Law Enforcement Deviance Maria Remy ADJ/235 February 16, 2013 Krista Whitehead

Maria Remy 2 ADJ/235 Wk 4: Law Enforcement Deviance

In 1970 the Los Angeles Police Department created and funded a task force to fight against criminal activities committed by street gangs, this task force was called CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums). The task force and what they believed to be the best way to handle various situations established rules and regulations. The lack of supervision and countless abusive occurrences resulted in the largest police corruption scandal in the Los Angeles Police Departments history. Some of the allegations are of widespread perjury, false arrest reports, evidence planting, and acts of suspect beatings as well as attempts at murder. There were also allegations of misconduct from department managers, who overlooked danger signs as well as neglected to oversee, manage and supervise the police involved in CRASH (Rampart Review, 2000). This incident will impact the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) for many years. Citizens of Los Angeles now have a different view of the police force and they question the credibility of the entire criminal justice system. The police department will have to make every effort to regain their credibility and the people of Los Angeles will need time to see that things have changed before they can begin to trust and work alongside the police. In reading the Rampart Independent Review, I found two forms of police deviance, excessive police force and evidence planting. There are many reasons this deviance occurred, one was because these officers were allowed to take matters into their own hands in different situations as long as they achieved the best results, and the other is because they became so involved in their character they started acting like the person they were trying to apprehend. These officers in the CRASH unit were given the authority to fight gangs aggressively in order to minimize crimes. They were given the

Maria Remy 3 ADJ/235 Wk 4: Law Enforcement Deviance

opportunity to use brutality when they believed it was necessary. This resulted in the officers belief that they were untouchable and that they could do anything and no one would say anything, just as long as they were getting the job done so they thought they were beyond the law. I believe the reason their deviance was allowed to flourish was because they did not have proper supervision. The CRASH officers did not receive any reprimands after disobeying orders given by their superiors. They ignored LAPDs procedures and policies, and they resisted supervision and control. According to the Rampart Independent Review, their misconduct went unnoticed because warning signs were ignored by managers and they had not given the officers leadership skills for them to fall back on. After the police brutality and corruption was exposed, many believed it was time for a change. According to the Rampart Independent Review, the Police Commission Board realized there was a need for a wider inquiry that would gather information from policies and procedures and look inside and outside the department. Since the scandal disciplining the officers and reforming the LAPD has been the top priority in Los Angeles. This incident is not an isolated incident. We hear about police brutality and corruption happening in many places. The police force in New Zealand also faced their share of police brutality and corruption. According to Rowe (2009) since 2004, the New Zealand Police Service was overwhelmed by a series of scandals connected to allegations that officers committed rape and sexual assault and conducted inappropriate sexual relations with defenseless people. (p. 123). They were also accused of trying to mess up other cases for fellow officers. In 2007 the Commission of Inquiry implemented a program that would change the direction of future policing. Another act

Maria Remy 4 ADJ/235 Wk 4: Law Enforcement Deviance

of police brutality was right here in the Texas regarding Dymond Milburn, a 12-year-old girl who was brutally beaten by undercover officers in front of her home. They stated she was a prostitute and resisting arrest. She had to be hospitalized and had suffered when they accused her of being a prostitute outside of her home. She began screaming for help, her mouth was covered, and she was beaten in her face and throat. The police department stated that the undercover officers stopped at the wrong house and they backed their actions. They stated that the undercover officers had very little to go on and that they made a mistake (Wiebe, 2008). The Rampart Independent Review opened everyones eyes to the corruption and the abuse of power that was going on in Los Angeles. CRASH officers were given free range to do basically whatever they wanted to do. As long as gang activity had decrease it was thought that all was well. When their corruption and abuse of power was exposed Los Angeles citizens lost confidence in their police department and officers. If the Police Commission Board did nothing, they would be stating that they approved of the officers actions to break the law and human rights. Thankfully Rampart Independent Review stepped in and brought this scandal to the light.

Maria Remy 5 ADJ/235 Wk 4: Law Enforcement Deviance

Reference: Rampart Independent Review. (2000). Report of the Rampart Independent Review Panel Retrieved from: http://www.oiglapd.org/rirprpt.pdf Rowe, M. (2009, April). . Notes on a Scandal: The Official Enquiry Into Deviance and Corruption in New Zealand Police, 42(1). Wiebe, E. (2008). Examiner.com. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/innocent-12-year-old-girl-to-blame-for-policebrutality