By Bobby Lopez
I think President Obama got it right, just not right away.
Last week, he made some negative comments about the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates by Cambridge Police. This week, Mr. Obama corrected himself, and he deserves credit for that.
Unless you’ve been on a desert island, you know Prof. Gates was apprehended at his home after Sgt. James Crowley and others responded to a reported break-in there. Prof. Gates refused to provide his identification, which is all the cops needed to see it was actually his house.
If Prof. Gates had simply shown the officers his driver’s license, he could have avoided this mess. Instead, he got angry and accused the cops of racial bias. (I can speak from personal experience this happens a lot – even when a Latino officer, like myself, questions a Latino citizen).
Mr. Obama got caught up in the moment and rushed to judgment without knowing all the facts. At a press conference, he said the officers “acted stupidly."
When I heard Mr. Obama’s statement, it was like deja vu. It reminded me of the reaction of our city leaders to recent news reports of arrest data.
Without waiting for a complete analysis of the facts, some city leaders looked at one set of numbers and decided we have a problem. In general, the City Council allowed itself to be intimidated by vocal activists pounding the podium.
They created a task force to examine the “problem” and had numerous council discussions on the topic. Finally, they brought in an independent group of academics to study the numbers.
As I’ve said before, we welcome any fair and unbiased study of our work. If the academics come back in a year’s time and clearly prove that we do have a problem, then I’ll be the first to admit it, right here on this blog.
But what if they don’t? What if the study finds that the men and women of SJPD acted professionally and fairly? Will our city leaders follow President Obama’s lead and admit a rush to judgment?
And will I get a beer out of it?
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cracking Down on Bogus Charities
By Jerry Brown
As part of a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent charities, my office recently filed eight lawsuits against 53 individuals, 17 telemarketers and 12 charities that "shamelessly exploited" people's generosity and squandered millions of dollars of donations intended to help police, firefighters and veterans.
These suits are intended to permanently stop the charities' deceptive practices and require the repayment of all funds raised under false pretenses. My office is seeking involuntary dissolution of eight of the charities.
These individuals shamelessly exploited the goodwill of decent citizens trying to help police, firefighters and veterans. In point of fact, a shockingly small portion of donations went to those in need, while millions went to pay for aggressive telemarketing and bloated overhead - and in one case, to purchase a 30-foot sailboat.
These suits were filed in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission and 48 other states as part of a nationwide sweep called "Operation False Charity."
In California, just as in the other participating states, the so-called charities raised millions of dollars based on false claims that donors' contributions would benefit police, firefighters and veterans organizations. But in reality, these charities rarely benefit public safety personnel. And, in most cases, 85 percent to 90 percent of donations are used to pay the fees of for-profit telemarketing firms.
Last year, I launched an investigation into 12 of the worst offenders, resulting in the eight cases filed today in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Mateo counties. It is estimated that since 2005, hundreds of thousands of Californians have been deceived by the solicitation campaigns these charities and their fundraisers have conducted.
Here are tips to avoid being the victims of charity fraud:
- If you receive an unsolicited call asking for a donation, it is most likely from a paid telemarketer who may keep a substantial part of your donation as payment of fundraising fees.
- Recognize that the words 'veterans' or 'military families' in an organization's name don't necessarily mean that veterans or the families of active-duty personnel will benefit from your donation.
- Donate to charities with a track record and a history. Charities that spring up overnight may disappear just as quickly.
- If you have any doubt about whether you have made a pledge or a contribution, check your records. If you don=t remember making the donation or pledge, resist the pressure to give.
- Check out an organization before donating. Some phony charities use names, seals and logos that look or sound like those of respected, well-established organizations.
- Ask the soliciting charity or the paid fundraiser what percentage of your donation will go towards fundraising expenses and what percentage will go towards the charity's charitable purpose.
- Do not send or give cash donations. For security and tax record purposes, it is best to pay by check made payable to the charity.
- Ask for a receipt showing the amount of your contribution.
- Be wary of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.
There are a number of resources to obtain information about a charity. My website is a good place to start.
Use the search feature to find out if a charity and its fundraiser are registered. Review the Attorney General's Guide to Charitable Giving for Donors for additional tips. Other sites that have valuable information include:
American Institute of Philanthropy
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance
CharityNavigator
Federal Trade Commission
Jerry Brown is Attorney General of California.
As part of a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent charities, my office recently filed eight lawsuits against 53 individuals, 17 telemarketers and 12 charities that "shamelessly exploited" people's generosity and squandered millions of dollars of donations intended to help police, firefighters and veterans.
These suits are intended to permanently stop the charities' deceptive practices and require the repayment of all funds raised under false pretenses. My office is seeking involuntary dissolution of eight of the charities.
These individuals shamelessly exploited the goodwill of decent citizens trying to help police, firefighters and veterans. In point of fact, a shockingly small portion of donations went to those in need, while millions went to pay for aggressive telemarketing and bloated overhead - and in one case, to purchase a 30-foot sailboat.
These suits were filed in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission and 48 other states as part of a nationwide sweep called "Operation False Charity."
In California, just as in the other participating states, the so-called charities raised millions of dollars based on false claims that donors' contributions would benefit police, firefighters and veterans organizations. But in reality, these charities rarely benefit public safety personnel. And, in most cases, 85 percent to 90 percent of donations are used to pay the fees of for-profit telemarketing firms.
Last year, I launched an investigation into 12 of the worst offenders, resulting in the eight cases filed today in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Mateo counties. It is estimated that since 2005, hundreds of thousands of Californians have been deceived by the solicitation campaigns these charities and their fundraisers have conducted.
Here are tips to avoid being the victims of charity fraud:
- If you receive an unsolicited call asking for a donation, it is most likely from a paid telemarketer who may keep a substantial part of your donation as payment of fundraising fees.
- Recognize that the words 'veterans' or 'military families' in an organization's name don't necessarily mean that veterans or the families of active-duty personnel will benefit from your donation.
- Donate to charities with a track record and a history. Charities that spring up overnight may disappear just as quickly.
- If you have any doubt about whether you have made a pledge or a contribution, check your records. If you don=t remember making the donation or pledge, resist the pressure to give.
- Check out an organization before donating. Some phony charities use names, seals and logos that look or sound like those of respected, well-established organizations.
- Ask the soliciting charity or the paid fundraiser what percentage of your donation will go towards fundraising expenses and what percentage will go towards the charity's charitable purpose.
- Do not send or give cash donations. For security and tax record purposes, it is best to pay by check made payable to the charity.
- Ask for a receipt showing the amount of your contribution.
- Be wary of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.
There are a number of resources to obtain information about a charity. My website is a good place to start.
Use the search feature to find out if a charity and its fundraiser are registered. Review the Attorney General's Guide to Charitable Giving for Donors for additional tips. Other sites that have valuable information include:
American Institute of Philanthropy
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance
CharityNavigator
Federal Trade Commission
Jerry Brown is Attorney General of California.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Integrity
By Francisco J. Hernandez
How about truth, integrity and consistency in news reporting?
I’ve lived in San Jose for all 30 years of my life. Born, educated and employed in San Jose. I’ve enjoyed living here (with some ups and downs) and have no immediate plans to leave. In my 30 years, I’ve read thousands and thousands of San Jose Mercury News articles spanning the Knight-Ridder era to the brief McClatchy ownership to the current MediaNews (aka Bay Area News Group) ownership. There have been excellent news stories and stories about the news. Lately though I’ve noticed a lot more of the latter.
I don’t know what it is but over the last three years I’ve seen a rise in articles that are biased against San Jose police. While there have been officers “spotlighted” for their accomplishments on and off duty (one recent article was about two officers taking enforcement action 20,000 feet in the air), the majority of the stories have been negative (use of force, public intoxication, retirement benefits, etc). The overwhelming majority of negative stories are about racial profiling.
I find it insulting when people make racial accusations as soon as they are stopped. People never pause to think, “Why is this officer stopping me? Was I supposed to stop back there? Is my music too loud?” or maybe, “Is my tail light out… again? I thought I sent in my registration yesterday… Oh crap, here’s the envelope…” Nope, some people jump straight to the racial difference between us. I’ve heard the “You only stopped me ‘cause I’m (insert non-white race)!” rationale more than I care to say. (The fact that I’m Hispanic doesn’t seem to matter because, in their eyes, I’m no longer Hispanic once I put on the uniform.)
To those who have used that rationale or plan to continue using it, all I have to say is, “Oh really?” I guess it doesn’t matter that I was behind you when you ran that red light or rolled through that stop sign. Or that I could hear and feel your music from half a city block away. Or that I noticed your tail lights are out or your vehicle registration is expired. Or that I can see that you are driving an otherwise clean car that happens to have “limo-tint” on all windows. You insist that I stopped you only because you are (insert non-white race), even though I can’t see inside your car and was behind you the entire time. As I walk up to your car, I only know that there is one person (you, the driver) in the car. I don’t know who else is in there or if they have a gun pointed at my head since the windows are tinted.
I’ve been in law enforcement for seven and a half years with the first five and a half spent on patrol, and I can tell you that the San Jose Police Department employs a diverse group of officers. Our officers are Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, African-American, Middle Eastern. You name it, we have it, from Sergeants to Lieutenants, Captains to former Chiefs of Police. To say that SJPD is plagued with officers who enforce the law based solely on a person’s real or perceived ethnicity, as the Mercury News seems to suggest, is a complete insult. In this case, the Mercury News is also neglecting to acknowledge its own past reports.
In February 2007, the Mercury News published a front-page article about the perceived racial profiling behavior of the SJPD. The article was seven months in the making. What was the Mercury News’ conclusion? Its own reporters found no evidence of racial profiling by SJPD. NONE!
Don’t believe me? Here’s a word-for-word excerpt from the article:
So, what gives? Why does the Mercury News continue to publish stories about racist cops intimidating the public (i.e. minorities)? Why do they continue to suggest that the high number of minorities arrested by SJPD is a problem of racial profiling?
Apparently, the Mercury News has forgotten what its own people have seen (or in this case, not seen) with regards to the current accusations against the San Jose Police Department.
Francisco J. Hernandez is a San Jose Police Officer.
How about truth, integrity and consistency in news reporting?
I’ve lived in San Jose for all 30 years of my life. Born, educated and employed in San Jose. I’ve enjoyed living here (with some ups and downs) and have no immediate plans to leave. In my 30 years, I’ve read thousands and thousands of San Jose Mercury News articles spanning the Knight-Ridder era to the brief McClatchy ownership to the current MediaNews (aka Bay Area News Group) ownership. There have been excellent news stories and stories about the news. Lately though I’ve noticed a lot more of the latter.
I don’t know what it is but over the last three years I’ve seen a rise in articles that are biased against San Jose police. While there have been officers “spotlighted” for their accomplishments on and off duty (one recent article was about two officers taking enforcement action 20,000 feet in the air), the majority of the stories have been negative (use of force, public intoxication, retirement benefits, etc). The overwhelming majority of negative stories are about racial profiling.
I find it insulting when people make racial accusations as soon as they are stopped. People never pause to think, “Why is this officer stopping me? Was I supposed to stop back there? Is my music too loud?” or maybe, “Is my tail light out… again? I thought I sent in my registration yesterday… Oh crap, here’s the envelope…” Nope, some people jump straight to the racial difference between us. I’ve heard the “You only stopped me ‘cause I’m (insert non-white race)!” rationale more than I care to say. (The fact that I’m Hispanic doesn’t seem to matter because, in their eyes, I’m no longer Hispanic once I put on the uniform.)
To those who have used that rationale or plan to continue using it, all I have to say is, “Oh really?” I guess it doesn’t matter that I was behind you when you ran that red light or rolled through that stop sign. Or that I could hear and feel your music from half a city block away. Or that I noticed your tail lights are out or your vehicle registration is expired. Or that I can see that you are driving an otherwise clean car that happens to have “limo-tint” on all windows. You insist that I stopped you only because you are (insert non-white race), even though I can’t see inside your car and was behind you the entire time. As I walk up to your car, I only know that there is one person (you, the driver) in the car. I don’t know who else is in there or if they have a gun pointed at my head since the windows are tinted.
I’ve been in law enforcement for seven and a half years with the first five and a half spent on patrol, and I can tell you that the San Jose Police Department employs a diverse group of officers. Our officers are Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, African-American, Middle Eastern. You name it, we have it, from Sergeants to Lieutenants, Captains to former Chiefs of Police. To say that SJPD is plagued with officers who enforce the law based solely on a person’s real or perceived ethnicity, as the Mercury News seems to suggest, is a complete insult. In this case, the Mercury News is also neglecting to acknowledge its own past reports.
In February 2007, the Mercury News published a front-page article about the perceived racial profiling behavior of the SJPD. The article was seven months in the making. What was the Mercury News’ conclusion? Its own reporters found no evidence of racial profiling by SJPD. NONE!
