County Outlaws Placing Racist Fliers in Product Packaging

Responding to the insertion of racist fliers in supermarket product packaging in the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to make such acts a crime.

The action comes about a month after the Los Angeles City Council passed a similar law to plug a loophole that made it difficult to prosecute a Glendale man believed to have placed fliers in items ranging from Pop Tarts to 12-packs of beer in grocery stores.

Violations of both the city and county laws are misdemeanors, punishable by a maximum of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The county ordinance will take effect next month.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who sponsored the motion, said the law is necessary to battle what he said is an increase in acts of bigotry.

Previously, local law enforcement officials found it difficult to prosecute such crimes. For instance, product-tampering laws require that the package seal must be broken.