LOS ANGELES - The following statement can be attributed to ACLU of Southern California Executive Director Ramona Ripston.

'The ACLU applauds the decision of U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess extending the LAPD consent decree in full for three more years. Following the Rampart brutality scandal, and an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, the City entered into the decree to end a pervasive pattern of constitutional rights violations by the LAPD. We appreciate the progress the LAPD has made and welcome Chief Bratton's acknowledgment that reforming the LAPD culture, policies and practices "has been driven largely by the consent decree."

The extension of the decree will benefit Los Angeles by requiring the LAPD to improve in vital areas. The department still must implement a computerized system for tracking problem officers with bad disciplinary records. Disparities in traffic stops show that the department still needs to work harder to ensure that its officers are not discriminating against anyone on the basis of race. The consent decree will compel progress on those reforms as well as prevent us from backsliding in other areas.

We all want a police department that we can trust to protect and serve us effectively and fairly. In court today, the ACLU/SC argued on behalf of the community we represent that the serious noncompliance to date requires extension of the full decree and not only the pared-down version the City and the United States wanted to see extended. The consent decree will remain an important tool for building that trust as it guarantees the sustained commitment necessary to create the kind of police department, and ensure the public safety, we all deserve.'

LOS ANGELES - In a letter to the San Bernardino City Council, the ACLU of Southern California strongly opposed a proposed initiative in San Bernardino that is unconstitutional and if passed into law would sharply divide the city.

The city council is set to vote Monday, May 15 whether to enact the initiative or ask residents to vote in a city-wide election to decide whether or not to enact it.

'Not only is the initiative the wrong idea for San Bernardino, it is out of touch with the spirit of our country and the push for comprehensive immigration reform. The initiative seeks to hurt the City and its residents at great cost,' said Hector O. Villagra, director of the ACLU/SC's Orange County office. 'The initiative would force each and every property owner in the city - large or small - to act as immigration cops, it would hold property owners liable and subject to hefty fines for any mistakes they make, it would deny children the right to an education and it would limit the free speech rights of city officials and city employees.'

LOS ANGELES - In an effort to calm the fears of worshipers, several Southern California area organizations and their leaders filed a Freedom of Information Act request today seeking answers from the FBI about suspected monitoring of religious institutions.

The ACLU of Southern California filed the request on behalf of six groups, including the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and area mosques, and six leaders in the Muslim community. The government has so far refused to explain repeated news reports describing FBI surveillance of mosques and numerous personal accounts from worshipers who were questioned about their faith at home and at work.

'We are people of faith and our mosques are peaceful and tolerant places of worship,' said Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council. 'But people are being scared away from worship because of reports that mosques and those who pray at them are being monitored. People are afraid that practicing their religion or even visiting a mosque will make them a suspect of the government.'

The government has 20 business days to respond to this request, which seeks information pertaining to whether area mosques and community leaders are being monitored and if so, why, said Ranjana Natarajan, staff attorney for the ACLU/SC.

"We firmly believe that mosques are peaceful places of worship and we will continue to meet with law enforcement officials and cooperate in legitimate law enforcement investigations," said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR. "However, it is our right to expect transparency from our government.'

The ACLU has filed FOIA requests in 20 states on behalf of more than 150 organizations and individuals including advocates for the environment, animal rights, labor, religion, Native American rights, fair trade, grassroots politics, peace, social justice, nuclear disarmament, human rights and civil liberties. So far the government has released documents that reveal FBI monitoring and infiltration by the FBI and local law enforcement, targeting political, environmental, anti-war and faith-based groups around the country.