Introducing a new section– 'Open Files: Inglewood Police Department (IPD)'
The IPD uses nearly 50% of the city budget, yet no one knows who they are or what their record of dealing with the public is. This section is dedicated to informing the public.
Hello everyone,
I want to introduce you to a new section on my Substack, ‘Open Files: Inglewood Police Department (IPD).”
Police departments are not private security companies or private escorts; they work for and are funded by the public. The department receives its funding from the city’s general fund, which mainly comes from local taxes such as property, sales (anything you purchase that is taxed), business license, hotel/transient occupancy, utility user taxes, fees, permits, and fines, just to name a few.
That said, the public should have access to who is patrolling our neighborhoods, their records, and how our money is being used.
This part of my Substack provides public access to information about the Inglewood Police Department, obtained through public records requests. These requests enable anyone to access records from state, county, or municipal agencies, promoting transparency and accountability. This section serves as a central hub for information I’ve collected over the past few months from the department, which should be accessible to the public.
Why am I doing this?
On March 10, at the corner of Hillcrest Boulevard and Nutwood Street, Bryan Bostic, 37, was reportedly pulled over by the Inglewood Police Department (IPD) during a routine traffic stop. Moments later, for an unknown reason, Bostic was found on the ground with multiple officers arresting the 37-year-old.
A bystander video captured the arrest. The video shows Bostic face down on the concrete as one officer knelt on his back, resembling what George Floyd experienced in 2020. The Inglewood police officer was pulling an arm back to handcuff him. Later, two more officers arrived on the scene to help him as Bostic lay face down, handcuffed and helpless.
Moments later, the ambulance arrived, and according to City of Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, paramedics cleared Bostic (meaning he is alive and can be taken to the station to be booked). It wasn’t until the officers reached the police station that they found an unconscious Bostic. He was later pronounced dead.
Authorities have not explained how Bostic died, and his family is calling for an independent investigation.
Bostic’s family is fighting to obtain information from the Inglewood Police Department. The IPD does not wear body cameras, so you have to depend on their word. In addition, the IPD website does not provide much information for the public, such as how many patrol officers are on duty, how many have fired their weapons while on duty, or whether any have brutalized or killed someone after a routine traffic stop.
This information should be available to the public.
The Inglewood Police Department operates on a $110 million yearly budget, using nearly 50% of the city’s entire General Fund. Meanwhile, approximately 8 to 12 public schools in the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) have closed or are slated to close since the 2018-2019 school year.
Schools closed in 2024-2025: Hudnall Elementary, Highland TK-6 School, Kelso TK-6 School, Crozier Middle School, Morningside High School.
As a fellow Inglewood native, I felt a deep sense of anger after watching the video of Bostic lying on the ground, helpless, surrounded by multiple police officers to prevent him from getting up.
Bostic should be here with his family right now. The least he should be worried about is handling a traffic ticket or whatever moving violation he committed. Instead, the family is now investigating the cause of his death, organizing expensive funeral services (which the city should pay for), and mourning the loss of a family member.
The public has every right to know who is patrolling their neighborhood and that officer’s professional history with the department and community. Police institutions don’t just operate on policy– they operate on trust. And trust, if it means anything to them, has to be earned in the open. And let’s be honest, given the lineage of policing in this country, it draws from a dark time of catching enslaved people and upholding unjust laws (see Jim Crow)– the institution of policing in this country has a lot of work to do if it wants the public’s trust.
In addition, the city of Inglewood will be the most policed and surveilled city in the U.S. with the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2026, Super Bowl in 2027, and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games.
This project exists to keep a steady, watchful eye on how the department conducts itself: not in press releases, TikTok, or Instagram reels, but in its actual decisions in public and in the publication of departmental documents through a Public Request.
We will track budgets, internal memos, policy shifts, and enforcement patterns, because these topics shape people’s lives in real ways, often without much public visibility. Paying attention to those details isn’t about cynicism– it’s about accountability.
Each officer involved in the killing of Bostic, or anyone, should be posted so the public knows who they are and which neighborhoods they are patrolling.
They do that when a civilian kills someone, so we should also know when a police officer kills someone. Our taxes pay their inflated salaries.
This project is to provide the public with the information it deserves.
Transparency isn’t asking for a favor. It’s a requirement of public service. It belongs to anyone willing to read closely, ask questions, and stay informed.
That’s what this space is for.
How can you help?
You can subscribe to my Substack, become a paid subscriber, share this with your friends and family, and encourage them to subscribe.
So, I welcome you to– ‘Open Files: Inglewood Police Department.’
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Author notes: As an independent journalist, I am not affiliated with any major corporations. However, you can support my work by becoming a paid monthly subscriber or sending one-time tips via Venmo or PayPal.
Venmo: abemarquez
Paypal: abraham.marquez11@gmail.com