Legal News

City's inspector general wants indepenence from PD

By Jonathan Hayter

The Daily Journal turns its spotlight today on André Birotte Jr., inspector general of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The Justice Department and the city have asked U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess to release the city from a consent decree that for eight years has allowed Feess to appoint an independent monitor to keep an eye out for abuses and constitutional violations by the police force. The monitor has been backing up Birotte, whose office is part of the police department, but if the judge agrees, Birotte will be on his own.

 "Over the last eight years I think we've demonstrated that we could, in fact, accomplish one of the objectives of the consent decree... to assist the Police Commission in providing oversight of the department," Birotte told the Daily Journal.

Other observers worry that the inspector general office?s efficiency depends too much on the good will of the guy at the top, Chief William Bratton, and that the office could use more formal independence. Beyond that, Birotte is said to be under consideration for the position of U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.

Read the full story.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on June 19, 2009 (boomark / email).