Scandal That Touches All

The LAPD’s deepening Rampart Division scandal involving corrupt officers has yet to spur deep concerns among many Angelenos. Yet no one who cares about this community can afford to be dismissive of allegations that could not be more serious.

These are not penny-ante charges. The investigation of the scandal to date has uncovered evidence of beatings, unwarranted shootings by officers, cops dealing drugs, witness intimidation, planted evidence, perjury and other crimes and forms of police misconduct.

Big deal, some say. There are more than 9,500 sworn officers and only 13 current or former officers are under suspicion so far. That could mean the actions of just 13 officers are tainting an entire police force.

Of course any scandal within a large organization must be kept in perspective. But the community must not lose sight of what is at stake in police misconduct cases. Police officers are agents of the state who are given extraordinary powers in order to preserve law and order. The Constitution gives due process to everyone accused of a crime, not just those with good jobs and clean records. And the fact is, this alleged police misconduct was committed against people who for the most part were suspected or known gang members. These are not people who generate sympathy or admiration. Consider, for example, some of those whose convictions have been overturned because of the scandal: one in custody on an unrelated murder charge; another a parole violator. Not model Angelenos, to be sure.

Some L.A. residents then have shrugged, saying, in effect: Who cares if a few officers play a little fast and loose with the truth and plant some evidence on thugs? The officers got some really bad guys off the street. More power to them.

The danger with this kind of thinking is that it’s where the erosion of civil rights begins. One day, the victim of unconstitutional actions may be a criminal; the next day, it could be a law-abiding person who someone decides just looks like a criminal. So far 11 convictions have been overturned and four men have been released from incarceration. Those who were convicted based on false or manufactured evidence were wronged, and the Bill of Rights was designed to protect them, too, as it must if the rule of law is to mean anything.

As the Los Angeles Police Department continues its investigation, we encourage and applaud its determination to rid its force of bad elements and to fix any policies that encouraged acting outside the law. The investigation is vitally important--to everyone who treasures the fairness and freedom that the law engenders.