Don’t believe me? Here’s a word-for-word excerpt from the article:
“To move beyond the rhetoric, Mercury News Reporters fanned out across downtown on selected weekends during a seven-month-period, delving into the city’s nightlife from the perspectives of the police, clubs, and customers. In more than 100 hours on the streets, they did not witness racial profiling.”
- James Hohmann, Rodney Foo, Marian Liu and Leslie Griffy
San Jose Mercury News, February 17, 2007
So, what gives? Why does the Mercury News continue to publish stories about racist cops intimidating the public (i.e. minorities)? Why do they continue to suggest that the high number of minorities arrested by SJPD is a problem of racial profiling?
Apparently, the Mercury News has forgotten what its own people have seen (or in this case, not seen) with regards to the current accusations against the San Jose Police Department.
Francisco J. Hernandez is a San Jose Police Officer.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Ask Ed
Anyone who follows Protect San Jose knows Ed Rast is good with numbers, especially when it comes to public safety. In his regular Tuesday column, he's examined staffing imbalances between local agencies, wasteful spending at City Hall, and methods for modernizing the San Jose Police Department to save money and ensure the safety of our streets and neighborhoods.
Now, Ed wants to open up a dialogue with you, the reader. This is your chance to ask him all those questions that have been nagging at you...
What's the most wasteful spending project in San Jose?
What are the factors that determine "America's Safest Big City"?
Where do all these taxes and fees end up?
These are just a few examples. We encourage to post your own questions in the comments below.
Stay safe.
Now, Ed wants to open up a dialogue with you, the reader. This is your chance to ask him all those questions that have been nagging at you...
What's the most wasteful spending project in San Jose?
What are the factors that determine "America's Safest Big City"?
Where do all these taxes and fees end up?
These are just a few examples. We encourage to post your own questions in the comments below.
Stay safe.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Protecting the Horse Mounted Unit
By Denelle Fedor
The San Jose Mounted Unit is an integral component of the San Jose Police Department.
The unit was created in 1986 by Police Chief Joe McNamara, who came from the biggest city in the United States; New York City. Chief McNamara served 15 years as San Jose’s Police Chief. He is currently a research fellow at the Hoover Institute, has authored numerous books on policing and is regarded and recognized nationally as an expert in criminal justice, police technology and management systems, crime prevention, and international drug policies.
With Chief McNamara’s experience in working in a big city, not a small town, he understood the importance that a horse patrol would bring to San Jose. As a result, he created a task force of private citizens to help establish the unit. This group raised $70,000 to help pay the costs, making the unit one of, if not, the first public-private partnerships in
San Jose.
Although every Police Chief since McNamara has supported horse patrol, city management proposed eliminating police officers on horseback this year by stating the city could save $1.4 million if the unit was cut. However, management’s million dollar number was misleading. The actual cost of the unit is approximately $230, 000. The1.4 million is the compensation for the eight officers who patrol on horseback. Therefore, the only way management could save 1.4 million is if they eliminated police positions, which has nothing to do with mounted unit. They should have stated they were eliminating police positions instead of using the mounted unit as a ploy.
Mayor Chuck Reed kept his commitment to public safety and specifically to horse patrol by directing management to enter into an agreement with the Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit who agreed to pay the cost of the unit for the 2010-2011 budget year, making the unit a cost-effective public-private partnership.
As a result, the Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit will be embarking on a campaign called “Pony Up, San Jose” which will officially launch in August 2009. With a million people in San Jose, all we need is $1 from two hundred and thirty thousand of them. Spread the word and send your dollars to Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit PO Box 7408 San Jose, CA 95150-6511 or visit our website.
In my opinion, San Jose has moved away from community policing since McNamara’s retirement. However, under Chief Davis, San Jose is trying to bring it back. The new Captain for the Downtown nightlife served as a mounted unit officer. Perhaps the unit will be utilized more in the Downtown. We can only hope.
When you have former Vice Mayors Cindy Chavez and Pat Dando along with Tom Martin, General Manager for Santana Row, Scott Knies, President of the Downtown Association, and thousands of business owners and residents in San Jose who support the mounted unit, then perhaps these voices should serve as testament that the Mounted Unit is important and should remain intact.
Denelle Fedor is President & Founder of the non-profit Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit (www.sjmu.org). She has worked for Councilmembers Pat Dando and Ken Yeager and currently serves as Chief of Staff to Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio.
The San Jose Mounted Unit is an integral component of the San Jose Police Department.
The unit was created in 1986 by Police Chief Joe McNamara, who came from the biggest city in the United States; New York City. Chief McNamara served 15 years as San Jose’s Police Chief. He is currently a research fellow at the Hoover Institute, has authored numerous books on policing and is regarded and recognized nationally as an expert in criminal justice, police technology and management systems, crime prevention, and international drug policies.
With Chief McNamara’s experience in working in a big city, not a small town, he understood the importance that a horse patrol would bring to San Jose. As a result, he created a task force of private citizens to help establish the unit. This group raised $70,000 to help pay the costs, making the unit one of, if not, the first public-private partnerships in
San Jose.
Although every Police Chief since McNamara has supported horse patrol, city management proposed eliminating police officers on horseback this year by stating the city could save $1.4 million if the unit was cut. However, management’s million dollar number was misleading. The actual cost of the unit is approximately $230, 000. The1.4 million is the compensation for the eight officers who patrol on horseback. Therefore, the only way management could save 1.4 million is if they eliminated police positions, which has nothing to do with mounted unit. They should have stated they were eliminating police positions instead of using the mounted unit as a ploy.
Mayor Chuck Reed kept his commitment to public safety and specifically to horse patrol by directing management to enter into an agreement with the Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit who agreed to pay the cost of the unit for the 2010-2011 budget year, making the unit a cost-effective public-private partnership.
As a result, the Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit will be embarking on a campaign called “Pony Up, San Jose” which will officially launch in August 2009. With a million people in San Jose, all we need is $1 from two hundred and thirty thousand of them. Spread the word and send your dollars to Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit PO Box 7408 San Jose, CA 95150-6511 or visit our website.
In my opinion, San Jose has moved away from community policing since McNamara’s retirement. However, under Chief Davis, San Jose is trying to bring it back. The new Captain for the Downtown nightlife served as a mounted unit officer. Perhaps the unit will be utilized more in the Downtown. We can only hope.
When you have former Vice Mayors Cindy Chavez and Pat Dando along with Tom Martin, General Manager for Santana Row, Scott Knies, President of the Downtown Association, and thousands of business owners and residents in San Jose who support the mounted unit, then perhaps these voices should serve as testament that the Mounted Unit is important and should remain intact.
Denelle Fedor is President & Founder of the non-profit Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit (www.sjmu.org). She has worked for Councilmembers Pat Dando and Ken Yeager and currently serves as Chief of Staff to Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Bringing Silicon Valley Innovation to Sacramento
By Chris Kelly
When I was growing up in San Jose, it was the safest big city in America. I know that the SJPOA is dedicated to restoring that designation, and that you’re going to need lots of help in these tough times. I promise to stand with you when I’m Attorney General.
We need innovative solutions from Sacramento to get out of the $26 billion budget mess, but instead we get schemes to release over 20,000 felons from state prison – not to mention the attempt to seize local government funds that may result in cuts for your department.
The prison release plan is supposed to save $1.2 billion, but that’s just accounting trickery. In fact, a Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics study finds that nearly 70% of early-released inmates are rearrested within three years, 20% of them for violent crime. That will mean more than $3 billion in increased costs from crime while causing serious harm to hundreds of thousands of innocent victims.
I've spoken to police chiefs, law enforcement groups and civic associations throughout California about the issue, and they're deeply worried about the crime wave this scheme will unleash. It will be hard enough to make San Jose a safer community in tough economic times without the problems caused by early release.
I know that we need to solve the budget crisis. But this misguided early release plan would do far more harm than good, and I need your help to stop it.
To organize against schemes like this, I’ve started the cause Protect California Communities on Facebook, which is already helping avoid the worst forms of early release. But the plan keeps coming back. Please join me at http://www.causes.com/protectcalifornia, and follow the activism instructions to help us beat it back again.
Over the last four years, as Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Facebook, I’ve been working with Attorneys General from across the nation and law enforcement across the world to build a safer and more trusted Internet for our more than 250 million customers.
Working together, I know we can bring the innovation of Silicon Valley to Sacramento and develop real, honest solutions to get California moving again.
Chris Kelly is Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Global Public Policy for Facebook and a candidate for Attorney General of California. He wrote this article for Protect San Jose.
When I was growing up in San Jose, it was the safest big city in America. I know that the SJPOA is dedicated to restoring that designation, and that you’re going to need lots of help in these tough times. I promise to stand with you when I’m Attorney General.
We need innovative solutions from Sacramento to get out of the $26 billion budget mess, but instead we get schemes to release over 20,000 felons from state prison – not to mention the attempt to seize local government funds that may result in cuts for your department.
The prison release plan is supposed to save $1.2 billion, but that’s just accounting trickery. In fact, a Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics study finds that nearly 70% of early-released inmates are rearrested within three years, 20% of them for violent crime. That will mean more than $3 billion in increased costs from crime while causing serious harm to hundreds of thousands of innocent victims.
I've spoken to police chiefs, law enforcement groups and civic associations throughout California about the issue, and they're deeply worried about the crime wave this scheme will unleash. It will be hard enough to make San Jose a safer community in tough economic times without the problems caused by early release.
I know that we need to solve the budget crisis. But this misguided early release plan would do far more harm than good, and I need your help to stop it.
To organize against schemes like this, I’ve started the cause Protect California Communities on Facebook, which is already helping avoid the worst forms of early release. But the plan keeps coming back. Please join me at http://www.causes.com/protectcalifornia, and follow the activism instructions to help us beat it back again.
Over the last four years, as Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Facebook, I’ve been working with Attorneys General from across the nation and law enforcement across the world to build a safer and more trusted Internet for our more than 250 million customers.
Working together, I know we can bring the innovation of Silicon Valley to Sacramento and develop real, honest solutions to get California moving again.
Chris Kelly is Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Global Public Policy for Facebook and a candidate for Attorney General of California. He wrote this article for Protect San Jose.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Preventing the Break-In
By Beat Cop
Part two of a three-part series
I just added a new “friend” on Facebook. I don’t know this person, but two of my friends do, so why not, right?
Of course, I forget for the moment that I’ve used this excuse to add half the friends I already have. I click “What’s on your mind?” and enter a status update for all my digital friends to enjoy. Something witty... I know, talk about the New York trip... “Beat Cop is looking forward to his trip to NYC on Monday.”
Sadly this innocent act is just an example of one of the increasing burglary opportunities we’ve seen. Yes, the criminal I just added to my “social network” reads my update as, “Beat Cop is leaving town on Monday, I can’t wait to break his window, go in his house, go through his stuff, and steal whatever looks good.”
Far fetched or not, that scenario is rearing it’s ugly head too often lately. After reading the last Beat Cop article, "Nightmare On My Street," you learned that a reduction in police staffing has led to an increase of residential burglaries in our city. This week we will look at burglary prevention. We will explore ways all of us can contribute in order to prevent burglaries from occurring as well as learn ways to catch the crooks coming into our homes. In part three we will look at ways to get the cuffs onto those who prey on residents while they are away from their homes.
Burglary is a crime that is preventable even when you are not home. Burglars are in general cowardly and lazy. Most often they look for easy targets and quick loot. After succeeding with an easy break in, a burglar will go on the prowl for the next easy target, often in the same area/neighborhood.
I used the look up calls for service in your area link on the www.protectsanjose.com and saw that there were 94 burglaries last week in San Jose, with four of them occurring in my small neighborhood alone. Here are some of the top ways to prevent burglaries in your home and your neighborhood:
1. Don’t showboat.
Leaving valuables out in your frontyard or a new flat screen TV in plain sight from the road, can unwittingly lure thieves onto your property just like a frantic bargain hunter is lured to a flea market. The thief is always out shopping for loot. Don’t make it easy for them by letting them know what you have. Dont’ leave your garage door open for extended periods of time.
2. Don’t put up the “Out for Lunch” or “On Vacation” sign.
Burglars only want to break into your home when they know you are not there. Protect yourself by creating the illusion you are home even when you are not. Leave a radio or TV on. Buy a ten dollar timer from your local hardware store and have lamps on at night when you are gone (energy efficient florescent bulbs of course). Stop mail and newspaper subscriptions while on vacation.
3. Lock your doors and windows.
I once asked a burglar why he chose the house he did. His response was, he didn’t, it chose him. After tugging on four or five doors/windows in the neighborhood he went with the one that was open. Most home breakins are more like “walkins” requiring very little force or none at all. Invest in quality deadbolts and locks. Use wood or steel dowels in sliding doors and windows. Don’t forget about upstairs windows. It’s not hard for a burglar to climb up an air conditioning unit or a left out ladder and enter your second story window. Burglars know to look under the front mat for a hide-a-key. Leaving your spare house key in common hiding places is like leaving milk and cookies out for neighborhood thieves. Lock it up.
