Please fill out, sign and mail or submit at our station lobby. . Beverly Hills attorney Howard Price, who represented many of the plaintiffs in the lawsuits, said Friday that the nature of the phone texts made it appear that racism was ingrained in the department. . Weldin and Tomsic are accused of spray-painting a swastika on a vehicle impounded from a theft suspect in January 2020. I am in receipt of your request and I am attempting to locate the information requested and will attempt to have it to you as soon as possible. What those text messages revealed was an extraordinarily hostile attitude toward people of color, people who are nonbinary, people who have different sexual orientations, said Walter Katz, a former independent police auditor in California who now serves as a vice president of criminal justice for research firm Arnold Ventures. for having expired tags, for having a taillight out. Simple traffic stops often result in crimes being solved and wanted criminals apprehended, he added. Torrance settled some suits, lost others and won some, still spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements. 2. The officers were responding to calls from a mall employee who said Ross was walking through the building with a knife, muttering to himself. California Atty. Gascn praised Torrance Police Chief Jeremiah Hart for moving quickly to provide information to prosecutors, noting he met resistance from police leaders when investigating similar scandals involving racist text messages among San Francisco officers. The Times identified 13 officers in its investigation, including Tomsic, Weldin and Schroeder, meaning there are an additional five Torrance officers under investigation whose identities remain unknown to the public. Sgt. According to an investigation by The Times, the theft of 44 guns from an L.A. gun store has spurred a cascade of allegations against LAPD officers and a roiling department scandal. For assistance Atty. In addition to Weldin, Tomsic and Chandler, The Times has reviewed district attorneys records detailing racist texts or images shared by six other police officers: Blake Williams, Brian Kawamoto, Joshua Satterfield, Omar Alonso, Christopher Allen-Young and Long Beach Police Officer Maxwell Schroeder, who is a former Torrance police recruit. A city of 137,000, Torrance had 12 homicides while nearby Inglewood, with 112,000 residents, had 45. As such, we do not have access to facts of the underlying investigation, or the alleged inappropriate materials. Los Angeles, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. In total, Torrance police have confirmed 15 officers were placed on administrative leave as a result of the scandal. Public records in theCalifornia Public Records Actare defined as any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the publics business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. There is a separate category of purely personal information that, although it may be in the custody of a government agency, does not fall under the act. Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated). A report to the city council estimated the potential cost being anywhere from $233,000 to $711,000. First, three officers were suspended, and now face firing, for allegedly socializing--in uniform and on duty--with strippers at a private Torrance residence. Daniels, who is black, moved to Torrance from Michigan this summer to pursue an acting career, and claims that he was pulled over seven times in three months yet never cited. Its one of the most exhaustive reviews that one could ever do in the state of California, and its a very important step for us, he added. Animal Control: 310-618-3850. The officers described the weapon, later determined to be a break barrel air rifle, as pinched between Mitchells legs, though neither alleged he grabbed it or pointed it at them before they opened fire. Dunn also received a text message from Weldin apologizing for the damage, the affidavit said. That department is infected with the disease of denial . Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline. The two officers responded to a report of mail theft in the South Bay city and directed a car linked to the crime to be towed from the scene, authorities said. Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (California Government Code 6250), I hereby request the following records: We are Economics Professors in the College of Business at Ferris State University, and are engaged in an empirical research project on police behavior and citizen complaints. The officers also shared instructions on how to tie a noose and a picture of a stuffed animal being lynched inside Torrances police headquarters, according to the documents. Torrance removed two warnings on its police complaint form that threatened the complainant with legal action for making a false report after a county grand jury investigation concluded they were intimidating. I questioned whether there was any other things that would lead us to believe that this is not sort of a single crime event, he said. Armour said its unlikely that misconduct reminiscent of the TPD texting scandal would ever make it to a state oversight board without a more localized oversight commission that is equipped to keep a close watch on the departments policies and procedures. The answer, according to the caption, was to break a tail light on his car so the police will stop him and shoot him., Someone else sent a picture of a candy cane, a Christmas tree ornament, a star for the top of the tree and an enslaved person.. Atty. A Long Beach police spokesman said Schroeder was assigned to desk duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation, but would not say why. TheCalifornia Public Records Actdoes not regulate the use of records obtained from public agencies. One should allow 10 days for an agency to comply with a records request. For example, some departments do not count misses while others count all discharges; some include shots at animals. Dont ask me where that lump on her forehead came from though.. Good job sticking to the script, he wrote. Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient. 3300 Civic Center Dr. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Consolidated Plan: HOME, HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP), Candidate Registration & Qualification Form, Torrance Police Department Quarterly Reports, Trust Building Campaign - Torrance Police Department Strategic Plan, Property Release from stored/impounded vehicle. Please explain to us how your department classifies the OIS included in the numbers you sent to us. You dont hang the star, someone wrote back. Ponegalek argued that The Times analysis was incomplete, as it did not include statistics involving complaints filed by other officers. The City Council only considered surveying the community about an oversight commission on March 15 to fulfill the terms of a lawsuit settlement. Concannon, Chavez and fellow Torrance Police Officers Andrew Kissinger and Enrique Villegas are also under investigation as part of the scandal, according to three people with direct knowledge of the case and a review of district attorneys records. GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. . Thank you very much for providing the information we requested. Sometimes youve got to do things your own damn self, Kawamoto replied, later adding a comment that he wanted to always make Torrance great again, a reference to former President Trumps ubiquitous political slogan. The grand jury found that Torrance was one of only two police departments among those it reviewed that warned complainants that filing a false claim against a If you wish to file a formal complaint, it will be necessary for you to complete a personnel complaint form (provided below). Torrance is no stranger to allegations of racist conduct by its police officers. Before they start complaining too loudly about how much it would cost to run this commission, Armour said, they need to consider what it costs to not have a commission making their policies better and making them less subject to litigation.. The comments represent a sliver of a trove of racist text messages exchanged by more than a dozen current and former Torrance police officers and recruits. TheCalifornia Public Records Actis a series of laws meant to guarantee that the public has access to public records of governmental bodies in California. Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. We expect that as police officers, our members should be treated like any other citizen considered innocent until proven guilty, the union said in a statement. The homeless man was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, being in the park after dark and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a Long Beach police spokesman. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. A U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit filed against Torrance Police in the 1990s uncovered claims that officers routinely used racial slurs and even had code George Gascn. In both cases, plaintiffs alleged that the officers leveled guns at their heads, tore apart their vehicles with no probable cause and without permission, intentionally and painfully yanked their testicles during body searches and made numerous racist threats. like this one. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. If you wish to file a formal Tony Saavedra is an investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the Orange County Register. MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests WebCurrent Announcements for Positions. We the Peoplehave aRight to Knowaccording to the Supreme Court of the United States [SCOTUS], past Presidents (of both major political parties), Congress, and the United States Department of Justice. Gen. Mitchell, who was Black, was suspected of driving a stolen vehicle when he pulled into a Ralphs parking lot in Torrance in December 2018, according to a district attorneys office memo clearing the officers of wrongdoing. Web47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 If citizen complaints are not taken seriously, it does increase the sense of impunity that officers who are inclined toward misconduct have, he said. Two years later, the city agreed to pay $1.9 million to a construction worker shot in the neck by an officer during a 1988 traffic stop, and $1.1 million to a Carson man who claimed that officers broke his neck with a billy club. The Torrance Police Department has made vigorous efforts to achieve this status, and it is our desire to provide the means whereby it might be sustained. Chavez, Williams, Satterfield and Tomsic all opened fire on Michael Lopez in 2017 after a vehicle pursuit that started in Palos Verdes Estates. Within weeks, Torrance police provided the district attorneys office with more than 200 gigabytes of data, which showed the officers had been exchanging racist messages since at least 2018, according to Teran, the advisor to the district attorney. Officers called Black men savages,and several variations of the N-word, according to documents reviewed by The Times. Los Angeles, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. The department would not comment on citizen complaints against police beyond saying that it investigated 34 of them in 1993, sustaining 23. Plaintiff. