LOS ANGELES California's attorney general says a small police department that patrols two gritty cities near Los Angeles engaged in widespread use of unlawful force and routinely lacked probable cause to justify arrests and searches.
Attorney General Jerry Brown on Tuesday released a lengthy report on the Maywood Police Department. It said the department deprived people of their rights, hired officers with misdemeanor convictions and fostered an attitude of sexism and racial insensitivity.
Brown says the department has tried to fix the problems but adds that the underlying causes remain.
Maywood Police Chief Frank Hauptmann's executive assistant said the chief was declining to comment on the report. The department serves the cities of Maywood and Cudahy.