LAPD Pulls Google Advertising After Recruitment Ad Appears On Breitbart

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Police Department says it's stopped buying online advertisements from Google after an LAPD recruitment ad appeared on the controversial right-wing website Breitbart.

"We have stopped these Google Ads altogether while we reexamine our ad filters and take all necessary steps to ensure tighter control of ad settings," the department said.

The ad appeared Friday night and showed a uniformed LAPD officer and the words, "CHOOSE your FUTURE. LAPD IS HIRING."

It was immediately retweeted and drew attention on social media, with some wondering why the department was recruiting on the site.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore says the department did no authorize or purchase the ad, and a tweet from the department Friday described Breitbart as "a website that creates a negative juxtaposition to our core values."

Critics have accused the conservative-leaning Breitbart of running some content they deem to be racially and sexist-tinged, a charge operators of the influential site deny.

Elizabeth Moore of Breitbart issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times describing the company as "one of the most pro-police, pro-law-enforcement news organizations in America."

"We have been cited by the New York Times Magazine as having one of the most diverse newsrooms in the nation, with a history of promoting women and minorities into leadership positions," the statement said. "We also know we have strong readership among the rank-and-file in the LAPD."

Ads purchased from Google often end up on websites the organization making the purchase does not know about in advance.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)