LAPD officer may get charges for recording homophobia

A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer could face criminal charges for allegedly recording a colleague making homophobic, racist and sexist comments while on duty.

Los Angeles Police Department officer Daniel Flores secretly recorded the comments before giving the audio to his superiors as evidence, according to an internal affairs complaint filed last year.

However, recording conversations without the consent of those involved is illegal in California.

Greg Smith, Flores’ attorney, said: LA Times Flores was recently informed that his internal affairs case had been transferred to state prosecutors, who are currently considering charges for violating California’s Invasion of Privacy Act.

Violating this law can result in misdemeanor or felony charges.

The evidence Flores collected against his colleagues was recorded from March to October 2024 in the Los Angeles City staff building near Los Angeles Police Department headquarters.

His internal affairs complaint included about 90 recordings of officers tasked with deciding who can join the force making slurs or other offensive remarks.

Smith said Flores’ defense argues that because he is a police officer, he had the authority to make secret recordings as part of the investigation.

The LA Times reported that a separate administrative investigation into Flores by the Los Angeles Police Department found him guilty of policy violations and recommended a 90-day suspension without pay.

The complaint details that Flores was “subjected to numerous comments that appeared to be derogatory toward herself and others based on race, national origin, sex/gender, and sexual orientation.”