Stereotypes of LAPD contradicted in study

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LAPD STUDY The study was
conducted over a 6 year period through surveys, interviews and
ride-alongs.

• 79 percent of officers are afraid of being punished for making
  an honest mistake.
• In the past 12 months, 48 percent of officers received at least
  one complaint.
• 50 percent of officers rate their areas as "outstanding places"
  to work, as opposed to 69 percent during 1996-1997.
• 96 percent of officers agreed that "Employees from many
  different backgrounds are welcomed in my Area/Division."
• 91 percent agreed that there was a "good mix" of
  employees.
• 95 percent of officers said they are in police work to help
  people.
• 93 percent say they are there to make the community safer by
  fighting crime.
• 86 percent of officers did not consider accepting free coffee
  from merchants as serious misconduct, though it’s against
  department policy.
• 86 percent agreed that retorting angrily to an accusing citizen
  was a serious misconduct.
• 11 percent said they would report a fellow officer for
  accepting free coffee.
• 61 percent said they would report an officer who spoke angrily
  to a citizen.
• 93 percent said punching a handcuffed prisoner in retaliation
  was serious misconduct. The same number would report a fellow
  officer for doing such.

SOURCE: "The Strain of Change: Voices of Los Angeles Police
Officers." Original Graphic by JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web
Adaptation by STEPHEN WONG

By Timothy Kudo
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

A six-year joint study by UCLA and USC professors found, among
other things, little evidence that the Los Angeles Police
Department is racist and sexist.

“We were very surprised,” said UCLA professor
Wellford Wilms, co-author of the report.

Researchers used questionnaires, interviews and observations
made during police ride-alongs in the study ““ which focused
on representing the views of officers in the midst of sweeping
changes resulting from the Rampart scandal.

Wilms conducted the study with professor Alex Norman and USC
professor emeritus Warren Schmidt.

In the report, the researchers note several instances of racism
or sexism, but dismiss them in various ways.

“While each of us heard racist and sexist comments, they
tended to be impersonal, spoken as part of the normal banter
between busy police officers,” the report states.

Similarly, the report points to one instance in a roll call
where a racist joke was made and then one officer noted that the
researchers were in the room.

“The officer said, “˜I just wanted to make sure
before we made any comments.’ Later … another officer
walked up and said that officers usually don’t clam up like
that. He said jokes about race and gender are posted around the
station and they are routinely told at roll call,” the report
said.

In addition, the researchers were given access to all police
facilities and were allowed to sit in on roll calls and other
activities.

Researchers noted that the LAPD is a “very resistant group
to outside pressure.”

Among their findings were:

“¢bull; Support for Police Chief Bernard Parks’ leadership
remained stagnant from 1998 to 1999-2000 with only 15-18 percent of
officers saying he was taking the department in the right
direction.

“¢bull; The number of officers who fear being punished for
honest mistakes rose from 60 percent in 1996-97 to 79 percent
today.

“¢bull; Job satisfaction has decreased with 50 percent of
officers saying their areas are “outstanding places” to
work, down from 69 percent in 1996-97.

“¢bull; More than 90 percent of officers say they are in police
work to help people and make the community safer by fighting
crime.

“¢bull; Only 5 percent of officers feel the system in place to
register complaints, known as the 1.28 complaint system after the
number on the filing form, makes the police force more effective.
Similarly, only 22 percent feel it makes the police force more
accountable.

“¢bull; Many officers are so unhappy with the department that 57
percent of officers said they would leave the department if they
had the chance.

This last trend is alarming, Schmidt said, if the magnitude of
the job of police officer is taken into account.

“These are troubling numbers from men and women who risk
their lives to protect us,” Schmidt said.

As researchers conducted their study, they reported their
results back to the divisions and to the police chief as well.

According to an LAPD spokesman, the report will be further
examined now that it’s complete.

The study comes in the wake of allegations of criminal conduct
by officers in the Rampart district’s CRASH division.

The LAPD and the U.S. Department of Justice are about to enter
into a “consent decree” which will put the department
under DOJ oversight.

The past decade has placed the LAPD in the midst of turmoil.
Starting with the beating of Rodney King by a group of police
officers and riots that ensued the acquittal of those officers,
internal changes have drastically changed the face of the LAPD.