LAPD Officers Removed Antennas from Police Cars in Black Areas to Disable Recording Devices - Atlanta Blackstar

5.8.15

LAPD Officers Removed Antennas from Police Cars in Black Areas to Disable Recording Devices - Atlanta Blackstar: “On an issue like this, we need to be brought in right away,” commission President Steve Soboroff told the Los Angeles Times. “This equipment is for the protection of the public and of the officers. To have people who don’t like the rules to take it upon themselves to do something like this is very troubling.”

But LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the department did not purposely try to hide the matter from the commission and pointed out that he has always been a strong advocate of the recording devices. LAPD officials decided it would be futile to try to figure out which officers were responsible for removing the antennas, since so many of them use the cars during their shifts. Instead the department warned officers about removing the antennas and put checks in place to account for the equipment at the start and end of each patrol shift.