The Los Angeles Police Protective League on Thursday called for an investigation into City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson alleging he misused his position to avoid a traffic ticket.
The LAPPL — which represents Los Angeles Police Department officers ranked lieutenant and below — formally requested that District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto to investigate what the union described as “credible reports” of a possible violation of California Penal Code 118(a)(1) by Harris-Dawson during a traffic enforcement stop on March 4. Union representatives referred to California law that makes it a crime to willfully resist, delay or obstruct any peace officer in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office or employment.
Cerrina Tayag-Rivera, senior communications deputy for Harris-Dawson’s office, sent an email response to City News Service, saying “Just like pretextual traffic stops, the call for these pointless investigations violates the public trust, is wholly ineffective and wastes precious resources that could be used to keep us safe.
“This points to a broader issue at stake: data shows that Black and Brown residents are disproportionately targeted for these stops, and all too rarely do they lead to a reduction in crime or improved traffic safety. The Council President has introduced a policy to end this form of racialized policing, and the Police Union is trying to distract from the immediate need for policy change,” Tayag-Rivera said.
During a morning news conference at City Hall, Mayor Karen Bass said she had no idea about LAPPL’s calls for an investigation of the City Council president.
“I need to find out about it. I can’t imagine why the council president needs to be investigated, but this is throwing me for a loop.”
LAPPL cited a report published by the California Post, which detailed that Harris-Dawson was stopped by a Los Angeles Unified School District police officer two weeks ago.
The officer observed a moving violation near a high school during morning drop-off, according to the report.
The California Post — citing sources with knowledge of the incident — reported that during the stop Harris-Dawson allegedly called a friend who is an elected member of the Los Angeles School Board of Education in an “apparent effort to get out of the citation.”
“If the reports are true, it is unethical and potentially illegal for a city leader to use their position of power to attempt to avoid accountability for their reckless driving in a school zone. The public deserves to know what was said during this phone call that apparently took place while Council President Harris-Dawson was pulled over for a moving violation,” LAPPL President Ricky Mendoza said in a statement. “We urge the DA and City Attorney to hold this very powerful elected official accountable if in fact he violated the law.”
The LAPPL’s action comes after Harris-Dawson discussed the traffic stop when he provided testimony on March 6 during a joint meeting of the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Unarmed Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Community Services, as well as the Transportation Committee.
Members of the two committees met to discuss data on pretextual vehicle stops and a proposal to alter or eliminate the policy allowing LAPD officers to take such actions.
“Pretextual stops are unconstitutional in this city and everywhere else that they’re done in this country,” Harris-Dawson said during the meeting on March 6. “They are racially biased, and they are, in this city, ineffective. They do not deliver greater safety, both either traffic safety or crime prevention in any demonstrable way.”
He added that pre-textual vehicle stops are among “the most traumatic experiences that you have living in this country.” The council president emphasized that the tactic happens to everybody from all walks of life from a young adult on their way to college to a dad with children in the car.
“I’ve been stopped four times, as recently as Wednesday,” Harris-Dawson said. “Some of you, I think Mr. (John Lee) sits on the Rules Committee. You know, I didn’t make it to ‘rules’ on Wednesday because I got pulled over.”
LAPPL argued Harris-Dawson’s testimony was highly selective and failed to disclose that he was pulled over for a moving violation. The union added, “He misled the council committee and the public, and next week we will be taking steps to address his lie of omission before Los Angeles’ governing body.”
Meanwhile, the City Council is expected to discuss and vote on the proposal to alter the LAPD’s policy on pre-textual vehicle stops once agendized by Harris-Dawson.