CTCAV is a Social Justice Coalition

Come See us: 38417 20th St East Suite D, Palmdale CA 93436

•

Find us on Social Media

The Settlement Agreement Compliance

The Department of Justice investigates LASD

The Department of Justice investigates LASD

DOJ Uncovers Racial Discrimination and Unconstitutional Policing in Antelope Valley

Uncovering Systemic Policing Issues

The Department of Justice Investigation into LASD’s Antelope Valley Practices

The Department of Justice investigation of LASD revealed that Lancaster and Palmdale Stations consistently violated constitutional rights through unlawful stops, searches, and seizures. These practices, tied to a legacy of racial discrimination and white supremacist crimes in the Antelope Valley, remind us why accountability matters.

Settlement Agreement History

In 2011, the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division launched an investigation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in response to numerous complaints of alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act in Antelope Valley and unconstitutional policing. The DOJ investigation highlighted a pattern of white supremacist-related crimes in the Antelope Valley from the 1990s to the early 2000s. After concluding their investigation, in June 2013, the DOJ issued their findings, revealing that LASD’s Lancaster and Palmdale Stations had engaged in a pattern and practice of conducting stops, searches, and seizures that were unreasonable and in violation of the Constitution and federal law.

On April 28, 2015, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, LA County, and the DOJ entered into negotiations and developed a Settlement Agreement. This agreement aimed to ensure that the residents of Antelope Valley were provided with police services that are lawful and consistent with the United States Constitution and contemporary policing practices. The Settlement Agreement addressed several violations.

Department of Justice Investigation Violations Addressed

  1. Targeting Black people with discriminatory enforcement of the Section 8 housing program.
  2. Deputies that engaged in a pattern of misconduct, that included pedestrian and vehicle stops that violated the 4th Amendment and appeared driven by racial bias.
  3. Unreasonable use of force.
  4. Discrimination against residents on the basis of race.

After ten years, LASD continues to fail in meeting the settlement agreement compliance.

DOJ Settlement Agreement Compliance

After 10 years of oversight by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Monitoring Team, the Sheriff’s Department and the County continue to be grievously out of compliance with the majority of terms of the Settlement Agreement. In their December 2022 biannual report, the Monitoring team highlighted critical failures by LASD and the County in implementing the SA.

Critical Failures By LASD and the County

  • Lack of leadership and executive involvement.
  • Lack of attempts to undertake or prioritize required SA-related work.
  • Lack of urgency.
  • Insufficient resources allocated to the SA-related work.
  • Insufficient use of data and a lack of a culture of transparency.
  • Lack of progress on LASD internal audits.”
cancel the contract sues avuhsd

Cancel The Contract is consistently and actively:

  1. Holding meetings with DOJ Officials
  2. Monitoring team Members
  3. Monitoring The Sheriff’s Department

Through these efforts, they aim to communicate concerns about the lack of compliance and consistently relay ongoing LASD violations. Below are some of the resources CTCAV has provided as education to the community on these critical issues. 

Settlement Agreement Resources