A former Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief who faced accusations he tracked a former romantic partner with an Apple AirTag has won a victory in his efforts to continue working as a cop.
Alfred “Al” Labrada saw his peace officer certification restored after an investigation by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, the state’s law enforcement accreditation body. The outcome allows Labrada to retain his license to carry a badge in the state.
His certification was temporarily suspended Jan. 23 due to his retirement and what agency records described as a “pending investigation” into allegations of “dishonesty.”
According to POST, Labrada was cleared on March 12 after the earlier ruling was “withdrawn by order of the executive director” based on the finding that “clear and convincing evidence [was] not met.”
Labrada did not immediately respond to a request for comment through a spokesperson.
In the fall of 2023, Labrada’s onetime romantic partner — also an LAPD officer — reported to authorities that he had secretly planted a GPS tracking device on her car.
After a police investigation into the allegations, San Bernardino County prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Labrada, citing insufficient evidence.
Last spring, an all-civilian LAPD disciplinary panel found Labrada guilty on seven counts related to the matter, including claims he lied to internal affairs detectives and tried to persuade a witness not to testify. Labrada retired rather than face termination.
His abrupt departure marked a jarring coda to the department career of a decorated officer once regarded as a potential replacement for former chief Michel Moore. Labrada has since filed a legal claim against the city, accusing Moore and others of exhibiting an anti-Latino bias and conspiring to block his path to the chief’s job.
Despite the controversy, The Times found that Labrada was considered as a candidate for the LAPD chief job, which was eventually filled by Jim McDonnell.
Meagan Poulos, a spokesperson for POST, said that “depending on the specifics of a case,” the agency can temporarily suspend an officer’s certification while it investigates — a decision that can also be reversed by the agency’s top leader.
“The Executive Director has the authority to withdraw the suspension based on the evidence POST is given,” Poulos said in an email. “POST must meet a higher threshold of ‘clear and convincing’ to take any action.”
Officers have the option of appealing rulings.
Thirty-four LAPD officers are included on a POST list of officers statewide who have faced possible decertification; 20 had their police powers completely revoked or were found to be ineligible to continue working as cops after being accused of serious misconduct, such as drunk driving, embezzlement and sexual assault.
Eight others have had their certifications temporarily suspended, and three officers voluntarily surrendered their licenses.
In 2021, California joined other states in enacting legislation that created a process for decertifying police officers for serious misconduct, to prevent those who are fired or resign during misconduct investigations from moving to another police agency.
POST decisions are separate from any criminal prosecution or punishment meted out by officers’ own departments.
Dawn Silva, an officer who accused Labrada of tracking her, has filed a lawsuit alleging that department leadership failed to shield her from backlash. She was also granted a temporary restraining order against Labrada, which barred him from possessing any firearms unless he met certain conditions.