Police Panel OKs Curbs on Retaliation

The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday adopted a tough new policy to prevent department employees who file complaints against co-workers from retaliation.

All 12,000 LAPD employees are covered by the policy, but it is largely intended to protect female officers who complain about sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

The new policy, which was approved on a 5-0 vote, was praised by women’s advocacy groups that have said that women who initiate complaints against their colleagues often endure death threats, false complaints or warnings from co-workers that they will be left stranded without backup in emergency situations.

Interim Chief Bayan Lewis said he plans to issue a special order within days to implement the anti-retaliation guidelines. He said retaliation is a big enough issue within the department to warrant a stricter, more punitive policy.

The LAPD’s new retaliation policy was drafted with help from the City Council’s Personnel Committee, Police Commissioner Edith Perez and Inspector General Katherine Mader.

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The policy guidelines are meant to protect officers who report misconduct, testify at disciplinary hearings and take part in investigations.

Under the policy, commanding officers and supervisors must ensure that subordinates are trained on what constitutes retaliation, take immediate action to stop it, create an environment that encourages employees to report retaliation, and quickly and thoroughly investigate retaliation complaints.

Officers found guilty of retaliation will face transfers, warnings, suspensions or termination.

In other actions Tuesday, the Police Commission discussed a comprehensive report on the LAPD’s handling of domestic violence allegations against its own officers. The report concluded that the department’s investigations were often flawed and that the accused batterers on the force were rarely arrested or prosecuted and often faced only light in-house punishment.

The commissioners said they agreed with most of the 45 recommendations made by Mader--the report’s author--aimed at improving the way the department handles such cases.