California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a civil rights investigation into the Antioch Police Department after dozens of its officers were implicated in a racist text message scandal that sparked a federal criminal probe. The investigation will focus on bigoted communications collected in reports by the Contra Costa County district attorney's office this year and first reported by the East Bay Times.
Similar investigations by the California Department of Justice have been launched into the Los Angeles County sheriff's and probation departments. These investigations are not criminal in nature but are meant to lead to drastic mandated reforms for troubled law enforcement agencies.
Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford has pledged his "full cooperation" with the state investigation. In addition, Ford released a list of promises to establish policies ensuring "bias-free policing," train officers in cultural sensitivity, and improve documentation of use-of-force incidents.
The FBI and Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office both have launched separate investigations into allegations of criminal activity within the Antioch police force. The department has committed to implementing 25 new policies and practices over the next three years as part of their reform efforts.
Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe called for leadership within the department to eradicate racism: "We must take immediate action to ensure our community is safe from bigotry."
At least three parties have filed lawsuits against Antioch police this year alleging civil rights abuses by officers, including a Hispanic couple who filed suit last month alleging excessive force and civil rights violations during an arrest last year.
The attorney general's investigation seeks to determine whether there is evidence suggesting patterns or practices of unconstitutional policing amid allegations involving racist, sexist, and homophobic messages among officers. Five people are currently suing the police department over these claims.
Michael Rains, an attorney representing some of animateWithDuration(named:in-the-reporthe-)officers named in-), said he does not object