Justice Department seeks police reform in Inglewood

As part of a comprehensive review of the department, which is ongoing, Justice Department officials found that Inglewood's policies on the use of force are poorly written and legally inadequate despite recent reform efforts. In a letter sent to the city's mayor in December, federal officials called for numerous changes in the way the department trains and investigates its officers.

The Justice Department launched its civil rights probe after a series of officer-involved shootings in 2008 sparked outrage in the city and prompted calls for reform. Federal officials told the city they are continuing with their probe and plan close scrutiny of specific incidents.

A Times investigation, published more than two months before the federal inquiry began, found that Inglewood officers repeatedly resorted to physical or deadly force against unarmed suspects. The Times also raised questions about how the department investigated its officers' use of force.

In the 33-page letter to the city's mayor, the Justice Department acknowledged that the department had begun revising its policies but said some of those proposed reforms didn't go far enough.

Among the Justice Department's conclusions:

* Inglewood police routinely assigned certain types of excessive force investigations to supervisors who either wrote the initial incident report or approved it, creating "an apparent conflict of interest."

* The agency's rules on using deadly force are vague and inconsistent with U.S. Supreme Court guidelines. "The majority of the [department's] policies and procedures are outdated," federal officials said.

* The department provides its officers with "little direction" on when to use electric Taser weapons. The city should prohibit officers from using Tasers on suspects who are restrained.

* The Police Department should create an early warning system to better track excessive force complaints and other conduct. Such a system would help alert supervisors to problem officers.


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