LOS ANGELES_Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday called for an audit of stops by the Los Angeles Police Department's elite Metropolitan Division in response to a Los Angeles Times investigation showing the unit pulled over black drivers at disproportionately high rates.
Garcetti said the report, which found that Metro officers stop black drivers at a rate more than five times their share of the population, is "something that troubles me and is deeply concerning."
"Trust is essential to our public safety, and every Angeleno deserves to be offered dignity and respect," Garcetti said at a news conference Monday morning on 2018 crime statistics.
The LAPD's Office of Inspector General was already working on an audit of Metro traffic stops, but Garcetti's directive gives the project added urgency.
"Angelenos deserve to understand the full picture when something outside the ordinary happens with any of our officers," Garcetti said.
Garcetti added that he spends a lot of time with Metro officers _ his bodyguards come from the division _ and admires their "courage and commitment."
Police Chief Michel Moore credited the expansion of Metro in 2015, which deployed crime-suppression platoons to high-crime areas, with helping to reduce violent crime.
In 2018, homicides were down 8 percent from the previous year, and gang-related crime was down 8 percent.
Unlike regular patrol officers, Metro officers often spend their entire shifts on vehicle stops and other "proactive" policing tactics intended to root out violent criminals.
They typically use a violation such as a broken tail light as a starting point to question the driver and potentially get inside the car _ a type of stop known as a pretextual stop.
Moore said the Times report "renews an important question" on how enforcement strategies affect public trust and the safety of those who live in neighborhoods affected by violent crime.
"I look forward to a more expansive conversation on the topic," Moore said. "Critically important is that the communities of South Los Angeles, and particularly the African American community, have confidence that this department's efforts are genuine and intended to save lives."