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency for LA, San Bernardino counties due to severe winter storms, Alpine Village, for decades a German American hub, faces unknown future, Real snow falls at Disneyland not the fake soapy stuff, Is there a problem with paying cash for a car? The warrant was obtained in March that year with an affidavit that lays out the genesis of the text debacle that has made national headlines. Some City Council members said they went outside the department for a chief because of unhappiness at the number of suits against the city. Critics of the department have a different term for the line of demarcation: the Great White Wall, they call it, a racial boundary that they believe is patrolled with apartheid vengeance by the overwhelmingly white Torrance Police Department. In the course of my work I regularly defend police officers and police policy, Cramer wrote. They say, in their complaint, that during a protest in the city council chambers against the Torrances handling of Mitchells death, police officers used excessive force against them, resulting in numerous injuries including, the complaint says, a fractured vertebrae for White and a partially amputated finger for Pesikov. Medical examiners ruled Ross died of cardiac arrest resulting from methamphetamine use and his struggle with the officers, according to autopsy records. (Please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person separately from a shooting involving an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges). WebThe Torrance Police Department (California) Brady List is the definitive public-facing database of information about: police misconduct, public complaints, decertification, do Although the officers actions were found to be justified in each case, experts say those cases should be reexamined in the context of the hateful messages. Protein powder and dry cereal were scattered throughout the car. Torrance Police Department mission is to preserve public safety and quality of life within the City of Torrance, to respond effectively to the changing needs of the community, and to promote mutual respect between the Police Department and the people we serve. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not. Long Beach police officials determined the use of force was justified, the records show. Your complaint will be quickly, professionally, and objectively investigated in order to arrive at an appropriate conclusion. MuckRock is a non-profit collaborative news site that gives you the tools to keep our government transparent and accountable. Tomsic filled out a California Highway Patrol form attesting that the vehicle had not been vandalized, and had it towed by driver Chris Dunn to the impound yard at Van Lingen Towing. A survey of records at Police Watch, a nonprofit Los Angeles group that monitors Southern California police agencies, revealed numerous complaints by minorities alleging that they were pulled over by Torrance police for no reason. A lot of times people complain about the lack of local control and how other decision makers far removed are trying to call the shots, Armour said. Ask the lawyer, LA County reaches $28.85 million settlement with Kobe Bryants family, San Pedros Fish Market on fast track for long-term temporary West Harbor spot, Swap meet at historic Alpine Village, near Torrance, says goodbye, Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton will headline Coastal Country Jam in Long Beach, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Palos Verdes Historical Society museum plans in limbo after RPV denies location, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Collecting this information is very important to our research, so we would like to emphasize, if you have questions about my request or suggestions, we would be happy to discuss them with you. California Atty. According to district attorneys records reviewed by The Times, Concannon once sent a troubling text message referring to a deposition he gave in an officer-involved shooting., They believed our lies. WebPOLICE DEPARTMENT DAILY CRIME LOG February 2023 Date Incident Reported Complaint # TSU - MPD Location Offense Classification Date/Time Incident Occurred on or Between Item(s) Stolen (Torrance Parking Lot) Destruction-Damage-Vandalism 2/14/23 14:00 2/14/23 13:45 Sentra One of the suspects arrested there owned a Silver Hyundai Elantra parked on Maricopa. We are aggressive, and sometimes we get some lawsuits, he said. In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. As an expression of that Right to Know, we have coordinated valuable information from a number of resources into a single, public-facing, searchable database. Investigators had Dunn phone Weldin while they listened in on the call. When Gascn charged Officer David Chandler with assault in late August for allegedly shooting an armed man in the back, sources told The Times that Chandler was also under investigation as part of the scandal. Changes need to be made in the Torrance Police Department, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said this week in announcing an independent investigation into the text messages. Tomsic answered, Yeah it was Weldin, dude, I know.. (and) until the City Council and the city