LAPD officer who recorded colleagues’ racist comments charged with felony eavesdropping

Los Angeles Times ^ | July 31, 2026 Updated 2:26 PM PT | Richard Winton and Libor Jany

[E. Pluribus Unum]

• Prosecutors charge that LAPD officer Daniel Flores violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act, which prohibits recording others without their consent.
• Flores filed an internal affairs complaint against his LAPD colleagues after recording them making racist, homophobic and sexist comments.
• Flores’ lawyer said the case sends a message that “if you document bigotry inside the LAPD, you will be the one who ends up in a courtroom.”

Los Angeles County prosecutors on Friday charged an LAPD officer with felony eavesdropping for making secret recordings of his colleagues’ racist, sexist and homophobic comments on the job.

The officer, Daniel Flores, was charged with 16 felony counts of eavesdropping on or recording confidential communications — crimes that carry a sentence of up to 13 years in prison, if convicted.

In a statement announcing the charges, L.A. Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said that while he found the recorded comments deplorable, Flores still violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act, which prohibits recording others without their consent.

“This case serves as a warning to anyone seeking to record a conversation without the other person’s permission that doing so is illegal and has been a crime in the state of California for over 50 years,” the statement read. “It doesn’t matter where you work or who you are - a neighbor, a coworker or, in this case, a police officer. Your right to privacy in a confidential conversation is protected, no matter who is doing the recording or, with few exceptions, why they are doing the recording.”

Flores turned over roughly 90 recordings to his superiors, according to an internal affairs complaint he filed with the department last year, which said he hoped the evidence would be used to discipline those responsible.

Flores’ attorney, Alan Jackson, blasted the decision by prosecutors to pursue charges.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

When they said "No one is above the law," he didn't think that meant him, too.

[Carry_Okie]

When they said "No one is above the law," he didn't think that meant him, too.

Making Democrats look bad is against the law.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Narcing on fellow officers is a good way to get yourself Serpicoed.

[WASCWatch]

California is a two party state. In Texas and many other states, you can record without having to inform the other person.

[mass55th]

He’s either too stupid to know the law he’s supposed to be enforcing, or he knew and deliberately broke the law, thinking he wouldn’t get caught. The arrogance of some of these arseholes.

[blackdog]

Shock and outrage, from the same people that passed the “Nick Shirley Act” to make reporting a crime a crime. Any police officer in California worth two cents should have resigned right then. Now that they come for him......now he’s upset.

[BobL]

Be interesting to know who he was recording - the honkies or the brothers? I think the brothers, given the response.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

Bingo!

[Az Joe]

He could have found a way to submit the recording anonymously.

[Vendome]

My boss did that to me last year.Wonder if I should report it

[E. Pluribus Unum]

My boss did that to me last year.Wonder if I should report it

Are you in a two-party state, or a one-party state?

In a two-party state both parties must be informed they are being recorded.

In a one-party state, only one of the parties must be informed they are being recorded.

[Midwesterner53]

they can’t prosecute the other cops making the comments because all the evidence was gathered illegally.

[rlmorel]

He obviously never went to James O’Keefe’s “Secret Recording 101” class where they teach you what is legal and what isn’t in every state.

[Red Badger]

No good deed goes unpunished..................

[NFHale]

Re “… after recording them making racist, homophobic and sexist comments...”

Otherwise known as “free speech“… But let’s not split hairs…

[Mark]

A detained or arrested person can be recorded. Done all the time.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A detained or arrested person can be recorded. Done all the time.

A person in the self-checkout lane of Walmart can be recorded. Happens all the time. 🤡

[dznutz]

Be interesting to know who he was recording - the honkies or the brothers? I think the brothers, given the response.

If it was the honkies the recorder would have been given a department commendation not a court date.

[Scrambler Bob]

A person in the self-checkout lane of Walmart can be recorded.
= = =

In CA, visual recording is OK. Audio is not, without a notice that you are being recording. That gives you the chance to leave if you do not consent to the audio.

Correct me as needed.

[Scrambler Bob]

Can I record my traffic stop? The cop has his recorder going.