• 13
  • May
    2011

Several recent posts on our blog deal with harassment or discrimination suits brought against Los Angeles area Police Departments. A recent article from the LA Times reveals that, over the past decade, the LAPD has become a magnet for employment lawsuits from former officers. Charges ranging from retaliation to sexual harassment have plagued the city's law enforcement agency, costing the system millions of dollars.

Records show that the LAPD has been ordered by Los Angeles area courts to pay at least 16 employment lawsuit settlements totaling over a million dollars each. Other smaller but still significant settlements have also made a dent in the city's funds. Some Los Angeles officials are blaming the prevalence of such cases on old hiring rules which protect standing officers, even if they display inacceptable behavior in the workplace.

As Los Angeles, and the rest of the nation, attempts to cut its budget and balance spending, city officials are taking a closer look at the LAPD's expensive history of litigation and calling on the department's leadership to create a better workplace environment within the force.

Compared to other cities, the Los Angeles Police Department has been the target of far more employment lawsuits than other large law enforcement agencies. Boston's Police Department witnessed about a third fewer discrimination, harassment, and retaliation lawsuits than the Los Angeles department.

As of 2010, 250 lawsuits filed by former police officers have been filed against the LAPD over the course of five years. Many of these cases are still working their way through the Los Angeles legal system and-if decided against the LAPD-could end up costing the city millions of dollars more in compensation.

Source: LA Times, "LAPD, lawsuits : Some LAPD officers becoming millionaires by suing the city." Joel Rubin, 8 May 2011