The Los Angeles Police Department has agreed to change their methods on reporting and monitoring the activities of potential terrorists after lobbying by Muslim and Sikh leaders, Religion News reports.
The move comes after the New York Police Department was criticized for secretly monitoring Muslims both within the city and in neighboring states.
The Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) federal program was developed in Los Angeles in 2008 to prevent terrorist attacks and then adopted by major cities nationwide. It allowed the LAPD to follow up on reports of strange but not necessarily criminal behavior and then keep and share the information they gathered with local and federal agencies.
A Muslim man taking a picture of an office building was considered sufficient behavior to prompt a police report, as well as praying in a parking lot or viewing a bridge through binoculars. The Muslim Public Affairs Council, a policy advocacy group, requested the LAPD limit the SAR program to only follow up on reports of criminal activity and only allow surveillance of individuals known to be connected to terrorism.
At a May 17 meeting, LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing agreed to MPAC’s requests. In addition, the LAPD Inspector General, who is elected by a civilian board of commissioners, will audit the SAR program for public review, and the LAPD will begin tracking racial bias in SAR reports. All information gathered on what is later determined to be innocent behavior will be erased from all police records.
“The agreed upon reforms by LAPD are a victory for partnerships between communities and law enforcement nationwide,” MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati said in a written statement for a press release.
“In the post 9/11 era, we have the dual challenge of preventing terrorist incidents while preserving constitutional standards in our society,” the press release continues. “MPAC asked for and received SAR reforms from LAPD to help achieve that dual responsibility.”
Cmdr. Blake Chow of the LAPD’s counterterrorism bureau told Religion News Service that although the changes will require regrouping, the changes are an “example of our ability to reach out to the people we work with,” and the SAR program is “just as robust as it is now.”
The changes will be instituted in the coming months.