LAPD consent decree lifted

U.S. District Court Judge Gary A. Feess freed the Los Angeles Police Department from most of the federal oversight that has been in place since the Rampart corruption scandals of the early 1990s. "When the Decree was entered, LAPD was a troubled department whose reputation had been severely damaged by a series of crises," Friday's ruling said. "In 2008, as noted by the Monitor, 'LAPD has become the national and international policing standard for activities that range from audits to handling of the mentally ill to many aspects of training to risk assessment of police officers and more.'" LAT, AP, DN

Reactions:

• "In the mind of the department, it has been over for a long time." — LAPD Chief William Bratton
• "The shackles of a necessary but burdensome federal consent decree have been broken, but the benefits of reform have already been realized. For the first time in my lifetime, residents of our most crime-plagued neighborhoods view our brave men and women in blue as partners, not adversaries." — Mayor Villaraigosa
• "We are thrilled that the court has acknowledged the numerous reforms the LAPD has established." — Paul Weber, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League
• "We're disappointed by the judge's decision. The department has made substantial progress under Chief Bratton, but there's still too much evidence that skin color makes a difference in who is stopped, questioned and arrested by the LAPD." — Mark Rosenbaum, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union Southern California