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Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to provide strong, independent and effective oversight of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and to ensure that the LAPD, its officers, and employees act with honesty, integrity, dignity, and respect towards the public, as well as ensuring that both the OIG’s as well as the LAPD’s responsibilities under the Federal Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice (Consent Decree) are being met. In addition, the OIG conducts community outreach to educate the community about the OIG, the Police Commission (Commission), and the LAPD on a periodic basis, but especially in the wake of high-profile use of force incidents and other newsworthy developments of particular interest to the community. The OIG carries out its mission through three discrete sections: the Complaint Section, the Audit Section, and the Use of Force section. The responsibilities and objectives of each section are described below.

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Complaint Section

The OIG’s Complaint Section does the following:

  • Assists members of the public as well as LAPD employees in filing complaints of misconduct involving LAPD employees.
  • Assists LAPD employees in matters involving allegations of retaliation and other workplace concerns, as well as monitors LAPD’s investigations into such matters to ensure that both the employee’s rights as well as LAPD’s legitimate business interests are protected.
  • Ensures that other complaints of misconduct are properly handled and are thoroughly and objectively investigated.
  • Prepares quarterly reviews of the Chief of Police’s (COP) imposition of discipline during that quarter which are presented to the Commission to assist them in assessing the appropriateness of the COP’s actions in imposing discipline, and which assessment is considered by the Commission in conducting the COP’s annual evaluation.
  • Prepares an annual review and assessment, to be presented to the Commission in public session, of LAPD’s investigations into and handling of complaints of retaliation by LAPD employees.
  • Conducts independent investigations into sensitive and/or high profile matters involving the LAPD, either at the request of the Commission or of PSB.


    • Audit Section

    The OIG’s Audit Section has two main responsibilities:

  • To review specified LAPD audits, assessing their completeness, quality and findings. Specifically, the Audit Section conducts in-depth reviews of the following LAPD audits:

    i.  Complaint Investigations Audit;
    ii.  Motor Vehicle and Pedestrian Stops Audit;
    iii.  Warrant Application and Supporting Affidavit Audit;
    iv.  Confidential Informants Audit;
    v.  Categorical Use of Force Investigations Audit;
    vi.  Non-Categorical Use of Force Investigations Audit;
    vii.  Arrest Booking and Charging Reports Audit;
    viii.  Gang Enforcement Detail Selection Criteria Audit; and
    ix.  Sting Audits of LAPD Personnel.

  • To audit higher-risk Complaint Investigations and Non-Categorical Use of Force Investigations, focusing on transcriptions/summarization of recorded statements, the proper collection and analysis of all available evidence, and/or the proper adjudication of complaint investigations. Additionally, at the request of the Commission or at the OIG’s discretion, the Audit Section conducts risk-based audits of other areas within the LAPD.


    Use of Force Section

    The OIG is involved throughout the investigative and adjudicative process of every Categorical Use of Force (CUOF) incident (e.g., an officer-involved shooting, a head strike with an impact weapon, an in-custody death, a law enforcement related injury involving hospitalization, etc.) involving an LAPD employee. The OIG’s involvement in these matters include:

  • Being immediately notified by the LAPD Command Post of a CUOF;
  • Being present at the scene of a CUOF observing the investigation in progress.
  • Reviewing Force Investigation Division’s (FID) investigation of the CUOF;
  • Attending LAPD’s Use of Force Review Board;
  • Reviewing and assessing the Chief of Police Memorandum to the Board of Police Commissioners regarding the CUOF; and
  • Preparing an evaluation and assessment for the Commission of FID’s investigation, as well as providing recommendations to the Commission as to how the OIG believes the Commission should adjudicate the CUOF incident.