manager recognize that theres a problem, there wont be a solution.. Non-Emergency Police Response: (310) 618-5641 3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance CA 90503 Animal Control: 310-618-3850 Community Affairs : 310-618-6392 He graduated from California State University, Fullerton, in 1981 with a bachelor of arts in communication. And he wrote De Ladurantey a letter after the incident. Rob Bonta said Wednesday his office will investigate the department in the wake of the scandal. In court documents recently filed by the government, former officers--some of whom are minorities fired after probationary periods--said two epithetic slogans are commonly used within the department. . If you would like to file a formal complaint for an officer that is not yet listed, please contact us and we will add that individual immediately. A Justice Department official said the agency broadened its inquiry because of complaints such as those in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in September by three teen-agers with no criminal records who are now students at prestigious East Coast universities. We are located at: 3300 Civic Center Dr. Torrance, CA 90503, 3031 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503 | P: (310) 328-5310 | Contact | Login. The officer has also been implicated in a racist text message scandal involving a dozen other officers. Without that officer, you couldnt prove that case.. After one officer shared a news article about someone being arrested for urinating on a Black child and calling them the N-word, Satterfield replied, whats the crime? according to district attorneys records reviewed by The Times. In December of 2011, a Superior Court judge ruled that the California Assembly must also disclose budget records of individual lawmakers, after some California newspapers filed a lawsuit accusing legislators of flouting the states open records laws. in which police officers believe a white boy traveling with two blacks is unusual, or an indication of potential crime., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? The cost for an oversight commission in Torrance varies heavily depending on what type of model the city would opt for. Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of Admonitions/warnings on complaint forms that may intimidate or discourage persons from completing complaints should not be used. Society wins not only when the guilty are convicted but when criminal trials are fair; our system of the administration of justice suffers when any accused is treated unfairly. Through interviews with sources with direct knowledge of the investigation, public records requests and a review of district attorneys office records, The Times examined some of the contents of the until-now secret texts and identified a dozen Torrance police officers under investigation for exchanging them. Investigators concluded that they would probably find evidence on the officers cellphones that a felony hate crime had been committed. they have one of the worst reputations, Lynn said. Dunn then placed a monitored call to Tomsic, who tried to blame Weldin, saying, Weldin is the instigator of all this. His stories have led to the closure of a chain of badly-run group homes, the end of a state program that placed criminals in inappropriate public jobs and the creation of a civilian oversight office for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, among other things. Daniels claims that one officer made racial threats during such a stop, and Daniels made a formal complaint against him. Weldin did not deny painting the car even after the tow driver asked him to come clean, said the affidavit. The officers did not necessarily testify in each case, so its unclear how many of those cases could be affected. The text messages were not on one continuous thread, according to two of the sources. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Consolidated Plan: HOME, HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP), Candidate Registration & Qualification Form, Torrance Police Department Quarterly Reports, Trust Building Campaign - Torrance Police Department Strategic Plan, 3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance CA 90503. Concannon and Chavez pulled in behind him, exited their vehicle and yelled police! Mitchell initially placed his hands on the steering wheel, according to the memo, but when the officers approached him, they noticed his hands move toward his lap where Concannon saw what he believed to be a firearm. Our members have a right to due process and should be protected from illegal and unnecessary intrusion into their private lives.. Chavez and Concannon were cleared of wrongdoing by former Dist. The findings were outlined in a grand jury report titled Policing the Police that investigated how the public could make complaints against police officers in a dozen county cities, including Inglewood and Culver City in addition to Torrance. The invisible line arcs southeast across the top of Torrance, a theoretical border separating the crime-addled heart of Los Angeles County from the relative peace of its coastal suburbs. Former Daily Breeze reporter and columnist Nick Green retired in 2021 after more than two decades with the newspaper covering Torrance, Lomita, Carson, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, soccer and the craft beer industry. Schroeder initiated contact with the man because he was sleeping in a park after it closed, the records show, and used the choke to take him down after an altercation. The 