The chief and commissioners of the Los Angeles Police Department scrambled Tuesday, March 21 to explain how photos of officers doing undercover work were apparently released as part of a public records request for the names and photos of nearly every sworn member of the force.
The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a civil rights group and frequent department critic over its surveillance policies, published the names and photos of around 9,200 LAPD officers in a searchable database Friday, March 17. The photos were released to the group in September 2022 as part of a freelance journalist’s request under state transparency laws.
In Tuesday’s Police Commission meeting, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the city was required to release the photos under the California Public Records Act. But he said didn’t know why the photos of the undercover officers were included in that release.
Moore said he learned Friday the photos included officers “who work sensitive assignments.” He said the release of their images could compromise their safety and jeopardize their work in ongoing investigations.
“They are involved in criminal investigation — involving drug cartels and other violent street organizations — in which their identity, pursuant to court oversight and the Constitution is masked or protected,” he said. “They work in an undercover capacity.”
LAPD has not said how many officers working undercover assignments had their identities compromised as a result of the release.
The request for the department’s entire roster of sworn officers was originally made in October 2021, according to city records. About four months later, after being repeatedly pressed for the records, staff in LAPD’s records division said they were still analyzing the request.
The staff members said in a response to the records requester that they “would have to review and determine if there are any potential safety/security concerns regarding the disclosure of the individual…
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