California Attorney General Rob Bonta will investigate a Southern California police department following a bombshell report revealing racist text messages sent by its officers, as well as a request for help from the department police chief.
Bonta's office announced on Wednesday it would conduct an "independent review" of the Torrance Police Department, hours after the Los Angeles Times identified 13 officers and recruits who shared racist, antisemitic and homophobic text messages with one another. The department told the paper that 15 officers had been placed on administrative leave.
The officers have been involved in at least seven serious use-of-force incidents since 2013, including three in which Black or Latino men died. At least 85 felony cases within Torrance and Los Angeles County have been tossed due to the officers' involvement as witnesses, and the implicated officers were listed as potential witnesses in almost 1,400.
"Our communities deserve to know they can get equal justice under the law," Bonta said in a statement on Wednesday. "Police departments are on the front lines of that fight every day as they work to protect the people of our state. However, where there is evidence of potentially pervasive bias or discrimination, it can undermine the trust that is critical for public safety and our justice system."
The California Department of Justice's Civil Rights Enforcement Section will lead the state investigation into the department, while Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s office told the paper it is reviewing dozens of cases involving the implicated officers.
Citing attorney general's records, the Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday the Torrance Police Department upheld no citizen allegations of racial profiling between 2016 and 2019. Torrance police upheld three allegations of misconduct, according to the data cited by the outlet.
Bonta said Jay Hart, Torrance Chief of Police, asked for state assistance. Hart said in the attorney general’s announcement he will "ensure that needed changes are implemented to regain the public's trust and confidence" while working "in partnership" with Bonta.
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