4. Make your yard welcoming to guests not thieves.
Keep the bushes and trees trimmed near your windows. Clutter and large items offer concealment and a chance to pry a window open in privacy. Make use of motion lights and other outdoor lighting. A well maintained yard brings more friends over and keeps more crooks out.
5. Get to know your neighbors.
Knowing who belongs in your neighborhood, will help you to recognize those who don’t. Take notice of suspicious persons and note license plates and vehicle descriptions. Take a proactive approach to keeping yourself safe and let the police help keep predators out of your neighborhood. SJPD is available to help with this. Gather a group of ten neighbors and make arrangements for a crime prevention specialist to meet with your group. You can contact the SJPD crime prevention unit at (408) 277-4133 or log on to the SJPD website.
6. Use an alarm system.
A well maintained residential alarm system can make a burglar passup your house. Monitored systems are great and alert the police of a breakin when you are not home. A system that does not have a paid monitoring service can be very effective as well. Inexpensive systems are available that make that same high pitch noise as the expensive ones and scare the burglar off just the same. An alarm sign strategically placed in your yard might be all it takes to keep the crook moving along.
The reality is that some burglaries will still occur despite our best efforts made at preventing them. Taking the time to implement as many preventative measures as possible can help to keep you safe. In part three we will continue to work together to catch crooks with efforts taken before a breakin and after. Stay tuned and help San Jose Police Officers as they work to return San Jose to being the safest big city in America.
Proudly serving you,
Your Beat Cop
Part two of a three-part series
I just added a new “friend” on Facebook. I don’t know this person, but two of my friends do, so why not, right?
Of course, I forget for the moment that I’ve used this excuse to add half the friends I already have. I click “What’s on your mind?” and enter a status update for all my digital friends to enjoy. Something witty... I know, talk about the New York trip... “Beat Cop is looking forward to his trip to NYC on Monday.”
Sadly this innocent act is just an example of one of the increasing burglary opportunities we’ve seen. Yes, the criminal I just added to my “social network” reads my update as, “Beat Cop is leaving town on Monday, I can’t wait to break his window, go in his house, go through his stuff, and steal whatever looks good.”
Far fetched or not, that scenario is rearing it’s ugly head too often lately. After reading the last Beat Cop article, "Nightmare On My Street," you learned that a reduction in police staffing has led to an increase of residential burglaries in our city. This week we will look at burglary prevention. We will explore ways all of us can contribute in order to prevent burglaries from occurring as well as learn ways to catch the crooks coming into our homes. In part three we will look at ways to get the cuffs onto those who prey on residents while they are away from their homes.
Burglary is a crime that is preventable even when you are not home. Burglars are in general cowardly and lazy. Most often they look for easy targets and quick loot. After succeeding with an easy break in, a burglar will go on the prowl for the next easy target, often in the same area/neighborhood.
I used the look up calls for service in your area link on the www.protectsanjose.com and saw that there were 94 burglaries last week in San Jose, with four of them occurring in my small neighborhood alone. Here are some of the top ways to prevent burglaries in your home and your neighborhood:
1. Don’t showboat.
Leaving valuables out in your frontyard or a new flat screen TV in plain sight from the road, can unwittingly lure thieves onto your property just like a frantic bargain hunter is lured to a flea market. The thief is always out shopping for loot. Don’t make it easy for them by letting them know what you have. Dont’ leave your garage door open for extended periods of time.
2. Don’t put up the “Out for Lunch” or “On Vacation” sign.
Burglars only want to break into your home when they know you are not there. Protect yourself by creating the illusion you are home even when you are not. Leave a radio or TV on. Buy a ten dollar timer from your local hardware store and have lamps on at night when you are gone (energy efficient florescent bulbs of course). Stop mail and newspaper subscriptions while on vacation.
3. Lock your doors and windows.
I once asked a burglar why he chose the house he did. His response was, he didn’t, it chose him. After tugging on four or five doors/windows in the neighborhood he went with the one that was open. Most home breakins are more like “walkins” requiring very little force or none at all. Invest in quality deadbolts and locks. Use wood or steel dowels in sliding doors and windows. Don’t forget about upstairs windows. It’s not hard for a burglar to climb up an air conditioning unit or a left out ladder and enter your second story window. Burglars know to look under the front mat for a hide-a-key. Leaving your spare house key in common hiding places is like leaving milk and cookies out for neighborhood thieves. Lock it up.
4. Make your yard welcoming to guests not thieves.
Keep the bushes and trees trimmed near your windows. Clutter and large items offer concealment and a chance to pry a window open in privacy. Make use of motion lights and other outdoor lighting. A well maintained yard brings more friends over and keeps more crooks out.
5. Get to know your neighbors.
Knowing who belongs in your neighborhood, will help you to recognize those who don’t. Take notice of suspicious persons and note license plates and vehicle descriptions. Take a proactive approach to keeping yourself safe and let the police help keep predators out of your neighborhood. SJPD is available to help with this. Gather a group of ten neighbors and make arrangements for a crime prevention specialist to meet with your group. You can contact the SJPD crime prevention unit at (408) 277-4133 or log on to the SJPD website.
6. Use an alarm system.
A well maintained residential alarm system can make a burglar passup your house. Monitored systems are great and alert the police of a breakin when you are not home. A system that does not have a paid monitoring service can be very effective as well. Inexpensive systems are available that make that same high pitch noise as the expensive ones and scare the burglar off just the same. An alarm sign strategically placed in your yard might be all it takes to keep the crook moving along.
The reality is that some burglaries will still occur despite our best efforts made at preventing them. Taking the time to implement as many preventative measures as possible can help to keep you safe. In part three we will continue to work together to catch crooks with efforts taken before a breakin and after. Stay tuned and help San Jose Police Officers as they work to return San Jose to being the safest big city in America.
Proudly serving you,
Your Beat Cop
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I Didn't Click It
By Kathleen Flynn
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in my hands so putting on my seat belt isn’t easy. I was in the parking lot struggling to get mine on. I couldn’t so I just drove away. I was merging onto the freeway when sure enough I saw a Police Officer pulling up behind me red, white, and blue lights on, and telling me over a speaker to pull over. I knew I was in the wrong and realized I’d just have to suck it up and accept the consequences of my ignorant decision not to click it.
The Officer walked up to my window and immediately began lecturing me on how many fatalities occur everyday due to the lack of wearing a seat belt. He went into great detail about how many people would have survived had they just chosen to click it. This Officer wasn’t speaking to me in a calm way either. He was angry, disgusted, and quite honestly I was pretty irritated with him for his tone. He demanded my license and registration and huffed off to his car.
As I watched him in my rear view mirror, I began to think about what he had just told me. I began to realize he wasn’t angry so much as he was concerned about my safety. He returned to my car he gave me a ticket, and explained that he had just returned from a fatal car crash. He said he didn’t want to see that happen to me. My irritation about getting a ticket, and an attitude from him dissolved into compassion. He was only human and was probably pretty shaken up by what he had just seen.
I sincerely thanked him for caring about my safety. He looked stunned for a moment and walked away. To my surprise, he turned around and came back. He looked at me and in a soft, respectful voice asked me if I knew how to get back on the freeway. I said yes, but he followed me anyway to make sure I got back on safely.
On my drive home I reflected on how little we know about what Officers experience everyday. I began thinking about being on the parking patrol at my condo complex. Residents yelled at me when I asked them to move their car off the red curb, even though I explained the need to keep it clear in case of fire. I began to feel real compassion and gratitude toward that Officer.
So Officer if you are reading this thanks for stopping me that day. Painful hands or not, I have never gotten into the car without a seat belt since. Readers, when stopped by Police try to remember that Officer you want to get an attitude with might have just left a horrific crime, or accident. Give him/her a break because that Officer might be the one who keeps your son, daughter, or mother out of harm’s way.
To all of you Officers, thank you for your service and stay safe!
Kathleen Flynn is a professional mediator and community activist.
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in my hands so putting on my seat belt isn’t easy. I was in the parking lot struggling to get mine on. I couldn’t so I just drove away. I was merging onto the freeway when sure enough I saw a Police Officer pulling up behind me red, white, and blue lights on, and telling me over a speaker to pull over. I knew I was in the wrong and realized I’d just have to suck it up and accept the consequences of my ignorant decision not to click it.
The Officer walked up to my window and immediately began lecturing me on how many fatalities occur everyday due to the lack of wearing a seat belt. He went into great detail about how many people would have survived had they just chosen to click it. This Officer wasn’t speaking to me in a calm way either. He was angry, disgusted, and quite honestly I was pretty irritated with him for his tone. He demanded my license and registration and huffed off to his car.
As I watched him in my rear view mirror, I began to think about what he had just told me. I began to realize he wasn’t angry so much as he was concerned about my safety. He returned to my car he gave me a ticket, and explained that he had just returned from a fatal car crash. He said he didn’t want to see that happen to me. My irritation about getting a ticket, and an attitude from him dissolved into compassion. He was only human and was probably pretty shaken up by what he had just seen.
I sincerely thanked him for caring about my safety. He looked stunned for a moment and walked away. To my surprise, he turned around and came back. He looked at me and in a soft, respectful voice asked me if I knew how to get back on the freeway. I said yes, but he followed me anyway to make sure I got back on safely.
On my drive home I reflected on how little we know about what Officers experience everyday. I began thinking about being on the parking patrol at my condo complex. Residents yelled at me when I asked them to move their car off the red curb, even though I explained the need to keep it clear in case of fire. I began to feel real compassion and gratitude toward that Officer.
So Officer if you are reading this thanks for stopping me that day. Painful hands or not, I have never gotten into the car without a seat belt since. Readers, when stopped by Police try to remember that Officer you want to get an attitude with might have just left a horrific crime, or accident. Give him/her a break because that Officer might be the one who keeps your son, daughter, or mother out of harm’s way.
To all of you Officers, thank you for your service and stay safe!
Kathleen Flynn is a professional mediator and community activist.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Technology and Officer Reports
By Ed Rast
Did you know that today, just like in 1960-70’s, many San Jose Police officers still hand write their crime reports?
San Jose has about 520 patrol officers who complete 1 or more crime reports per shift with each report taking 1 to 2 hours to complete. Potentially 1 to 4 hours (10% - 40%) of an police officer’s 10-hour shift are not available for officers to spend on patrol, crime prevention and community policing.
A report for a single drunk driving incident can take up to 4 hours for a police officer to complete because they must complete both a drunk driving crime report and an accident report.
Some police officers use their own personal computers to fill out the San Jose Crime Report (Form 2) Word document template rather than write a hand-written report, and then they print out the crime or accident report(s) since the current systems does not accept electronically submitted reports.
When each shift ends, police officers turn in their manual or personal computer printed crime reports to shift supervisors. After being reviewed, the incident, arrest, crime and accident reports are sent to the police records section where staff manually inputs the crime reports data into the current police records system’s crime and accident templates. The manual or printed crime records are then manually filed in one of the police records warehouses by the records staff
A well designed, modern, comprehensive police records management system would retrieve already available police dispatch and records information to quickly fill in crime and accident report data fields so patrol officers could quickly go back to their patrol, community policing, and crime prevention duties.
Recent San Jose crime or incident data is not easily available for 1-2 days or more after a crime or series of crimes occurs. Access to recent computerized incident and crime records would allow patrol officers or detectives to quickly analyze recent crime reports to determine crime patterns and dispatch specialized or additional patrol units with the crime report’s suspect or suspicious vehicle descriptions to prevent or solve multiple crimes.
Since 2007, San Jose’s 50-officer traffic unit has successfully used hand-held computers to replace the previous paper-based traffic citation process and improve accuracy in issuing, collecting and recording citations for traffic violations, DUIs and other violations.
A modern police records management system could be used to easily prepare crime, routine police, and requested police statistical reports, retrieve police record requests, and redact victim and witness information which now takes many staff hours or is not available due to staff shortages. Significant police officer and staff time would then be available to focus on further reducing our city’s crime rates to make San Jose a safer city.
Did you know that today, just like in 1960-70’s, many San Jose Police officers still hand write their crime reports?
San Jose has about 520 patrol officers who complete 1 or more crime reports per shift with each report taking 1 to 2 hours to complete. Potentially 1 to 4 hours (10% - 40%) of an police officer’s 10-hour shift are not available for officers to spend on patrol, crime prevention and community policing.
A report for a single drunk driving incident can take up to 4 hours for a police officer to complete because they must complete both a drunk driving crime report and an accident report.
Some police officers use their own personal computers to fill out the San Jose Crime Report (Form 2) Word document template rather than write a hand-written report, and then they print out the crime or accident report(s) since the current systems does not accept electronically submitted reports.
