LAPD ordered to reduce controversial traffic stops

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says he's concerned about a newspaper report that a special police unit is pulling over a disproportionate number of African-American motorists and he's ordered the department to scale back vehicle stops.

The Los Angeles Times reports Garcetti said in a statement Wednesday that he's ordered the chief of police to prioritize other elements of the city's crime-reduction strategy.

A Times investigation found that Metropolitan Division officers deployed for crime-suppression pull over black drivers at a rate well above their share of the population.

The mayor has called for an audit of Metropolitan traffic stops. A similar audit by the Police Department's inspector general is already underway.