as the work continues.

Why it matters: the council’s vote authorizes the civilian oversight bodies to expand their staff and investigative work following findings in the Rampart Board of Inquiry report. Council members and outside observers said the effort is intended to identify…