When each shift ends, police officers turn in their manual or personal computer printed crime reports to shift supervisors. After being reviewed, the incident, arrest, crime and accident reports are sent to the police records section where staff manually inputs the crime reports data into the current police records system’s crime and accident templates. The manual or printed crime records are then manually filed in one of the police records warehouses by the records staff
A well designed, modern, comprehensive police records management system would retrieve already available police dispatch and records information to quickly fill in crime and accident report data fields so patrol officers could quickly go back to their patrol, community policing, and crime prevention duties.
Recent San Jose crime or incident data is not easily available for 1-2 days or more after a crime or series of crimes occurs. Access to recent computerized incident and crime records would allow patrol officers or detectives to quickly analyze recent crime reports to determine crime patterns and dispatch specialized or additional patrol units with the crime report’s suspect or suspicious vehicle descriptions to prevent or solve multiple crimes.
Since 2007, San Jose’s 50-officer traffic unit has successfully used hand-held computers to replace the previous paper-based traffic citation process and improve accuracy in issuing, collecting and recording citations for traffic violations, DUIs and other violations.
A modern police records management system could be used to easily prepare crime, routine police, and requested police statistical reports, retrieve police record requests, and redact victim and witness information which now takes many staff hours or is not available due to staff shortages. Significant police officer and staff time would then be available to focus on further reducing our city’s crime rates to make San Jose a safer city.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Pledge Recap
One week ago on this blog, San Jose Police Officers' Association President Bobby Lopez posted a challenge he issued to Mayor Reed and the entire City Council. He asked that our city leaders sign a pledge to:
• Return San Jose to the rank of “Safest Big City in America” within the next five years;
• Support our officers by refraining from knee-jerk reactions to activist complaints, particularly from those who lack expertise; and
• Involve more neighborhood leaders on committees and task forces regarding public safety.
We noted that not every member of the Council had signed or committed to sign the pledge. In the comments that followed Sgt. Lopez's post, our readers asked that we reveal the names of councilmembers who had not signed on. In the interest of sunshine and open government, we feel it's only fair to do so:
Signed pledge
Mayor Chuck Reed
Vice Mayor Judy Chirco
Councilmember Pete Constant
Councilmember Ash Kalra
Councilmember Kansen Chu
Councilmember Nora Campos
Councilmember Madison Nguyen
Councilmember Nancy Pyle
No response
Councilmember Sam Liccardo
Councilmember Rose Hererra
Other
Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio responded to our request to say that he does not sign pledges as a matter of principle.
NOTE: The Mayor and Council were contacted multiple times regarding the pledge after Sgt. Lopez hand delivered it at a City Council meeting.
• Return San Jose to the rank of “Safest Big City in America” within the next five years;
• Support our officers by refraining from knee-jerk reactions to activist complaints, particularly from those who lack expertise; and
• Involve more neighborhood leaders on committees and task forces regarding public safety.
We noted that not every member of the Council had signed or committed to sign the pledge. In the comments that followed Sgt. Lopez's post, our readers asked that we reveal the names of councilmembers who had not signed on. In the interest of sunshine and open government, we feel it's only fair to do so:
Signed pledge
Mayor Chuck Reed
Vice Mayor Judy Chirco
Councilmember Pete Constant
Councilmember Ash Kalra
Councilmember Kansen Chu
Councilmember Nora Campos
Councilmember Madison Nguyen
Councilmember Nancy Pyle
No response
Councilmember Sam Liccardo
Councilmember Rose Hererra
Other
Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio responded to our request to say that he does not sign pledges as a matter of principle.
NOTE: The Mayor and Council were contacted multiple times regarding the pledge after Sgt. Lopez hand delivered it at a City Council meeting.
Friday, July 17, 2009
We need your help!
By Jim Unland
In case you missed it, San Jose suffered its 17th homicide of the year on Wednesday night. With four killings so far in July, we’re on pace to match if not exceed San Jose’s rising homicide rates of the past few years. As you can see from this interactive map, none of our neighborhoods are immune from this horrible crime:
View in a larger map
I can only hope that if our city leaders had followed through on the staffing increases they’ve been promising for as long as I can remember, we might have been able to prevent more of these tragic deaths. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and attrition, the San Jose Police Department has returned to 1998 personnel levels. In the meantime, the city’s population has grown by more than 140,000.
Despite being overtasked and understaffed, the men and women of the SJPD work as hard as they can to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe. But we can’t do it alone. We rely on members of the community to help by providing us with tips and information that we can use to catch the criminals who prey upon our residents.
If you have information that could help us solve a crime, you don’t have to worry about retaliation from anyone involved. Just call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (408) 947-STOP or submit an anonymous tip online by using this simple web form.
You can also visit the SJPD website for information on ongoing investigations and cold cases, many of which have been solved with help from the community.
Thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Sgt. Jim Unland is a 21-year veteran of the SJPD and a member of the Board of Directors of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association.
In case you missed it, San Jose suffered its 17th homicide of the year on Wednesday night.
View in a larger map
I can only hope that if our city leaders had followed through on the staffing increases they’ve been promising for as long as I can remember, we might have been able to prevent more of these tragic deaths. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and attrition, the San Jose Police Department has returned to 1998 personnel levels. In the meantime, the city’s population has grown by more than 140,000.
Despite being overtasked and understaffed, the men and women of the SJPD work as hard as they can to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe. But we can’t do it alone. We rely on members of the community to help by providing us with tips and information that we can use to catch the criminals who prey upon our residents.
If you have information that could help us solve a crime, you don’t have to worry about retaliation from anyone involved. Just call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (408) 947-STOP or submit an anonymous tip online by using this simple web form.
You can also visit the SJPD website for information on ongoing investigations and cold cases,
Thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Sgt. Jim Unland is a 21-year veteran of the SJPD and a member of the Board of Directors of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Heroes Come in All Sizes
I’m always on the lookout for stories and tips to provide our residents with a better understanding of police work and the dangers we face every time we put on a badge.
Yesterday, I caught an article in the Fresno Bee that was so inspiring, I thought I’d share it with you. It’s about a Tuesday shootout involving Fresno County Deputy Sheriffs and a suspect wielding an AR-15 rifle. This is a wonderful example of peace officers, community members, and one brave K-9 coming together to protect our streets and neighborhoods.
Enjoy, and stay safe out there.
Bobby Lopez
President, San Jose Police Officers' Association
* * * * * * *
Heroism converges at Fresno Co. shooting
July 14, 2009
Deputies quick to answer a call for help, a sheriff’s dog and two women on their way to work were hailed as heroes in a shooting Tuesday that left the gunman dead and two officers wounded.
The rifle-wielding gunman killed by Fresno County Sheriff’s SWAT team officers was identified as Jesus Serna, 32, of Fresno.
The incident began with a call reporting a man with a gun at a tire shop just south of Fresno. Sheriff Margaret Mims said Serna shot at the first two deputies to arrive, firing even before the deputies could get out of their cars.
Deputy George Ozburn was struck by bullet and glass fragments in his shoulder, arm and face. Ozburn never lost consciousness and directed other deputies to the shooting scene before he was taken to a hospital.
Deputy Mark Eaton was hit in the arm by glass fragments. He stayed on the scene to help with the investigation.
Mims praised two women who came to Ozburn’s aid moments after he was shot: “They stepped up. This was a dangerous situation. … They stopped the bleeding and helped him from going into shock.
“My gratitude is boundless."
At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Mims described what happened at Jerry’s Tire Shop on Elm Avenue just south of North Avenue.
Just after 8 a.m., a shop employee reported a man he knew as “Chewy” was at the business with a gun. Initial reports said Serna went to the shop to confront a man he thought was having an affair with his wife, but Mims declined to discuss those details.
Serna used a semi-automatic rifle to fire at the driver’s side window of Ozburn’s marked patrol car and Eaton’s unmarked car.
“This incident happened so fast, the deputies didn’t have time to get out of their vehicles,” Mims said.
After Serna fired at the deputies, he drove about 50 yards away, crashed into a fence and ran into an area where wood pallets are stored.
Within minutes of the shooting, other deputies, Fresno and Clovis police and California Highway Patrol officers sped to the scene, some dressed in civilian clothing. Heavily armed officers carrying rifles and shotguns fanned out around the industrial area as the sheriff’s helicopter circled.
A deputy who arrived moments after the shooting helped Ozburn, who took cover behind a building wall, clutching his shoulder.
That’s when the women, Yvette Dader and Angelique Rocha, took over.
They said they had been driving to work. Dader said she is a home care worker who is interested in medicine.
“I applied direct pressure [to the wound],” Dader said. “We just tried to help as much as we could, which wasn’t much, because we were waiting for the ambulance
“I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Corrected Rocha: “You weren’t in the wrong place."
Ozburn, 34 and a 12-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and released about 11:30 a.m., Mims said. Eaton, 41 and a 15-year veteran, was treated at the scene and released.
The Sheriff’s SWAT team was training Tuesday morning; less than an hour after the deputies were shot, the SWAT officers with Reno the sheriff’s dog and his handler, Deputy Robert Marean, were searching the storage area. They found Serna barricaded behind a pile of pallets and tires.
Deputies told Serna to come out, but he refused. Reno was “sent in to catch the bad guy and he was shot in the line of duty,” Mims said. The round hit Reno behind his left ear and exited through his face, she said. Reno survived but lost his left eye.
Deputies fired several shots at Serna, killing him.
Mims said Serna “didn’t care for his safety, he didn’t care for the deputy sheriff’s safety. He certainly didn’t care for the safety of the public. But he paid the price."
Mims said Serna has an arrest record for violent crimes, but declined to say what those crimes were.
Yesterday, I caught an article in the Fresno Bee that was so inspiring, I thought I’d share it with you. It’s about a Tuesday shootout involving Fresno County Deputy Sheriffs and a suspect wielding an AR-15 rifle. This is a wonderful example of peace officers, community members, and one brave K-9 coming together to protect our streets and neighborhoods.
Enjoy, and stay safe out there.
Bobby Lopez
President, San Jose Police Officers' Association
* * * * * * *
Heroism converges at Fresno Co. shooting
July 14, 2009
Deputies quick to answer a call for help, a sheriff’s dog and two women on their way to work were hailed as heroes in a shooting Tuesday that left the gunman dead and two officers wounded.
The rifle-wielding gunman killed by Fresno County Sheriff’s SWAT team officers was identified as Jesus Serna, 32, of Fresno.
The incident began with a call reporting a man with a gun at a tire shop just south of Fresno. Sheriff Margaret Mims said Serna shot at the first two deputies to arrive, firing even before the deputies could get out of their cars.
Deputy George Ozburn was struck by bullet and glass fragments in his shoulder, arm and face. Ozburn never lost consciousness and directed other deputies to the shooting scene before he was taken to a hospital.
Deputy Mark Eaton was hit in the arm by glass fragments. He stayed on the scene to help with the investigation.
Mims praised two women who came to Ozburn’s aid moments after he was shot: “They stepped up. This was a dangerous situation. … They stopped the bleeding and helped him from going into shock.“My gratitude is boundless."
At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Mims described what happened at Jerry’s Tire Shop on Elm Avenue just south of North Avenue.
Just after 8 a.m., a shop employee reported a man he knew as “Chewy” was at the business with a gun. Initial reports said Serna went to the shop to confront a man he thought was having an affair with his wife, but Mims declined to discuss those details.
Serna used a semi-automatic rifle to fire at the driver’s side window of Ozburn’s marked patrol car and Eaton’s unmarked car.
“This incident happened so fast, the deputies didn’t have time to get out of their vehicles,” Mims said.
After Serna fired at the deputies, he drove about 50 yards away, crashed into a fence and ran into an area where wood pallets are stored.
Within minutes of the shooting, other deputies, Fresno and Clovis police and California Highway Patrol officers sped to the scene, some dressed in civilian clothing. Heavily armed officers carrying rifles and shotguns fanned out around the industrial area as the sheriff’s helicopter circled.
A deputy who arrived moments after the shooting helped Ozburn, who took cover behind a building wall, clutching his shoulder.
That’s when the women, Yvette Dader and Angelique Rocha, took over.
They said they had been driving to work. Dader said she is a home care worker who is interested in medicine.
“I applied direct pressure [to the wound],” Dader said. “We just tried to help as much as we could, which wasn’t much, because we were waiting for the ambulance
“I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Corrected Rocha: “You weren’t in the wrong place."
Ozburn, 34 and a 12-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and released about 11:30 a.m., Mims said. Eaton, 41 and a 15-year veteran, was treated at the scene and released.
The Sheriff’s SWAT team was training Tuesday morning; less than an hour after the deputies were shot, the SWAT officers with Reno the sheriff’s dog and his handler, Deputy Robert Marean, were searching the storage area. They found Serna barricaded behind a pile of pallets and tires.