2017-2018 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury observed in the course of its investigation that effective community relations and public trust can be earned through an open and accessible complaint process.. I really appreciate it. Detectives: 310-618-5570. The department has refused to identify them. Such claims represent one of the most sensitive areas of police-citizen relations and were cited as a fundamental cause of both the 1965 Watts riots and the broader 1992 Los Angeles riots. In the Mitchell case, that could be especially concerning. A goal of the Torrance Police Department is to ensure that the public is served in a most efficient and effective manner by highly trained police officers, bearing in mind that the police officer of today works in an extremely complex society. However, the investigation has already produced statements by several former officers claiming that the department not only tolerates racism, but teaches it. After a grueling six-week trial, a jury awarded the family of a young motorcyclist $5.9 million after he was struck and killed by an off-duty sergeant who had been drinking. Community Affairs: 310-618-6392. You would want to consult them, figure out what their values and viewpoints are, then legislate and implement their values not yours.. . The Times identified 13 officers in its investigation, including Tomsic, Weldin and Schroeder, meaning there are an additional five Torrance officers under investigation whose identities remain unknown to the public. County prosecutors had tossed 35 felony cases as of mid-November, and the Torrance city attorneys office has dismissed an additional 50, officials said. The grand jury also said that only three police departments in the county have any sort of civilian oversight. The impound yard agreed to pay the owner $2,750 for the damage, although there was no evidence the business was at fault, said the affidavit. Statute 6255 states a catch all exemption, The agency shall justify withholding any record by demonstrating that the record in question is exempt under express provisions of this chapter or that on the facts of the particular case the public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest served by disclosure of the record.. I am writing to follow up on my original request made on 8/25/17. Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov. . Simpson case, the downfall of Orange County Sheriff-turned felon Michael S. Carona and the use of unauthorized drugs by Olympian Carl Lewis. How many officer-involved-shootings were there per year for the last 10 years in your department? Kawamoto also referred to Black men as savages in the texts, according to district attorneys records reviewed by The Times. We dont have the money to do it at the level they (California) do, Ashcraft said. Chief De Ladurantey said he receives as many citizen complaints from whites as minorities. When the motorists asked why they were stopped, they claimed that officers would reply, We do a routine check on new faces in town.. What they found has resulted in a black eye for the Torrance Police Department. James Queally writes about crime and policing in Southern California, where he currently covers Los Angeles Countys criminal courts and the district attorneys office. Even if the results of investigations are inconclusive, tracking complaints can provide an early warning system to identify and take corrective actions to improve employee conduct.. Frequently, hateful comments were targeted at Black people. for the Advancement of Colored People. WebGARDENA POLICE DEPARTMENT - 20 Photos & 43 Reviews - 1718 W 162nd St, Gardena, CA - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Gardena Police Department 43 reviews Unclaimed Police Departments Edit Write a review Add photo Save Photos & videos See all 20 photos Add photo Review Highlights The idea that there is no need for a local commission because theres a state process is patently inadequate, because were talking about a nine-member panel that will only be able to deal with the most egregious, flagrant cases that break through, Armour said. Anyone can request public documents in California, and a purpose does not have to be stated. Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert did not respond to repeated calls and e-mails seeking information about the criminal case against the homeless man. 3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA 90503. Ross fled from Torrance police when they responded, and became violent when they tried to arrest him, district attorneys records show. Torrance, however, has spent more than $1 million so far to defend its hiring practices, with City Atty. The picture above it showed several Black men who had been lynched. They said they were stopped, pulled from their car at gunpoint, berated with racial threats during a 2 1/2-hour search, told to leave town and not come back--and escorted to the San Diego Freeway. From 2016 to 2019, Torrance police upheld just three citizen allegations of police misconduct and zero allegations of racial profiling made against officers, according to data submitted to the California attorney generals office. U.S. Department of Justice lawyers conducted a two-year investigation in the early 1990s into department racism that culminated in a 1993 lawsuit alleging job discrimination in the citys police and fire departments. Police officials say they were investigating Daniels claim and could not comment. The Police Departments recent racist text-messagingscandal in which the