Los Angeles police required to disclose personal financial details
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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Los Angeles City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to review a plan to require police officers who frequently handle confiscated cash and contraband to disclose personal financial details to auditors.
The policy, which was approved last month by the Police Commission, will be heard by the council's Public Safety Committee next Tuesday.
The disclosure policy, which is intended to stave off corruption by members of the anti-gang and narcotics units, is required by a federal consent decree under which the Los Angeles Police Department must operate until 2009.
Under the policy, officers in those units are required to disclose all of their sole and jointly owned assets, liabilities and income every two years. Refusal to disclose such information will bar officers from working in those units.
Police Chief William Bratton told the council he believed the city's proposed policy represents the bare minimum of what the federal judge will accept, and doubted council members would be able to draft an acceptable alternative.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents 9,000 officers, filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing that the state Constitution guarantees all citizens a right of privacy. The union has also been running radio ads in hopes of rallying opposition to the policy.
Union officials said more than 500 Los Angeles Police Department officers in specialized units will request transfers or retire before submitting to the "draconian" financial disclosure requirement.