Deputies told Serna to come out, but he refused. Reno was “sent in to catch the bad guy and he was shot in the line of duty,” Mims said. The round hit Reno behind his left ear and exited through his face, she said. Reno survived but lost his left eye.
Deputies fired several shots at Serna, killing him.
Mims said Serna “didn’t care for his safety, he didn’t care for the deputy sheriff’s safety. He certainly didn’t care for the safety of the public. But he paid the price."
Mims said Serna has an arrest record for violent crimes, but declined to say what those crimes were.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
National Night Out 2009
By Jim Cogan
The best weapon we have against crime in our City is each other. Community policing relies on community involvement. Whether it’s participating in Neighborhood Watch, joining a neighborhood association or simply picking up the paper when your neighbor is on vacation, San Jose’s neighborhoods offer many models of community involvement that make a difference in keeping us safe.
Normally, I encourage you to support my favorite community policing program, Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers, but I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in another valuable community policing event, National Night Out.
National Night Out is a crime and drug prevention event sponsored nationally by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored locally by the San Jose Police Department. This year marks the 26th annual event, and over 34 million people across the country are expected to participate.
Tuesday evening, August 4, 2009, residents across the country will be taking back their streets. In my neighborhood, we are organizing an ice cream social in a park. A few of us have committed to distribute flyers inviting our neighbors to get together and meet each other. Other neighborhoods have barbeques or extravagant resource fairs, but we have chosen to keep it simple to ensure everyone the opportunity to talk and get to know each other.
Though ours will be a humble outing, we still expect our beat officers and perhaps some of the command staff to attend. We are an official National Night Out celebration and the police department makes every National Night Out event a priority. In fact, I first met San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis at a National Night Out event many years ago.
In order to ensure that the police knew about our event, I called the SJPD Community Services office at (408) 277-4133. They provided me with a lot of helpful information for making our flyers and put me on the list for police visits. They also referred me to this page on the SJPD website for more information.
I am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet my neighbors and talk about how we can improve our community. Please join me in making San Jose a little safer by getting involved and organizing your own National Night Out event on Tuesday evening August 4th.
Jim Cogan is President of Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.
The best weapon we have against crime in our City is each other. Community policing relies on community involvement. Whether it’s participating in Neighborhood Watch, joining a neighborhood association or simply picking up the paper when your neighbor is on vacation, San Jose’s neighborhoods offer many models of community involvement that make a difference in keeping us safe.
Normally, I encourage you to support my favorite community policing program, Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers, but I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in another valuable community policing event, National Night Out.
National Night Out is a crime and drug prevention event sponsored nationally by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored locally by the San Jose Police Department. This year marks the 26th annual event, and over 34 million people across the country are expected to participate.
Tuesday evening, August 4, 2009, residents across the country will be taking back their streets. In my neighborhood, we are organizing an ice cream social in a park. A few of us have committed to distribute flyers inviting our neighbors to get together and meet each other. Other neighborhoods have barbeques or extravagant resource fairs, but we have chosen to keep it simple to ensure everyone the opportunity to talk and get to know each other.
Though ours will be a humble outing, we still expect our beat officers and perhaps some of the command staff to attend. We are an official National Night Out celebration and the police department makes every National Night Out event a priority. In fact, I first met San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis at a National Night Out event many years ago.
In order to ensure that the police knew about our event, I called the SJPD Community Services office at (408) 277-4133. They provided me with a lot of helpful information for making our flyers and put me on the list for police visits. They also referred me to this page on the SJPD website for more information.
I am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet my neighbors and talk about how we can improve our community. Please join me in making San Jose a little safer by getting involved and organizing your own National Night Out event on Tuesday evening August 4th.
Jim Cogan is President of Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
San Jose's Understaffed Police Department, Part 2
By Ed Rast
Did you know that the San Jose Police Department ranks sixth out of Santa Clara County’s 11 largest cities in the number of sworn officers and civilian staff per 1000 residents?
Here’s how we stack up against the top five:
Palo Alto 2.55
Sunnyvale 2.18
Gilroy 2.01
Mountain View 1.96
Los Gatos 1.95
San Jose 1.86
The City of Santa Clara comes in a close seventh at 1.85. Note that total police staffing includes both sworn officers and civilian staff. For example, San Jose has 1.46 sworn officers and 0.40 staff per 1000 residents. Each city uses different ratios of officers to staff depending on local crime and budget situations, training and technology usage.
SJPD civilian staff makes up about 21.5% of the total force while many other local and large California cities maintain a staff that’s 25-40% of the force. San Jose has the lowest ratio of police staff per officer of any of the county’s 11 largest cities.
Our staff numbers are lower for a variety of reasons: consistent budget cuts since 2001; the failure to add staff over the past ten years to keep up with growth; and the decision to retain sworn officers in staff positions rather than reduce the number of sworn officers. It costs about $250,000 just to recruit and train every new sworn officer.
It has become very difficult for SJPD to recruit new officers while competing with smaller local agencies, but the problem isn’t just local. There is a growing shortage of about 7,000 police officers in agencies statewide. In addition, many older officers are scheduled to retire within the next five years. Reducing newly-trained officers (last in, first out) would only make San Jose’s future police shortage worse, likely resulting in increased crime rates.
San Jose’s overall crime rate in 2007 was 256.9 crimes per 100,000 residents. While one of the best rates among large cities with populations 500,000, this ranks us 13th out of the 15 cities in Santa Cara County.
Let’s go back to our list of large local cities with the highest police staffing levels and compare 2007 crime rates:
Palo Alto 153.5
Sunnyvale 138.4
Gilroy’s 340.0
Mountain View 186.8
Los Gatos 145.7
San Jose 256.9
You’ll notice that Gilroy’s crime rate is above the U.S. average of 320.9 while San Jose and other big cities in Santa Clara County are well below that average. This goes to show that staffing, while important, is not the only factor in crime prevention.
Higher youth populations, lower median income levels, less jobs per employment age resident (or underemployed residents), large geographical areas, and other factors contribute to increased crime rates.
In San Jose, community policing — including Neighborhood Watch and Neighborhood Action — has been reduced or discontinued. Specialized mounted, traffic and investigative units have been reduced, and overall police staffing is currently at 1998 levels despite a population surge of over 140,000 residents since then.
For FY 2009-2010, city administration proposed reductions to police funding and staffing for the eighth year in a row despite projected higher crime rates. Thankfully, the City Council did not approve the proposed reductions except that a planned 25 new officers were not included in the final budget.
Of course, adding staff is just a part of the solution here. Increased community policing and officer training, more officers assigned to investigative and detective duties (see Beat Cop’s blog from last week), and new technology for patrol and analysis can help to lower crime rates — especially for property crimes — and help offset some staff shortages.
In future articles, I’ll look at rates of various types of crime in San Jose and how increasing police staffing, technology and funding can prevent crime and help protect our streets and neighborhoods.
Did you know that the San Jose Police Department ranks sixth out of Santa Clara County’s 11 largest cities in the number of sworn officers and civilian staff per 1000 residents?
Here’s how we stack up against the top five:
Palo Alto 2.55
Sunnyvale 2.18
Gilroy 2.01
Mountain View 1.96
Los Gatos 1.95
San Jose 1.86
The City of Santa Clara comes in a close seventh at 1.85. Note that total police staffing includes both sworn officers and civilian staff. For example, San Jose has 1.46 sworn officers and 0.40 staff per 1000 residents. Each city uses different ratios of officers to staff depending on local crime and budget situations, training and technology usage.
SJPD civilian staff makes up about 21.5% of the total force while many other local and large California cities maintain a staff that’s 25-40% of the force. San Jose has the lowest ratio of police staff per officer of any of the county’s 11 largest cities.
Our staff numbers are lower for a variety of reasons: consistent budget cuts since 2001; the failure to add staff over the past ten years to keep up with growth; and the decision to retain sworn officers in staff positions rather than reduce the number of sworn officers. It costs about $250,000 just to recruit and train every new sworn officer.
It has become very difficult for SJPD to recruit new officers while competing with smaller local agencies, but the problem isn’t just local. There is a growing shortage of about 7,000 police officers in agencies statewide. In addition, many older officers are scheduled to retire within the next five years. Reducing newly-trained officers (last in, first out) would only make San Jose’s future police shortage worse, likely resulting in increased crime rates.
San Jose’s overall crime rate in 2007 was 256.9 crimes per 100,000 residents. While one of the best rates among large cities with populations 500,000, this ranks us 13th out of the 15 cities in Santa Cara County.
Let’s go back to our list of large local cities with the highest police staffing levels and compare 2007 crime rates:
Palo Alto 153.5
Sunnyvale 138.4
Gilroy’s 340.0
Mountain View 186.8
Los Gatos 145.7
San Jose 256.9
You’ll notice that Gilroy’s crime rate is above the U.S. average of 320.9 while San Jose and other big cities in Santa Clara County are well below that average. This goes to show that staffing, while important, is not the only factor in crime prevention.
Higher youth populations, lower median income levels, less jobs per employment age resident (or underemployed residents), large geographical areas, and other factors contribute to increased crime rates.
In San Jose, community policing — including Neighborhood Watch and Neighborhood Action — has been reduced or discontinued. Specialized mounted, traffic and investigative units have been reduced, and overall police staffing is currently at 1998 levels despite a population surge of over 140,000 residents since then.
For FY 2009-2010, city administration proposed reductions to police funding and staffing for the eighth year in a row despite projected higher crime rates. Thankfully, the City Council did not approve the proposed reductions except that a planned 25 new officers were not included in the final budget.
Of course, adding staff is just a part of the solution here. Increased community policing and officer training, more officers assigned to investigative and detective duties (see Beat Cop’s blog from last week), and new technology for patrol and analysis can help to lower crime rates — especially for property crimes — and help offset some staff shortages.
In future articles, I’ll look at rates of various types of crime in San Jose and how increasing police staffing, technology and funding can prevent crime and help protect our streets and neighborhoods.
Monday, July 13, 2009
A Pledge for Public Safety
By Bobby Lopez
For decades, San Jose has had a top-notch police department and avoided the controversy over policing that is a routine occurrence in major American cities. But recently, San Jose has seen a seemingly endless string of negative stories regarding its police department. What’s different here is that the source of the controversy is not a bad cop on the beat or a rogue group of officers. Rather, the problem stems directly from weak administrative and political leadership at City Hall.
For example, the number of arrests made downtown, which some believe is excessive, is a result of administrative policy. The feuds between city leaders and the Task Force on Public Intoxication is a turf battle. The fiasco over the hiring of a new Independent Police Auditor is a political fight between the Mayor and Council.
These stories don’t accurately reflect the outstanding work of our cops on the street. Our officers are highly educated, well-trained, and reflect the communities we serve. We are respected by the vast majority of San Jose’s citizens, as is demonstrated in numerous City surveys, for the tremendous job we do with limited resources.
But negative stories caused by poor leadership have hurt officer morale and distracted us from our real goal: keeping San Jose’s streets and neighborhoods safe. So, in an effort to return our focus to what’s really important to the people of San Jose, I’ve asked our city leaders to pledge the following:
1. Return San Jose to the rank of “Safest Big City in America” within the next five years. We once enjoyed and bragged about this achievement. This goal can be met not just with more cops on the streets but also fully-funded libraries, more homework centers, and cleaner parks. All of these contribute to public safety by keeping our kids off the streets and out of gangs, thereby reducing violent crime, which was the major culprit in our recent drop from the top spot on the FBI list of Safest Big Cities.
2. Support our officers by refraining from knee-jerk reactions to activist complaints, particularly from those who lack expertise. If the experts from the Consortium on Police Leadership in Equity, who were hired by the City Council to review downtown arrests, are hesitant to pass judgment on one set of arrest data without further research to back it up, our elected officials should refrain from doing so as well. Yet we’ve consistently heard prejudicial statements about downtown arrests from the Mayor and City Council when vocal critics of our police force are in front of them.
3. Involve more neighborhood leaders on committees and task forces regarding public safety in addition to the regular cast of activists, who have many complaints when it comes to our police department. San Jose neighborhood leaders know best what the entire city wants from their police force, and should be heard as well.
In December, Mayor Reed was quoted in the Mercury News saying, “We like the bragging rights of being one of the safest big cities, and we're committed to getting back to No. 1.” Now, on behalf of the dedicated men and women of the San Jose Police Department, I’ve challenged the Mayor and City Council to re-commit to putting us back on top by signing this pledge.
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
EDITOR’S UPDATE:
As of this posting, Mayor Reed and all but two Councilmembers have committed to this pledge. One Councilmember refuses to sign pledges as a matter of principle, and another has yet to respond.
For decades, San Jose has had a top-notch police department and avoided the controversy over policing that is a routine occurrence in major American cities. But recently, San Jose has seen a seemingly endless string of negative stories regarding its police department. What’s different here is that the source of the controversy is not a bad cop on the beat or a rogue group of officers. Rather, the problem stems directly from weak administrative and political leadership at City Hall.
