LAPD Rampart Scandal and Consent Decree (1998–2001)
Rampart CRASH officer Rafael Pérez planted evidence and framed suspects; the fallout implicated 70 or more officers. In 2001, the city entered a federal consent decree mandating sweeping police reforms, including an inspector general and stricter disciplinary procedures.
LAPD created an inspector general, a disciplinary matrix, and a computerized tracking system for officer conduct.
The federal judge lifted the consent decree in 2013. Critics said some practices—like underreporting use of force—crept back once the external pressure was gone.
Shows how institutional fixes born in crisis can lose force once the court or the scandal recedes — the same risk SF's integrity office now faces as budget pressures mount.
