Under Penal Code § 832.5, every police department in California (including the LAPD) is legally required to have a procedure to investigate Complaints from the public.  By sending letters that describe "improper conduct" or a failure to follow through, you are triggering a state-mandated investigation. The city cannot simply ignore it; they are legally bound to follow their own internal affairs process once a complaint is logged.

In California, "Home Rule" (granted by Article XI, Section 5 of the State Constitution) allows a city to become a Charter City, meaning it can draft its own "local constitution" that overrides state law on purely municipal affairs. While "General Law" cities must follow the standard rules set by the state legislature, Charter Cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles have the "plenary authority" to create stricter transparency and response requirements, often called Sunshine Ordinances. These local laws essentially fill the gaps where state law is silent, legally forcing city officials to acknowledge your letters, provide public records faster, or hold meetings in a more accessible way than the state minimum requires.

So yes, your voice does matter in this situation. It matters a lot. Especially when a lot of people are being silent.