LOS ANGELES - The following statement can be attributed to Ramona Ripston,
Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California:
“The ACLU of Southern California shares in the disgust at the video footage
of two Los Angeles Police Department officers beating a suspect on the side of
the road.
“Californians are entitled to more transparency than a chance
video. YouTube is not an acceptable substitute for accountability.
“The
footage released today depicts two officers restraining William Cardenas in
August as one officer holds his knee on the man's neck and punches his face
several times as Cardenas can be heard yelling for help and that he cannot
breathe. Public confidence is eroded when we discover such incidents by
chance.
“The ACLU has long advocated for increased police accountability in
order to enhance public safety. The fact that this incident only came to light
after being posted on a popular website dramatically illustrates how far we are
from that ideal and that police reform still languishes.
“The tools to
prevent this conduct from ever happening and to identify problem officers are no
mystery. The department is years behind in implementing the TEAMS II computer
system, something mandated by federal consent decree implemented in the wake of
the Rampart police scandal. This early warning system would identify officers
with problem records and cannot be delayed any longer. The public must have
access to records of discipline imposed on officers; something that present
California law keeps confidential.
“The officers involved in this incident
should be removed from the field while a thorough investigation is
conducted.”