Police Crimes and Power Abuses

Reflecting broader trends in cities that had elected black mayors in the 1970s, Tom Bradley’s politics rested on a belief that law enforcement could provide equitable police service by committing to pluralist policies that were responsive to all city residents. As this chapter shows, however, reforms, such as diversifying the department, enhancing human relations training, and adopting community-oriented policing, provided only a semblance of civilian control of the police. As the police continued to aggressively police communities of color, it produced a new phase of anti–police abuse organizing, led by the Coalition against Police Abuse (CAPA), calling for an end to police crimes and power abuses. Some of the most notable demands were for an end to the use of the chokehold and for a police civilian review board.