Global Courant 2023-05-11 06:08:46
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Wednesday he would launch a civil rights investigation into the Antioch Police Department after dozens of officers were implicated in a racist texting scandal that led to a federal criminal investigation.
The “pattern or practice” investigation will focus on bigoted communications collected this year in a pair of reports from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and first reported by the East Bay Times.
At least 44 officers, more than half the service, were named in the reports, which included detailed text messages containing anti-black slurs and homophobic language, showing officers bragging about using violence against members of their community, according to the East Bay Times.
“Our job is to protect and serve all of our communities,” Bonta said in a statement. “Police departments are on the front lines of that battle every day as they work to protect the people of our state. However, if there are allegations of potentially pervasive bias or discrimination, it could undermine trust that is critical to public safety and our justice system.”
Similar investigations by the California Department of Justice have begun with the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Probation Departments. Bonta also opened a review of the Torrance Police Department after the Los Angeles Times detailed horrific racist text messages shared by more than a dozen members of that agency for years. The investigations are not criminal in nature, but are intended to lead to drastic mandatory reforms for troubled law enforcement agencies.
However, they can move slowly. Bonta announced his investigation into Torrance nearly 18 months ago for similar misconduct, and no public reports have been made. Bonta’s office has not provided any updates on this.
Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford on Wednesday pledged his “full cooperation” with the state investigation.
“We understand the importance of ensuring that our policies, procedures and practices are consistent with 21st century police expectations,” Ford said in a statement.
Ford also released a list of pledges to establish policies to ensure “police without bias,” train officers in cultural sensitivity and improve the documentation of incidents involving violence.
Kiora Hansen, left, and Della Currie protest during a rally at Antioch Police Station in Antioch, California, in April.
(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group via Associated Press)
A department spokeswoman would not say how many officers were implicated in the scandal or suspended as a result. According to the East Bay Times, eight current and former agents are subject to a criminal investigation involving the FBI, and a dozen others have been placed on administrative leave.
According to texts reviewed by the East Bay Times, an officer bragged about using a rubber bullet thrower on a robbery target, and in another thread – when asked what he was up to – said he “civil rights violation”. County prosecutors are considering the dismissal or review of hundreds of criminal cases in which the officers served as material witnesses.
A similar review that followed the Torrance scandal led to the dismissal of dozens of pending felony cases. At least one man was released from prison after it was discovered he had entered into a plea deal before prosecutors could reveal that several of the arresting officers were involved in the texting scandal.
