More than half of the searches conducted by Los Angeles gang officers on people they stopped last summer were potentially unconstitutional, according to a report released Friday by the department’s Office of the Inspector General that examined a sample of 91 cases.
The report analyzed vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle stops by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang Enforcement Detail in July and August 2018, using videos from body-worn and dashboard cameras to assess the officers’ statements and actions.
If stops and searches are perceived to be made without cause or if officers do not explain what they are doing, the community’s trust in the police department can suffer, according to the report.
In making initial stops, most officers met constitutional standards, the inspector general found.
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