LAPD chiefs brief City Council on Rampart Board of Inquiry, report due March 1

Chief Parks, Chief of Police, told the City Council that the LAPD's Board of Inquiry will release a detailed report on or before March 1, describing systemic problems uncovered during the Rampart investigation and offering more than 100 recommendations.

The board's work examined management and operational systems across the department, not only Rampart, Parks said. "That report, will be finalized, on or before March 1," he told the council, adding that the board reviewed hiring, supervision and several departmental oversight systems.

Nut graf: The briefing combined the administrative audit led by the Board of Inquiry with an ongoing criminal task force probing alleged misconduct connected to former Officer Rafael Perez. LAPD officials said the Board of Inquiry identified widespread procedural failures and proposed an "integrity package" of reforms; the criminal task force has focused on specific alleged crimes and on identifying cases that may have been affected.

LAPD officials described the review as large in scope: more than 200 department members participated in the Board of Inquiry process and the criminal task force has at times involved about 30 detectives, the chiefs said. Commander Schatz and others briefed council members on the criminal work: Chief Pomeroy and Commander Schatz have led the criminal-investigation effort while Chief Bostick chaired the Board of Inquiry, officials said.

The criminal task force told the council it has identified dozens of cases in which Officer Perez's actions appear to have affected prosecutions. "We have, at this time believe that from officer Perez's involvement, and most of this activity was done while he was working with, officer Durden, the 99 suspects were in prison or jailed illegally," a task-force briefing said, adding that investigators had interviewed more than 60 of those people.

On administrative findings, the Board of Inquiry cited multiple categories of failure: psychological screening and background checks at hiring, deficiencies in internal risk-management and personnel-investigation systems, shortcomings in supervision and command staffing, and weaknesses in specialized-unit oversight. Chief Parks said the board found that "at least 4 of the 12 officers we looked at should have never been hired to be members of the Los Angeles Police Department." The board recommended changes including broader psychological screening, enhanced financial checks and an ongoing integrity and sting program to detect corruption.

Council members pressed for public follow-up. Council Member Ridley-Thomas moved for regular public status updates; the motion was seconded and members supported continuing public briefings and independent review. Several council members said the board's recommendations and the department's proposed "integrity package" should be publicly vetted by the Police Commission and the Inspector General.

LAPD officials warned that public leaks of investigation transcripts have hampered their work. Commander Schatz said widespread publication of confidential material "identified officers that were unaware that they were subject of investigation, and it also has jeopardized witnesses," and urged care to avoid impairing criminal prosecutions.

Ending: The Board of Inquiry report will be made public in March; LAPD officials said many of the recommendations are already being implemented administratively and that some matters will be referred to Internal Affairs or to ongoing criminal investigations for further action. Council members requested regular open-session updates and to invite the Inspector General to present to the council when appropriate.