LAPD officers told to collect social media information from civilians being stopped

The LAPD use of field cards came under scrutiny last year when three officers were charged with falsifying records, claiming people they had stopped were gang members.

Los Angeles police officers are being encouraged to obtain social media information during field interviews with civilians regardless if they are suspected of being involved in a crime, according to documents obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice.

The group collected the documents related to the LAPD practice in an effort to gain insight into how police departments monitor social media. It noted that a 2015 memo from then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said officers should collect social media and email account information, including the type of account and account name, during interviews, with the data then documented on field interview cards.

In a July 22, 2020 memo, current police Chief Michel Moore said the cards are the basis for “investigations, arrests, and prosecutions.”

“Information documented on the FIs is one of the most important tools that the Department utilizes to solve crime,” Moore wrote.- READ MORE