The CNN article by Rachel Wells titled, Lessons from the LA riots: How a consent decree helped a
troubled police department change, analyzes how the LAPD has transformed 25 years later since
the 1992 riots occurred. There were a lot of interesting facts that I found in this article that showcase
the abuse of power and racism showcased by the LAPD before and during the riots that I
recommend anyone to read.
troubled police department change, analyzes how the LAPD has transformed 25 years later since
the 1992 riots occurred. There were a lot of interesting facts that I found in this article that showcase
the abuse of power and racism showcased by the LAPD before and during the riots that I
recommend anyone to read.
The one thing that caught my attention the most in this article was one of the first actions that was
taken to address and prevent another violent public outrage in LA. It was the Christopher
Commission Report. This report was an investigation into the causes of the riots and provided
methods to prevent another one, like the 1992 riot, from happening to the extent it did. The report
revealed a significant amount of wrongdoings done by the LAPD during this time such as the
abundance of cases of officers using excessive force with little to no ramification. (There was no
consequences for officers because the department, before the riots, basically ignored any case of
police misconduct since most of the instances were never brought to major public attention like the
Rodney King beating.)
taken to address and prevent another violent public outrage in LA. It was the Christopher
Commission Report. This report was an investigation into the causes of the riots and provided
methods to prevent another one, like the 1992 riot, from happening to the extent it did. The report
revealed a significant amount of wrongdoings done by the LAPD during this time such as the
abundance of cases of officers using excessive force with little to no ramification. (There was no
consequences for officers because the department, before the riots, basically ignored any case of
police misconduct since most of the instances were never brought to major public attention like the
Rodney King beating.)
Furthermore, the report contained transcripts of conversations that LAPD officers had via the
computers in their patrol cars that showcased their inherent racism. It was very shocking to see
those in charge to “protect and serve” stating in a conversation with another LAPD officer that “[It]
sounds like monkey slapping time." Or using the abbreviation NHI which meant “No Human
Involved” when responding to reports of crimes done by black “victims and perpetrators.” To add
on to all of the corruption of the LAPD that the Christopher Commission Report reveals, most of
the solutions that the report proposed to improve the LAPD were never implemented due to the
city’s unwillingness to finance them.
computers in their patrol cars that showcased their inherent racism. It was very shocking to see
those in charge to “protect and serve” stating in a conversation with another LAPD officer that “[It]
sounds like monkey slapping time." Or using the abbreviation NHI which meant “No Human
Involved” when responding to reports of crimes done by black “victims and perpetrators.” To add
on to all of the corruption of the LAPD that the Christopher Commission Report reveals, most of
the solutions that the report proposed to improve the LAPD were never implemented due to the
city’s unwillingness to finance them.
These report findings, in my opinion, showcase the LAPD as the opposite of what a protective force
that is in charge of safeguarding citizens from harm should be but rather a negligent force from
a dystopian world: where police officers’ unlawful actions are not taken into consideration by the
very own leaders in charge of the police department and, thus, police corruption is rampant,
where innocent citizens are treated or imprisoned wrongfully, and where people don't even trust
those that they should seek for help. The LAPD, during the time of the 1992 LA riots, were for the
most part not protecting citizens from crime, they were the ones who were committing crimes.
that is in charge of safeguarding citizens from harm should be but rather a negligent force from
a dystopian world: where police officers’ unlawful actions are not taken into consideration by the
very own leaders in charge of the police department and, thus, police corruption is rampant,
where innocent citizens are treated or imprisoned wrongfully, and where people don't even trust
those that they should seek for help. The LAPD, during the time of the 1992 LA riots, were for the
most part not protecting citizens from crime, they were the ones who were committing crimes.
-Emilio Marquez Fernandez
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