This report examines three areas of concern to AI, arising from its investigation over the past year into police brutality in both the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the LA Sheriff’s Department (LASD). These are: police brutality, police shootings and the use of police dogs. Its findings are based largely on cases in which damages have been paid to victims. More than 20 cases of alleged abuse are reported, including the Rodney King incident in March 1991 and the aquittal in April 1992 of the four officers charged with his assault. AI notes with concern that few officers guilty of abuses have been prosecuted or disciplined; the report reviews measures taken to investigate alleged abuses and makes recommendations for tackling the problems discussed.
