Union Files Complaint Against LAPD for Releasing Sensitive Information to Watchdog Group

Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in Los Angeles, on Jan. 27, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Los Angeles Police Protective League—the largest Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) union representing over 9,000 sworn officers—filed a formal complaint against the department on March 20 for accidentally releasing the names and photos of several undercover officers to a watchdog group.

In mid-March, the police watchdog group Stop LAPD Spying Coalition—a grassroots anti-police surveilling group—launched “Watch the Waters,” an online database to search any LAPD officer by name or serial number.

But the LAPD mistakenly released the names and photos of several undercover officers to the group the weekend of March 17.

The union found out about the exposed officer information through a Los Angeles Times reporter on March 16, according to a letter the union sent to the LAPD Police Commission on March 20. The reporter informed union spokesperson Tom Saggau about the website and that the sensitive information regarding the undercover officers was public.

The information was released in response to California Public Records Act requests.

“It became readily apparent that the Department had released, and not redacted, the names and photographs of officers engaged in sensitive investigative assignments, placing their lives and the lives of their families in extreme jeopardy and peril,” police union president Craig D. Lally said in the letter to the LAPD commission.

“What we find ironic is that, apparently, the Department did redact the names and photographs of officers engaged in investigating alleged officer misconduct yet did not redact officers working sensitive assignments. Who made the decision to release information on those in sensitive investigative assignments and to conceal officers investigating officers?”

The union is asking for the commission to launch an investigation into Chief Michel Moore’s knowledge and awareness of the situation, and for Police Administrator III Lizabeth Rhodes to be investigated for alleged neglect, inappropriate behavior, and making false statements to Chief Michel Moore and other command officers.

Furthermore, the union is also requesting a look into any other command officers and civilians who were aware of the release of officers’ names and photographs but failed to inform the affected officers and Moore.

According to Stop LAPD Spying, Watch the Watchers is part of its “copwatch” efforts that began ten years ago.

“Copwatch refers to the practice of community members teaming up to observe and document police abuses, especially arrests and other violence,” their website reads. “You can use it to identify officers who are causing harm in your community. The website’s ease of use also makes it a political statement, flipping the direction of surveillance against the state’s agents.”

Search results on the website show officers’ email, ethnicity, gender, division, rank, and year they were hired. The data is pulled from public records, according to the watchdog group, with more information to roll out in the future.

“We’ve filed a public records request with LAPD to get badge numbers,” the website reads of its data collection effort. Badge numbers as different to officer serial numbers, which are a unique LAPD identifier for every officer. “We plan to add those here when we get them, along with payroll information, disciplinary records, and more.”

Moore sent out a department-wide email following the incident apologizing, The LA Times first reported on the story.

“I apologize to each member of this department impacted, and your families, for not having provided you with advance notice of this release. While I recognize that apology may be of little significance to you, each of you should be able to depend on me and this department to demonstrate the appropriate sensitivity in these types of situations,” the email read.

Stop LAPD Spying and the LAPD did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment by press deadline.