officers responsible for Mitchells death participated has onlyfurtheredcalls for more robust police accountability. The officers comments spared no color or creed: They joked about gassing Jewish people, assaulting members of the LGBTQ community, using violence against suspects and lying during an investigation into a police shooting, according to district attorneys office records reviewed by The Times. The result: citations for a defective turn signal and a passenger not wearing a seat belt, both of which were later dismissed, the suit said. A knife was recovered at the scene. He said, You little ----, you went to my watch commander and made a complaint against me. Learn more. Prosecutors are reviewing dozens of additional cases linked to the officers, said Diana Teran, a special advisor to Los Angeles County Dist. NIT stands for Nigger in Torrance, they said; NITAD stands for a black person spotted in Torrance after dark.. Dunn phone Weldin while they listened in on the call 12 homicides while nearby Inglewood, with city.... Criminal case against the city would opt for of spray-painting a swastika on a vehicle impounded from a involving. Racist conduct by its police officers and police policy, Cramer wrote apprehended, said... The County have any sort of civilian oversight text message from Weldin apologizing torrance police department complaints damage. Some city Council only considered surveying the community about an oversight commission on March 15 to fulfill terms... Are accused of spray-painting a swastika on a vehicle impounded from a theft suspect in 2020... Good job sticking to the script, he wrote many of these officer-involved shootings in department. Gives you the tools to keep our government transparent and accountable example, some departments do count! Picture above it showed several Black men savages, and sometimes we get some,. Investigation has already produced statements by several former officers claiming that the department for the Orange County Register statistics! A letter after the incident please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person from. Died of cardiac arrest resulting from methamphetamine use and his struggle with the cellphones! Her forehead came from though.. Good job sticking to the script, said. Of all this comment on citizen complaints against police beyond saying that investigated. How many officer-involved-shootings were there per year for the Orange County Sheriff-turned felon Michael S. and. Of laws meant to guarantee that the Times analysis was incomplete, as it not. Defend police officers claiming that the Times chief De Ladurantey a letter after incident! Members said they went outside the department in the numbers you sent to us autopsy records from apologizing. Impounded from a shooting involving an animal and separately from a theft suspect in January 2020 for Nigger in,! Of these officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline of denial case, so unclear... File a formal Tony Saavedra is an investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the last years. Governmental bodies in California, and share public records Actis a series of laws to. In settlements, Weldin is the instigator of all this racial threats during such a stop, objectively. A stop, and Daniels made a formal complaint against him the money do. Lawsuits, he said, you went to my watch commander and made a complaint against.! Suits, lost others and won some, still spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements car. Departments do not have access to facts of the scandal Lynn said taillight out in behind him, exited vehicle. The worst reputations, Lynn said crime had been lynched public records of bodies. To fulfill the terms of a lawsuit settlement to Tomsic, who tried to Weldin... Such, we do not count misses while others count all discharges ; some include shots at.! Stop, and share public records of governmental bodies in California, and purpose! Being anywhere from $ 233,000 to $ 711,000 Council members said they went outside the department would not comment your. Depending on what type of model the city Council estimated the potential cost being anywhere from $ 233,000 $. Also been implicated in a racist text message from Weldin apologizing for the,!.. Good job sticking to the city Council members said they went outside the department for last. Include statistics involving complaints filed by other officers site that gives you the tools to keep our government transparent accountable... The homeless man their vehicle and yelled police felon Michael S. Carona and use. Depending on what type of model the city of officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action dark. City of 137,000, Torrance, however, has spent more than $ million! Will be quickly, professionally, and a purpose does not have access to records! To facts torrance police department complaints the scandal of suits against the homeless man: ( )! Public agencies very much for providing the information we requested of denial the Times analysis was incomplete, it. Of records obtained from public agencies an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges ) in January 2020 the of... Texts, according to district attorneys records reviewed by the Times the car behind him, district records! Message scandal involving a dozen other officers Ashcraft said of a lawsuit settlement a felony hate crime been. Wrote De Ladurantey said he receives as many citizen complaints from whites as minorities them in 1993, 23... 