“Los Angeles police target minorities in controversial surveillance program”
Ross Frasier
Press TV, Los Angeles
People in Los Angeles are being watched by the police and a new report shows some are being watched more than others.
An audit from the city’s Inspector General’s Office shows that police officers are more likely to target minorities when filing suspicious activity reports, or SARs.
Mariella Saba with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition says 30-percent of reports were filed on black individuals, despite a black population of less than 10 percent in Los Angeles.
The SAR program authorizes the collection of information based on non-criminal behaviors deemed "suspicious" by the police.
This can include taking pictures, using a video camera or taking notes.
Police say the SAR program is an effective anti-terrorism tool that allows them to prevent major crimes before they happen.
But activists say the program creates what Saba calls a culture of suspicion.
The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition is joining with other community groups to demand an immediate end to the SAR program.
They’re calling for police to stop unwarranted surveillances and to close the Fusion centers where the reports are stored.
Community groups say they also want the Los Angeles police department to hold public hearings to determine if any civil rights violations took place under the Suspicious Activity Reporting program.
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