For example, the number of arrests made downtown, which some believe is excessive, is a result of administrative policy. The feuds between city leaders and the Task Force on Public Intoxication is a turf battle. The fiasco over the hiring of a new Independent Police Auditor is a political fight between the Mayor and Council.
These stories don’t accurately reflect the outstanding work of our cops on the street. Our officers are highly educated, well-trained, and reflect the communities we serve. We are respected by the vast majority of San Jose’s citizens, as is demonstrated in numerous City surveys, for the tremendous job we do with limited resources.
But negative stories caused by poor leadership have hurt officer morale and distracted us from our real goal: keeping San Jose’s streets and neighborhoods safe. So, in an effort to return our focus to what’s really important to the people of San Jose, I’ve asked our city leaders to pledge the following:
1. Return San Jose to the rank of “Safest Big City in America” within the next five years. We once enjoyed and bragged about this achievement. This goal can be met not just with more cops on the streets but also fully-funded libraries, more homework centers, and cleaner parks. All of these contribute to public safety by keeping our kids off the streets and out of gangs, thereby reducing violent crime, which was the major culprit in our recent drop from the top spot on the FBI list of Safest Big Cities.
2. Support our officers by refraining from knee-jerk reactions to activist complaints, particularly from those who lack expertise. If the experts from the Consortium on Police Leadership in Equity, who were hired by the City Council to review downtown arrests, are hesitant to pass judgment on one set of arrest data without further research to back it up, our elected officials should refrain from doing so as well. Yet we’ve consistently heard prejudicial statements about downtown arrests from the Mayor and City Council when vocal critics of our police force are in front of them.
3. Involve more neighborhood leaders on committees and task forces regarding public safety in addition to the regular cast of activists, who have many complaints when it comes to our police department. San Jose neighborhood leaders know best what the entire city wants from their police force, and should be heard as well.
In December, Mayor Reed was quoted in the Mercury News saying, “We like the bragging rights of being one of the safest big cities, and we're committed to getting back to No. 1.” Now, on behalf of the dedicated men and women of the San Jose Police Department, I’ve challenged the Mayor and City Council to re-commit to putting us back on top by signing this pledge.
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
EDITOR’S UPDATE:
As of this posting, Mayor Reed and all but two Councilmembers have committed to this pledge. One Councilmember refuses to sign pledges as a matter of principle, and another has yet to respond.
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Ultimate Price
In case anybody needed a reminder of just how stressful police work can be, I ran across an article in Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times and wanted to share it with you.
Susan Clemmer was veteran detective with the LAPD. She was a stand-up cop, well-liked by co-workers, and always wore a smile. The other day, she put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. As of now, nobody knows why.
Of course, it isn’t hard for a fellow cop to imagine the emotions that must have bottled up inside Ms. Clemmer over almost 20 years on the force. Her death and the suicides of another 19 LAPD officers since 1998 are a stark reminder that this job doesn’t end when you hang up the uniform. The things we see and do on a day-to-day basis take a constant toll. In the backs of our minds, we all know that one day we may be asked to pay the ultimate price in the line of duty.
Police officers are some of the finest men and women around, and they chose public service They chose to serve and protect our streets and neighborhoods. They defend the peace and serenity that we enjoy, and they do it under difficult conditions, understaffed and sometimes feeling unappreciated.
I think everybody should take this opportunity to look at cops as human beings, not just blue uniforms in cars.
Stay safe, and have a great weekend.
Bobby Lopez
President, San Jose Police Officers' Association
* * * * * * *
LAPD mourns suicide of veteran narcotics detective
By Richard Winton and Joel Rubin
Los Angeles Times
July 8, 2009
Officers throughout the Los Angeles Police Department grieved Tuesday as news spread that a veteran detective had killed herself in the lobby of an L.A. County Sheriff's Department station Monday night.
Susan J. Clemmer, a well-regarded officer assigned to the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Division, walked into the Santa Clarita sheriff's station about 9:15 p.m. and spoke to the sheriff's deputy at the front desk, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore and LAPD officials.
Clemmer, 41, placed a box of personal items on the counter and asked to speak to a different deputy. After a brief conversation with a second deputy, when Clemmer was briefly left unattended, staffers heard a gunshot and rushed out to find her with a single gunshot wound in her head, police said.
No one else was injured.
What Clemmer said to the deputies, and whether she identified herself as a police officer, remained unclear Tuesday.
The death of the 19-year LAPD veteran left officers throughout the tightknit department stunned.
"We're in shock. It came as a complete surprise," said Capt. Kevin McCarthy, one of the commanders of Clemmer's unit. "She was always smiling and easy to work with. There was no indication that anything was wrong."
Clemmer, McCarthy said, had sent a text message to another detective in the unit saying she looked forward to seeing him at work later in the week.
Clemmer joined the narcotics unit about a decade ago and for the last several years was assigned to a squad that worked with the U.S. Postal Service on cases involving drugs sent through the mail, according to McCarthy.
He praised her as a solid officer.
Soon after joining the LAPD, Clemmer was thrust into the spotlight as a crucial witness for the defense in the Rodney King beating trials of the early 1990s.
She told jurors in a federal civil rights trial that King had laughed about the beating he got from several LAPD officers after a traffic stop and said King had spit blood on her during the ambulance ride to the hospital. She also testified that she had spoken to one of the accused officers moments after the beating and that he appeared frightened by the confrontation.
Clemmer's testimony was central to bolstering the officers' defense that they had been frightened by King and acted out of concern for their safety. She took the stand after an expert witness for the defense testified that King's behavior, as described by the defendants, was consistent with PCP intoxication.
Two officers were eventually convicted in the federal civil rights case. Clemmer gave substantially the same testimony in the officers' state trial, which ended in acquittals and sparked deadly riots in Los Angeles.
Between 1998 and 2007, 19 LAPD officers committed suicide, according to a department study released last year.
Susan Clemmer was veteran detective with the LAPD. She was a stand-up cop, well-liked by co-workers, and always wore a smile. The other day, she put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. As of now, nobody knows why.
Of course, it isn’t hard for a fellow cop to imagine the emotions that must have bottled up inside Ms. Clemmer over almost 20 years on the force. Her death and the suicides of another 19 LAPD officers since 1998 are a stark reminder that this job doesn’t end when you hang up the uniform. The things we see and do on a day-to-day basis take a constant toll. In the backs of our minds, we all know that one day we may be asked to pay the ultimate price in the line of duty.
Police officers are some of the finest men and women around, and they chose public service They chose to serve and protect our streets and neighborhoods. They defend the peace and serenity that we enjoy, and they do it under difficult conditions, understaffed and sometimes feeling unappreciated.
I think everybody should take this opportunity to look at cops as human beings, not just blue uniforms in cars.
Stay safe, and have a great weekend.
Bobby Lopez
President, San Jose Police Officers' Association
* * * * * * *
LAPD mourns suicide of veteran narcotics detective
By Richard Winton and Joel Rubin
Los Angeles Times
July 8, 2009
Officers throughout the Los Angeles Police Department grieved Tuesday as news spread that a veteran detective had killed herself in the lobby of an L.A. County Sheriff's Department station Monday night.
Susan J. Clemmer, a well-regarded officer assigned to the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Division, walked into the Santa Clarita sheriff's station about 9:15 p.m. and spoke to the sheriff's deputy at the front desk, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore and LAPD officials.
Clemmer, 41, placed a box of personal items on the counter and asked to speak to a different deputy. After a brief conversation with a second deputy, when Clemmer was briefly left unattended, staffers heard a gunshot and rushed out to find her with a single gunshot wound in her head, police said.
No one else was injured.
What Clemmer said to the deputies, and whether she identified herself as a police officer, remained unclear Tuesday.
The death of the 19-year LAPD veteran left officers throughout the tightknit department stunned.
"We're in shock. It came as a complete surprise," said Capt. Kevin McCarthy, one of the commanders of Clemmer's unit. "She was always smiling and easy to work with. There was no indication that anything was wrong."
Clemmer, McCarthy said, had sent a text message to another detective in the unit saying she looked forward to seeing him at work later in the week.
Clemmer joined the narcotics unit about a decade ago and for the last several years was assigned to a squad that worked with the U.S. Postal Service on cases involving drugs sent through the mail, according to McCarthy.
He praised her as a solid officer.
Soon after joining the LAPD, Clemmer was thrust into the spotlight as a crucial witness for the defense in the Rodney King beating trials of the early 1990s.
She told jurors in a federal civil rights trial that King had laughed about the beating he got from several LAPD officers after a traffic stop and said King had spit blood on her during the ambulance ride to the hospital. She also testified that she had spoken to one of the accused officers moments after the beating and that he appeared frightened by the confrontation.
Clemmer's testimony was central to bolstering the officers' defense that they had been frightened by King and acted out of concern for their safety. She took the stand after an expert witness for the defense testified that King's behavior, as described by the defendants, was consistent with PCP intoxication.
Two officers were eventually convicted in the federal civil rights case. Clemmer gave substantially the same testimony in the officers' state trial, which ended in acquittals and sparked deadly riots in Los Angeles.
Between 1998 and 2007, 19 LAPD officers committed suicide, according to a department study released last year.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Nightmare On My Street
By Beat Cop
Part one of a three part series
Picture this...
You are returning home after a long day at work. While driving down your street you discover your garage door is open. “Hmmm, I must have left it open when I left this morning”, you think to yourself. This self talk provides a few moments of comfort as you pull in the driveway.
Scanning the front of the house, you notice the side gate is open. This is not getting any better. A quick phone call to your spouse confirms nobody has been home all day. You walk into the garage and notice the door leading into the house is partially open. Reality sets in. Someone has broken into your home...
The Reality
In our city, with a population of almost 1 million, the San Jose Police Department investigates over 4,000 burglaries a year with only 7 detectives assigned to the burglary unit. Eight consecutive years of cuts to the public safety budget are bound to affect you as a victim of this type of crime.
In 1986, with a population of approximately 700,000, San Jose Police had 13 burglary detectives and a 16-person burglary suppression unit. Since that time, the city has eliminated the entire burglary suppression unit and cut investigators almost in half.
The city projects that by the year 2020 the population will have increased to 1,150,000. More people and more housing will undoubtedly lead to a rise in burglaries. There does not however, seem to be any plan to increase the amount of burglary investigators.
The case load of every burglary detective does not even come close to making a dent in the amount of cases going through the unit. The lack of adequate personnel prevents most burglaries from even being investigated. With the public safety budget getting cut every year, non-violent property crimes receive less attention. Understandably violent crimes continue to take priority with investigators. For the victims of home burglaries, this is of little consolation.
The Good News
On the bright side, SJPD takes great pride in our professionalism. An overly-abundant case load will not make a detective care for your case any less. There does, however, exist the undeniable reality that an impossible workload reduces the time allotted for each incident.
Thankfully, Chief Davis understands our staffing shortfalls and is working with the City Council to staff SJPD at appropriate levels for a city of this size. Until that happens, we will do the best with what we have. As always, call us, we will be there.
As members of your San Jose Police Department, we want to get involved. We want to catch the person or persons responsible just as badly as you do. With your help, and our expertise, we have a good chance.
Most importantly, let us go inside first to make sure no one is still there — this is why we have guns. Once inside, we will start the collection and preservation of evidence for future prosecution. All patrol officers are trained in evidence collection. You are welcome to watch although don’t expect the process to look like an episode of CSI. It’s actually slow and meticulous, not glamorous, but very important.
Finally, we will work with you and your neighbors to offer our expertise in burglary prevention. There are steps members of the community can take to help protect themselves from burglaries and help the police catch the crooks.
Working together, we can reduce the number of burglaries that occur and arrest more of the people responsible for them.
I’ll tell you more about this in future articles.
Proudly serving you,
Your Beat Cop
Part one of a three part series
Picture this...
You are returning home after a long day at work. While driving down your street you discover your garage door is open. “Hmmm, I must have left it open when I left this morning”, you think to yourself. This self talk provides a few moments of comfort as you pull in the driveway.
Scanning the front of the house, you notice the side gate is open. This is not getting any better. A quick phone call to your spouse confirms nobody has been home all day. You walk into the garage and notice the door leading into the house is partially open. Reality sets in. Someone has broken into your home...
The Reality
In our city, with a population of almost 1 million, the San Jose Police Department investigates over 4,000 burglaries a year with only 7 detectives assigned to the burglary unit. Eight consecutive years of cuts to the public safety budget are bound to affect you as a victim of this type of crime.
In 1986, with a population of approximately 700,000, San Jose Police had 13 burglary detectives and a 16-person burglary suppression unit. Since that time, the city has eliminated the entire burglary suppression unit and cut investigators almost in half.
