The LAPD is investigating whether some officers assigned to its 77th Street Division’s gang unit deliberately switched-off body worn video cameras in order to conceal certain events from review or from their supervisors, several law enforcement sources told NBC4 Investigates.
The officers were removed from field duty this week, but have not been sent home or relieved of duty, the sources said.
“Not everyone in the unit,” was being looked-at, said one source familiar with the internal investigation, and said the inquiry was examining the body worn video camera use, ‘among other issues.’
The LAPD emailed a statement confirming the investigation Thursday.
“As a result of an internal inspection by the Department, concerns were identified involving potential policy and procedural violations by employees assigned to 77th Street Community Police Station. In an abundance of caution, several employees have been restricted from field duties pending further investigation,” it said.
“The investigation remains ongoing, and no further details are being released at this time. The safety of the community and the integrity of the Department remain our highest priorities,” the statement said.
In 2023 several officers assigned to the LAPD’s Mission Area gang unit were placed on leave after complaints they’d removed of switched-off body worn video cameras while making some traffic and pedestrian stops.
While the outcomes of those internal investigations were never made public, separate anonymized discipline reports suggested several of the officers either resigned or were terminated.