The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LACSD) is accused of abusing sensitive criminal justice databases in 2023. The new report comes from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which says it reviewed public records.
The foundation, which describes itself as “the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world,” claims the LACSD violated a rule when it used the data to run background checks for concealed carry permits.
The records show that in California, there were 7,275 violations reported to the State Department of Justice (CADOJ) regarding the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS). Of those, a staggering 6,789 came from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
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The California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) is a statewide network that connects law enforcement agencies to share important information. It allows officers and other authorized personnel to access databases for criminal records, vehicle registration, wanted persons and other law enforcement data, helping them with investigations.
Violations are required to be reported by California agencies, with oversight from state authorities like the Department of Justice.
In one high-profile case in Redding, a police officer was charged with six offenses in 2021 after being accused of using CLETS to set up a traffic stop on his fiancée’s ex-husband, leading to the man’s car being towed. The officer was fired and later acquitted by a jury.
In 2024, CLETS abuses led to the suspension of 24 California police officers, the resignation of another six officers, and the firing of nine officers.
