Over 700 undercover officers sue city and LAPD for exposing their identities.
Undercover LAPD Officers Sue City Over Release of Personal Information
LOS ANGELES—Nearly 700 undercover Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers have filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that their safety has been compromised due to the release of department photographs and personal information earlier this year. The information was made public through the California Public Records Act.
The 691 LAPD undercover officers, represented by their lawyers, have taken legal action in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that the city and the department acted negligently by releasing their personal information, which was subsequently posted on various websites.
According to the complaint, the release of undercover officers’ names, photos, and other personal details has put their lives and ongoing investigations at risk. The plaintiffs’ attorneys are demanding accountability and the implementation of safeguards to prevent such incidents in the future.
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“We attempted to engage with the city of Los Angeles to address the damage caused by their reckless disclosure of undercover officers’ personal identities. However, due to their failure to take responsibility and implement appropriate safeguards, we are now pursuing legal action,” stated attorney Matthew McNicholas.
“To this day, criminal elements continue to exploit this information to track, follow, and harass these police officers. Their lives, careers, and ongoing investigations to protect the public are in jeopardy, and we demand that the city of Los Angeles takes immediate action.”
A representative from the City Attorney’s Office has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
The case originated from California Public Records Act requests made to the LAPD, which the department initially refused to comply with. Eventually, the city of Los Angeles responded to these requests but mistakenly included sensitive information about active-duty undercover police officers and officers with prior undercover assignments in their disclosure.
This data, which included officers’ names, photographs, email addresses, phone numbers, serial numbers, ethnicities, genders, ranks, and more, was published on the “Watch the Watchers” website. This website is a searchable database created by the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a community organization advocating for the abolition of police surveillance in Los Angeles.
Police Chief Michel Moore has previously stated that he was unaware of the release and later issued an apology, launching an internal investigation. According to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, it is believed that the commanding officer of constitutional policy and policing authorized the release.
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