691 LAPD undercover officers sue the city for publicly releasing their info

Nearly 700 undercover Los Angeles Police Department officers sued the city on Tuesday, Sept. 12, alleging their safety was impacted by the release of department photographs and personal information earlier this year through the California Public Records Act.

Lawyers representing the 691 officers sued in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying the city and the department negligently released personal information that was subsequently posted on various websites.

Undercover LAPD officers’ names, photos, and other personal information were released to the public and put the lives of those officers and their investigations at risk, according to the complaint. The lawsuit demands accountability and safeguards, according to a joint statement from the various plaintiffs’ attorneys.

“To this day, criminal elements continue to use this information to track, follow and harass these police officers,” attorney Matthew Nicholas said in a statement. “Their lives, carer and ongoing investigations to protect the public are at risk, and we demand the city of L.A. take action.”

A representative for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The case stems from California Public Records Act requests made to LAPD, which the department initially refused to comply with them.

The city of Los Angeles subsequently responded to these requests.

The data, which included officers’ names, photographs, serial numbers, ethnicities and ranks, was published on the Watch the Watchers website — a searchable database created by the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore previously stated he was unaware of the release, and later issued an apology and launched an internal investigation. According to a statement from the plaintiffs’ lawyers, it is believed a commanding officer allowed the release to go forward without Moore’s knowledge.

Mayor Karen Bass has also decried the release of information about undercover officers.

Last week, attorney Abel Nair filed a lawsuit against the city and department on behalf of 140 current or retired plaintiffs on the same grounds.