NAACP and CA Attorney General Meet to Discuss Police Brutality

California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer backed a call by a civil rights group Friday for greater scrutiny of alleged police brutality and said law enforcement must take the initiative to prevent such incidents. Speaking to a panel of the state chapter of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People in South Los Angeles, Lockyer said his office received complaints "every day" about inadequate follow-through on potential civil rights violations by police agencies. But the attorney general disagreed with a number of community leaders who told the panel that brutality was institutionalized and that current policies failed to weed out rogue cops. "I think it's a pretty good process now," Lockyer said, adding that his office was prepared to take action against police departments that failed to implement reforms when needed. Most of the state's peace officers are professionals who follow the rules, the attorney general said outside the meeting, adding, "I think we're lucky in California compared to other states." When brutality is proved, severe discipline is needed to discourage other officers from engaging in similar behavior, he said. [more]