Of the more than 1,800 cases being reviewed in across the Torrance Police Department in California, CNN reported about 40 felony and 50 misdemeanor cases at the city level being dismissed so far. 

An independent review comes after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed a history of excessive force and racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic messages, among other discriminatory misconduct, from dozens of TPD officers over the years.  

PREVIOUS STORY: California Police Department Investigated Over Racist Texts, Misconduct 

The misconduct includes a text with a photo of Black men being lynched with the caption “hanging with the homies” and another with a picture of a candy cane, a Christmas tree ornament, a star for the top of the tree, and an “enslaved person” with the caption, “Which one doesn’t belong?” 

“What those text messages revealed was an extraordinarily hostile attitude toward people of color, people who are nonbinary, people who have different sexual orientations,” said Walter Katz, a former independent police auditor in California, per Los Angeles Times. “I don’t know that we can take anything they’ve said at face value.” 

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Derogatory comments about Jewish people were also discovered in the documents, as well as threats of violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community. At least seven use-of-force instances involving the same officers were also revealed, three of which resulted in the deaths of Black and Latino men. 

“Our communities deserve to know they can get equal justice under the law,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who launched the review, said in a press release. 

“Police departments are on the front lines of that fight every day as they work to protect the people of our state… Now is a time for swift action to identify the facts, take corrective measures where appropriate, and work toward community healing.” 

Bonta said the independent review will help “identify and correct potential systemic failures in the department’s policies and practices” in an effort to “promote public safety and rebuild trust between TPD and the community it serves.” 

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While no Torrance police officers have been charged criminally as a result of the racist text messages, Sergeant Mark Ponegalek, the department’s public affairs officer, informed CNN that 15 officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.