Police Union Appeals Financial Disclosure Ruling

CNS—The union representing the Los Angeles Police Department’s officers announced last Friday it will appeal a federal judge’s ruling lifting a temporary restraining order that had barred implementing a policy requiring anti-gang and narcotics officers to disclose their personal finances. U.S. District Judge Gary Allen Feess has said the policy appears to be a reasonable attempt by the department to prevent and root out corruption in some of its ranks. Los Angeles Police Protective League President Tim Sands called Frees’ ruling “astonishing.”

“We are very disappointed that he did not give us an objective reading on any of the facts we presented, but continued to present arguments that are not factually substantiated and are internally contradictory,” Sands said.

“We are very disappointed that the judge continues to discount evidence that paragraph 132 is poor policy that would put officers and their families at risk, while having no demonstrable positive outcomes.”

The financial disclosure policy, which is intended to prevent corrupt acts by officers who handle confiscated cash and contraband, is required by a federal consent decree under which the department must operate. Under the policy, officers in anti-gang and narcotics units would be required to disclose every two years all their personally and jointly owned assets, liabilities and income. Refusal to disclose such information would bar officers from working in those units. Department officials have said the policy would apply to about 600 officers.

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