The city projects that by the year 2020 the population will have increased to 1,150,000. More people and more housing will undoubtedly lead to a rise in burglaries. There does not however, seem to be any plan to increase the amount of burglary investigators.
The case load of every burglary detective does not even come close to making a dent in the amount of cases going through the unit. The lack of adequate personnel prevents most burglaries from even being investigated. With the public safety budget getting cut every year, non-violent property crimes receive less attention. Understandably violent crimes continue to take priority with investigators. For the victims of home burglaries, this is of little consolation.
The Good News
On the bright side, SJPD takes great pride in our professionalism. An overly-abundant case load will not make a detective care for your case any less. There does, however, exist the undeniable reality that an impossible workload reduces the time allotted for each incident.
Thankfully, Chief Davis understands our staffing shortfalls and is working with the City Council to staff SJPD at appropriate levels for a city of this size. Until that happens, we will do the best with what we have. As always, call us, we will be there.
As members of your San Jose Police Department, we want to get involved. We want to catch the person or persons responsible just as badly as you do. With your help, and our expertise, we have a good chance.
Most importantly, let us go inside first to make sure no one is still there — this is why we have guns. Once inside, we will start the collection and preservation of evidence for future prosecution. All patrol officers are trained in evidence collection. You are welcome to watch although don’t expect the process to look like an episode of CSI. It’s actually slow and meticulous, not glamorous, but very important.
Finally, we will work with you and your neighbors to offer our expertise in burglary prevention. There are steps members of the community can take to help protect themselves from burglaries and help the police catch the crooks.
Working together, we can reduce the number of burglaries that occur and arrest more of the people responsible for them.
I’ll tell you more about this in future articles.
Proudly serving you,
Your Beat Cop
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
You Are Not Alone!
By Kathleen Flynn
A rape prevention class saved my fiancé’s life and mine when we were victims of road rage that could’ve ended in a stabbing.
We were driving home one night after a late night meeting. We were stopped at a stop sign. An SUV sped up behind us and passed too close, almost hitting us. My fiancé honked his horn — a natural reaction — and I watched in horror as the driver spun around and started chasing after us. Of course this would be the one time we didn’t have our cell phone with us so we were pretty much on our own until we could get to a phone.
Even in my terror, I began to remember what I was taught in the rape prevention class I took. They said to try to remain calm in a crisis, never drive home if you are being followed and whenever possible, drive to the nearest police station, or brightly lit busy convenience store. I told my fiancé to pull down a side street, and not into our driveway, and to get on the main street as soon as possible. The SUV caught up and cut us off, boxing us in behind a parked car. The driver got out, stood in front of my car, and started threatening to kill us.
He didn’t look like the creeps you see in the movies, quit the contrary. I was deeply struck by the fact that the man standing before us was an attractive, blonde haired, blue eyed, young man in his late 20s early 30s. He didn’t have any tattoos, was nicely dressed, and spoke in a soft voice. The only thing that gave me cause for alarm besides the fact that he had chased us down, and was threatening to kill us was the crazy look in his eyes.
My fiancé got so angry he started to roll down the window to yell at the guy. Another thing we were told never to do, so I begged him not to, and to lean on the horn non-stop instead, in the hopes that someone would call 9-1-1. It was rather frightening to see that people looked out their windows but that no one came out, or called the Police. Something that the instructor told us would likely happen in these kinds of situations.
Undaunted by the horn, the driver proceeded to the passenger window while pulling out a knife. This move cleared a way for us to escape. I got the man’s license plate number as we were backing out, and we drove to a well-lit gas station and called 9-1-1.
The police came immediately, took down our information, but never caught the guy, as far as we know. The officer told us we did the right thing by taking the actions we did, and gave us instructions on what to do to get home safely. He assured us that the guy was probably high on something, was long gone, and most likely wouldn’t even remember doing this in the morning.
I barely slept a wink for days. I kept seeing the terrifying scene every time I closed my eyes. I was frightened to go outside because this took place right next to my home. I was sure he was outside watching, laughing, and waiting to “kill us.”
After three days of hiding and canceling appointments, I reflected on my work with victims of violent crimes. In almost every case, the crimes they experienced were random, not intentional. When victims realized that they were not targeted but rather victims of random crimes, they were able to find a bit of peace.
The phrase “random acts of violence” kept running through my head. Then I got angry. The reality was that I didn’t know this guy, and he didn’t know me. He was just a bully high on something who randomly chased us down the street. That anger turned into empowerment. I was taking my power, and my love of life back! I wasn’t going to stay a prisoner of fear any more; I was going to get on with my life just like he had.
I decided to share this story because all of us have the same emotional reactions to being victimized. Whether you have experienced a crime as simple as vandalism or as devastating as rape, you are going to feel outrage, fear, and a sense of helplessness. It is nothing to be ashamed of; it is a natural response to having our sense of security and safety violated.
Also, when we don’t report crimes we are enabling thugs like this to hurt someone else. Two of the most important things to do when you’ve been victimized by a crime are report it to the police, and talk about it with someone you trust. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the support you’ll receive and how many stories similar to yours you will hear. And if you’re like my fiancé and want to confront the guy, please DON’T! There’s no reason to lose your life over something like this.
I also want people who are here illegally to know that if someone violates you or commits a crime against you or a family member, please report it to the Police. They will not report you to ICE, nor will you be deported. Too many undocumented immigrants are victimized and don’t report it to the authorities. Whether you are a legal or illegal citizen, no one has the right to harm you or your property and get a way with it.
I’d like to invite readers to share their stories. Tell us how you coped with or are coping with being a victim of a crime. Please add any resources you have used or know of that would help others.
Kathleen Flynn is a professional mediator and community activist.
A rape prevention class saved my fiancé’s life and mine when we were victims of road rage that could’ve ended in a stabbing.
We were driving home one night after a late night meeting. We were stopped at a stop sign. An SUV sped up behind us and passed too close, almost hitting us. My fiancé honked his horn — a natural reaction — and I watched in horror as the driver spun around and started chasing after us. Of course this would be the one time we didn’t have our cell phone with us so we were pretty much on our own until we could get to a phone.
Even in my terror, I began to remember what I was taught in the rape prevention class I took. They said to try to remain calm in a crisis, never drive home if you are being followed and whenever possible, drive to the nearest police station, or brightly lit busy convenience store. I told my fiancé to pull down a side street, and not into our driveway, and to get on the main street as soon as possible. The SUV caught up and cut us off, boxing us in behind a parked car. The driver got out, stood in front of my car, and started threatening to kill us.
He didn’t look like the creeps you see in the movies, quit the contrary. I was deeply struck by the fact that the man standing before us was an attractive, blonde haired, blue eyed, young man in his late 20s early 30s. He didn’t have any tattoos, was nicely dressed, and spoke in a soft voice. The only thing that gave me cause for alarm besides the fact that he had chased us down, and was threatening to kill us was the crazy look in his eyes.
My fiancé got so angry he started to roll down the window to yell at the guy. Another thing we were told never to do, so I begged him not to, and to lean on the horn non-stop instead, in the hopes that someone would call 9-1-1. It was rather frightening to see that people looked out their windows but that no one came out, or called the Police. Something that the instructor told us would likely happen in these kinds of situations.
Undaunted by the horn, the driver proceeded to the passenger window while pulling out a knife. This move cleared a way for us to escape. I got the man’s license plate number as we were backing out, and we drove to a well-lit gas station and called 9-1-1.
The police came immediately, took down our information, but never caught the guy, as far as we know. The officer told us we did the right thing by taking the actions we did, and gave us instructions on what to do to get home safely. He assured us that the guy was probably high on something, was long gone, and most likely wouldn’t even remember doing this in the morning.
I barely slept a wink for days. I kept seeing the terrifying scene every time I closed my eyes. I was frightened to go outside because this took place right next to my home. I was sure he was outside watching, laughing, and waiting to “kill us.”
After three days of hiding and canceling appointments, I reflected on my work with victims of violent crimes. In almost every case, the crimes they experienced were random, not intentional. When victims realized that they were not targeted but rather victims of random crimes, they were able to find a bit of peace.
The phrase “random acts of violence” kept running through my head. Then I got angry. The reality was that I didn’t know this guy, and he didn’t know me. He was just a bully high on something who randomly chased us down the street. That anger turned into empowerment. I was taking my power, and my love of life back! I wasn’t going to stay a prisoner of fear any more; I was going to get on with my life just like he had.
I decided to share this story because all of us have the same emotional reactions to being victimized. Whether you have experienced a crime as simple as vandalism or as devastating as rape, you are going to feel outrage, fear, and a sense of helplessness. It is nothing to be ashamed of; it is a natural response to having our sense of security and safety violated.
Also, when we don’t report crimes we are enabling thugs like this to hurt someone else. Two of the most important things to do when you’ve been victimized by a crime are report it to the police, and talk about it with someone you trust. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the support you’ll receive and how many stories similar to yours you will hear. And if you’re like my fiancé and want to confront the guy, please DON’T! There’s no reason to lose your life over something like this.
I also want people who are here illegally to know that if someone violates you or commits a crime against you or a family member, please report it to the Police. They will not report you to ICE, nor will you be deported. Too many undocumented immigrants are victimized and don’t report it to the authorities. Whether you are a legal or illegal citizen, no one has the right to harm you or your property and get a way with it.
I’d like to invite readers to share their stories. Tell us how you coped with or are coping with being a victim of a crime. Please add any resources you have used or know of that would help others.
Kathleen Flynn is a professional mediator and community activist.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
San Jose's Understaffed Police Department
By Ed Rast
Did you know that San Jose in 2005 had the lowest ratios of sworn and civilian police per resident of the 23 U.S. cities with populations between 500,000 and 1 million?
At the time, San Jose had only 1.48 sworn officers and 0.40 civilian staff per 1,000 residents while the average of those 23 large cities was 2.64 sworn officers and 0.72 civilian staff per 1,000 residents.
Mayor Gonzales in his 2006-2007 budget message directed the San Jose Police Department to prepare a Five-Year Staffing Plan to close that gap and deliver to the community the high-quality, innovative, and efficient police services we have come to expect.
It was estimated in 2005 that 597.5 additional personnel were needed — including 332 sworn patrol officers, 146 sworn staff in investigative, preventative and administrative positions, and 119.5 civilian staff. But this would still not bring San Jose to the 23-city staffing average.
Unfortunately, San Jose’s sworn and civilian police ratios have only gotten worse. To date, the City has added only 40 new staff of the 597 proposed in the five-year plan. A proposed addition of 25 officers in FY 2009-10 went unfunded. Meanwhile, our population continues to grow, and the police workload right along with it.
SJPD’s understaffing problems began with an economic downturn in 2001 and continued through eight straight years of budget deficits. For four of those years, there were no staffing increases to offset increases in population, development, service calls and administrative workload.
Officers were shifted from proactive prevention activities and community policing to primarily reactive Patrol Division calls for service. Limited investigative personnel gave priority to crimes against persons.
This shift in priorities resulted in significant increases in auto theft (111%) and burglary ( 52%) from 2000-2005. Increasing property crimes — as predicted — jeopardized San Jose’s “Safest Big City in America” status.
Staffing reductions in 2005 nearly brought the SJPD back to 1998 levels (1,343). But between 1998 and 2005, San Jose’s population grew 10% to 910,528. That’s an increase equal to an entire council district.
As estimated by the California Department of Finance, San Jose’s population increased 10.6% (or 111,949 residents) from 894,943 in the 2000 census to 1,006,892 in January of 2008 — two years ahead of an estimate by the Association of Bay Area Governments.
The long and the short of the story is this: We need more police, and we need them now.
Many residents do not understand how adding new officers, staff and improved technology like a proposed computerized records system as well as increasing — not decreasing — community policing activities can help our understaffed police department prevent, investigate, and solve crimes.
If you’d like to get a better idea for yourself, have a look at SJPD’s proposed Five-Year Staffing Plan for 2007-12. Police and staff comparison charts can be found in graphics 9 and 10 (or pdf pages 16-17).
Next week, we’ll compare San Jose’s police staffing and crime rates to local cities. Enjoy the summer with your family and friends.
Did you know that San Jose in 2005 had the lowest ratios of sworn and civilian police per resident of the 23 U.S. cities with populations between 500,000 and 1 million?
At the time, San Jose had only 1.48 sworn officers and 0.40 civilian staff per 1,000 residents while the average of those 23 large cities was 2.64 sworn officers and 0.72 civilian staff per 1,000 residents.
Mayor Gonzales in his 2006-2007 budget message directed the San Jose Police Department to prepare a Five-Year Staffing Plan to close that gap and deliver to the community the high-quality, innovative, and efficient police services we have come to expect.
It was estimated in 2005 that 597.5 additional personnel were needed — including 332 sworn patrol officers, 146 sworn staff in investigative, preventative and administrative positions, and 119.5 civilian staff. But this would still not bring San Jose to the 23-city staffing average.