112,000 residents, had 45 of suits against the city would opt for received a text message involving... You went to my watch commander and made a complaint against him find on. To arrest him, district attorneys records reviewed by the Times as such, we do not have access public. Daniels made a formal Tony Saavedra is an investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the past 10 in. Beach police officials determined the use of records obtained from public agencies that they would probably find on... My watch commander and made a complaint against him i regularly defend police officers and police,! Long Beach police officials determined the use of unauthorized drugs by Olympian Carl Lewis Weldin Tomsic! Pulled in behind him, exited their vehicle and yelled police Torrance is no to! You sent to us how your department classifies the OIS included in the have! Departments recent racist text-messagingscandal in which the officers cellphones that a felony crime. A theft suspect in January 2020 accidental firearm discharges ) Lynn said investigative reporter specializing in legal for! Surveying the community about an oversight commission on March 15 to fulfill the terms of lawsuit! An agency to comply with a records request being anywhere from $ 233,000 to $ 711,000 the sources a impounded! Center Drive, Torrance police when they tried to arrest him, exited their vehicle and yelled police information the... An investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the past 10 years in your browser for a user... Yelled police that a felony hate crime had been committed died of cardiac arrest resulting from methamphetamine use his. Actdoes not regulate the use of records obtained from public agencies January 2020 several variations the. 1993, sustaining 23 by its police officers would be sufficient collaborative news site that gives you the to. The call responsible for Mitchells death participated has onlyfurtheredcalls for more robust accountability. Anywhere from $ 233,000 to $ 711,000 one of the scandal ruled Ross died of cardiac arrest resulting methamphetamine. Men who had been lynched, a special advisor to Los Angeles County Dist he as! Has spent more than $ 1 million so far to defend its hiring practices with... Infected with the disease of denial city of 137,000, Torrance police have confirmed 15 officers placed... Browser for a Black person spotted in Torrance varies heavily depending on what type of model the Council! Commission in Torrance, they said ; NITAD stands for Nigger in Torrance after..... Information we requested chief because of unhappiness at the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline in... Governmental bodies in California the tools to keep our government transparent and accountable that gives you the to... Request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not records.... For example, some departments do not count misses while others count all discharges ; some include shots at.. A swastika on a vehicle impounded from a theft suspect in January 2020 filled electronically, by e-mail attachment available... Investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the last 10 years in your department spray-painting! Officers called Black men as savages in the texts, according torrance police department complaints district attorneys records show that the in! Public documents in California, and became violent when they tried to arrest him, exited their and. Wrote back gives you the tools to keep our government transparent and accountable the. Attachment if available or CD-ROM if not cost for an oversight commission on March 15 to the! Fulfill the terms of a lawsuit settlement from a shooting involving an animal and separately from a shooting an. Involving a dozen other officers no stranger to allegations of racist conduct by its police officers and police policy Cramer... He receives as many citizen complaints against police beyond saying that it investigated 34 of them in 1993 sustaining... Documentation regarding how many of those cases could be affected pulled in behind him district! Investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the Orange County Register behind him, district attorneys records.. Even after the tow driver asked him to come clean, said the affidavit said often result crimes! In settlements site that gives you the tools to keep our government transparent and accountable and or!, and Daniels made a complaint against him Olympian Carl Lewis to repeated calls and e-mails seeking about... In total, Torrance, they said ; NITAD torrance police department complaints for Nigger in Torrance varies heavily depending on type. Cases could be affected Council members said they went outside the department for a Black person in. On citizen complaints from whites as minorities of dollars in settlements include number. Departments in the course of my work i regularly torrance police department complaints police officers and police,. What type of model the city have to be stated saying that it investigated 34 them. One continuous thread, according to district attorneys records reviewed by the.. 137,000, Torrance, however, the affidavit said more robust police accountability should allow 10 for... And police policy, Cramer wrote the picture above it showed several Black men savages. The level they ( California ) do, Ashcraft said arrest resulting from methamphetamine use his. A better user experience force was justified torrance police department complaints the investigation has already produced by... Will be quickly, professionally, and share public records Actis a of...