Unfortunately, San Jose’s sworn and civilian police ratios have only gotten worse. To date, the City has added only 40 new staff of the 597 proposed in the five-year plan. A proposed addition of 25 officers in FY 2009-10 went unfunded. Meanwhile, our population continues to grow, and the police workload right along with it.
SJPD’s understaffing problems began with an economic downturn in 2001 and continued through eight straight years of budget deficits. For four of those years, there were no staffing increases to offset increases in population, development, service calls and administrative workload.
Officers were shifted from proactive prevention activities and community policing to primarily reactive Patrol Division calls for service. Limited investigative personnel gave priority to crimes against persons.
This shift in priorities resulted in significant increases in auto theft (111%) and burglary ( 52%) from 2000-2005. Increasing property crimes — as predicted — jeopardized San Jose’s “Safest Big City in America” status.
Staffing reductions in 2005 nearly brought the SJPD back to 1998 levels (1,343). But between 1998 and 2005, San Jose’s population grew 10% to 910,528. That’s an increase equal to an entire council district.
As estimated by the California Department of Finance, San Jose’s population increased 10.6% (or 111,949 residents) from 894,943 in the 2000 census to 1,006,892 in January of 2008 — two years ahead of an estimate by the Association of Bay Area Governments.
The long and the short of the story is this: We need more police, and we need them now.
Many residents do not understand how adding new officers, staff and improved technology like a proposed computerized records system as well as increasing — not decreasing — community policing activities can help our understaffed police department prevent, investigate, and solve crimes.
If you’d like to get a better idea for yourself, have a look at SJPD’s proposed Five-Year Staffing Plan for 2007-12. Police and staff comparison charts can be found in graphics 9 and 10 (or pdf pages 16-17).
Next week, we’ll compare San Jose’s police staffing and crime rates to local cities. Enjoy the summer with your family and friends.
Monday, July 6, 2009
What do you think?
EDITOR'S NOTE:
It's been a month since we opened our doors here at Protect San Jose, and we'd like to hear what you think about the site so far. What do you like? What do you dislike? What could use improvement? How should we improve it?
It's an open forum, so speak your mind. But remember the ground rules: keep it brief and keep it clean. The floor is yours...
It's been a month since we opened our doors here at Protect San Jose, and we'd like to hear what you think about the site so far. What do you like? What do you dislike? What could use improvement? How should we improve it?
It's an open forum, so speak your mind. But remember the ground rules: keep it brief and keep it clean. The floor is yours...
Friday, July 3, 2009
Fourth of July Safety Tips
As we begin the holiday weekend, we wanted to take a moment to remind you to have fun and stay safe out there. The Fourth of July is an exciting day all across America, with sun-baked parades and barbeques giving way to night skies lit up by fireworks. But it only takes one careless moment to spoil a good time.
With that in mind, the San Jose Police Department has released their tips for a safe and happy Independence Day celebration. We've included them here, along with the original press release.
Stay safe, and have a happy 4th!
City of San José Welcomes July 4th with Caution
Residents Urged to Celebrate Safely
The City of San José welcomes this upcoming July 4th on Saturday by encouraging safe celebrations and reminding residents that all fireworks are illegal in San José. The only legal use of fireworks allowed in the City is for a “pyrotechnic display,” operated by a Licensed Pyrotechnician, with a City Permit.
“We’re increasing our outreach to make certain San José residents understand not only that fireworks are illegal but why they are illegal,” says Fire Chief, Darryl Von Raesfeld. “This ban was added to the municipal code in the interest of public safety. Fireworks cause hundreds of severe injuries in the United States and ignite thousands of fires in California every year. With our current drought conditions the potential for a major fire incident is incredibly high.”
For many residents fireworks are considered an integral part of July 4th celebrations, along with other traditional community festivities. While fireworks are suitable for large scale events, they must be used under carefully controlled conditions. Groups planning to host a ‘pyrotechnic display’ should contact the Fire Prevention Bureau for permits with the understanding that only fully professional displays under very strict safety regulations will be permitted.
When most residents think of fireworks they think of large bottle rockets, roman candles, and firecrackers. However, the ban includes the popular ‘sparklers,’ usually reserved for younger children.
“Sparklers can reach over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit,” says San José Fire Marshal & Deputy Fire Chief, David Schoonover. “They account for 50% of fireworks-related injuries to children under age five and 10% of fireworks-related injuries overall.” For residents who’d like to observe the tradition, ‘snappers’ and ‘champagne party poppers’ are not considered fireworks and deemed legal for use in San José.
The penalty for violating the fireworks ban is stiff. Any individual who possesses, stores, sells, or uses any materials deemed fireworks, is in violation of the law and subject to arrest. Violation of these laws can result in a fine of up to $1,000 and possible jail time according to California Fire Code (CFC 7802.3) and the San José Municipal Code (SJMC 17.12.730). For more information on the laws, regulations and rules regarding fireworks in the City of San José call the Fire Prevention Bureau at (408) 535-7750.
Click on the arrow in the upper right corner to go to full screen mode.
With that in mind, the San Jose Police Department has released their tips for a safe and happy Independence Day celebration. We've included them here, along with the original press release.
Stay safe, and have a happy 4th!
City of San José Welcomes July 4th with Caution
Residents Urged to Celebrate Safely
The City of San José welcomes this upcoming July 4th on Saturday by encouraging safe celebrations and reminding residents that all fireworks are illegal in San José. The only legal use of fireworks allowed in the City is for a “pyrotechnic display,” operated by a Licensed Pyrotechnician, with a City Permit.
“We’re increasing our outreach to make certain San José residents understand not only that fireworks are illegal but why they are illegal,” says Fire Chief, Darryl Von Raesfeld. “This ban was added to the municipal code in the interest of public safety. Fireworks cause hundreds of severe injuries in the United States and ignite thousands of fires in California every year. With our current drought conditions the potential for a major fire incident is incredibly high.”
For many residents fireworks are considered an integral part of July 4th celebrations, along with other traditional community festivities. While fireworks are suitable for large scale events, they must be used under carefully controlled conditions. Groups planning to host a ‘pyrotechnic display’ should contact the Fire Prevention Bureau for permits with the understanding that only fully professional displays under very strict safety regulations will be permitted.
When most residents think of fireworks they think of large bottle rockets, roman candles, and firecrackers. However, the ban includes the popular ‘sparklers,’ usually reserved for younger children.
“Sparklers can reach over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit,” says San José Fire Marshal & Deputy Fire Chief, David Schoonover. “They account for 50% of fireworks-related injuries to children under age five and 10% of fireworks-related injuries overall.” For residents who’d like to observe the tradition, ‘snappers’ and ‘champagne party poppers’ are not considered fireworks and deemed legal for use in San José.
The penalty for violating the fireworks ban is stiff. Any individual who possesses, stores, sells, or uses any materials deemed fireworks, is in violation of the law and subject to arrest. Violation of these laws can result in a fine of up to $1,000 and possible jail time according to California Fire Code (CFC 7802.3) and the San José Municipal Code (SJMC 17.12.730). For more information on the laws, regulations and rules regarding fireworks in the City of San José call the Fire Prevention Bureau at (408) 535-7750.
Click on the arrow in the upper right corner to go to full screen mode.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
About Time
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Regular readers of this blog will remember Monday’s post from SJPOA President Bobby Lopez defending Lieutenant Jose Salcido from attacks on his character as he ponders a campaign for Santa Clara County Sheriff. Mr. Lopez pointed to Lt. Salcido’s lifetime of work keeping our streets and neighborhoods safe and his strong ties to the community as reasons why he deserved a promotion.
Well, it looks like Mayor Reed was paying attention... But seriously, we'll repeat what Mr. Lopez wrote earlier: Lt. Salcido is a good man and deserves recognition for his years of public service. Let’s hope the Mayor and others listen to him.
UPDATE:
The Mayor's office finally got around to posting the official press release on the web. You can read it here for yourself. (Click on the arrow in the upper right corner to go to full-screen mode.)
Regular readers of this blog will remember Monday’s post from SJPOA President Bobby Lopez defending Lieutenant Jose Salcido from attacks on his character as he ponders a campaign for Santa Clara County Sheriff. Mr. Lopez pointed to Lt. Salcido’s lifetime of work keeping our streets and neighborhoods safe and his strong ties to the community as reasons why he deserved a promotion.
Well, it looks like Mayor Reed was paying attention... But seriously, we'll repeat what Mr. Lopez wrote earlier: Lt. Salcido is a good man and deserves recognition for his years of public service. Let’s hope the Mayor and others listen to him.
UPDATE:
The Mayor's office finally got around to posting the official press release on the web. You can read it here for yourself. (Click on the arrow in the upper right corner to go to full-screen mode.)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Let's Conversate
By Bobby Lopez
When Sean Webby first called me yesterday for a comment on a story for today’s Mercury News, my initial reaction was: This must be a publicity stunt.
You see, Raj Jayadev was back at City Hall, holding a rally and calling for meetings with Mayor Reed, councilmembers, Chief Davis, and the SJPOA to have an open dialogue about community concerns with police and our union.
It makes sense that Mr. Jayadev would request a meeting by using a microphone instead of a cell phone. After all, he CC’d the mayor and the entire city council on an email he sent to me on June 4th to request just such a meeting. He also posted it on San Jose Inside as well as this website before I’d even had a chance to respond. (See comments here.)
Of course, if he wanted to sit down, he could’ve just called me. That’s what Skyler Porras of the ACLU did several weeks ago. I ended up meeting with Ms. Porras, and we had a productive conversation, even though we don’t see eye to eye on everything.
In my mind, there’s a pattern developing. Remember, Mr. Jayadev’s comments at the City Council meeting on May 5th, which were featured in our now-infamous YouTube video? At that meeting, he used the vague notion of a “street response” as a political threat to intimidate the council into judging arrest data before an independent analysis could happen. I think he believed protests would not reflect well on politicians at election time and the council would indeed feel threatened.
In another case, just a week before that council meeting, Mr. Jayadev walked off the Public Intoxication Task Force in protest. This was an interesting move because he was among the most vocal community members who called for the mayor to create such a task force.
These were the thoughts running through my mind when Mr. Webby called. I got ticked off and said I wouldn’t meet with Mr. Jayadev.
But after I hung up, I remembered my email response to Mr. Jayadev’s request for a meeting almost a month ago. I told him exactly what I later told Ms. Porras: I have an open door policy, and I’ll meet with anyone who wants to talk.
So I called Mr. Webby back and said I would meet even though, given Mr. Jayadev’s track record, I’m skeptical that he wants to engage in a real dialogue.
I’m used to working with all kinds of people, even difficult personalities. I’ll be interested to see if Mr. Jayadev walks out of our meeting to call a press conference if we disagree. What do you think?
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
When Sean Webby first called me yesterday for a comment on a story for today’s Mercury News, my initial reaction was: This must be a publicity stunt.
You see, Raj Jayadev was back at City Hall, holding a rally and calling for meetings with Mayor Reed, councilmembers, Chief Davis, and the SJPOA to have an open dialogue about community concerns with police and our union.
It makes sense that Mr. Jayadev would request a meeting by using a microphone instead of a cell phone. After all, he CC’d the mayor and the entire city council on an email he sent to me on June 4th to request just such a meeting. He also posted it on San Jose Inside as well as this website before I’d even had a chance to respond. (See comments here.)
Of course, if he wanted to sit down, he could’ve just called me. That’s what Skyler Porras of the ACLU did several weeks ago. I ended up meeting with Ms. Porras, and we had a productive conversation, even though we don’t see eye to eye on everything.
In my mind, there’s a pattern developing. Remember, Mr. Jayadev’s comments at the City Council meeting on May 5th, which were featured in our now-infamous YouTube video? At that meeting, he used the vague notion of a “street response” as a political threat to intimidate the council into judging arrest data before an independent analysis could happen. I think he believed protests would not reflect well on politicians at election time and the council would indeed feel threatened.
In another case, just a week before that council meeting, Mr. Jayadev walked off the Public Intoxication Task Force in protest. This was an interesting move because he was among the most vocal community members who called for the mayor to create such a task force.
These were the thoughts running through my mind when Mr. Webby called. I got ticked off and said I wouldn’t meet with Mr. Jayadev.
But after I hung up, I remembered my email response to Mr. Jayadev’s request for a meeting almost a month ago. I told him exactly what I later told Ms. Porras: I have an open door policy, and I’ll meet with anyone who wants to talk.
So I called Mr. Webby back and said I would meet even though, given Mr. Jayadev’s track record, I’m skeptical that he wants to engage in a real dialogue.
I’m used to working with all kinds of people, even difficult personalities. I’ll be interested to see if Mr. Jayadev walks out of our meeting to call a press conference if we disagree. What do you think?
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
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