Election '08: The first debate
According to the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Police Department will soon be outfitting about 20% of its squad cars with digital video recorders. The rest of the fleet will have them installed within four years.
LAPD to purchase video recorders
The biggest fan of the cameras in this case happens to be the Police Protective League.
(excerpt)
"It's a good accounting of what happened at the scene," said Bob Baker, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
"A lot of time when there is a traffic stop, things are alleged by citizens that didn't happen. I think it's great for the officers, great for the community and great for the city."
The communities in Los Angeles have long supported them. It's surprising to actually see a group of police officers support them too. That's probably made some difference in the city's decision to embrace the technology as well, though it's also being done in part to sidestep a couple of the reforms in the consent decree that the city and department have struggled with most in terms of implementing them.
The Los Angeles Times also published this article about the plans to install the cameras. The vendor of choice is IBM Corp. according to LAPD Chief William Bratton and the first area of the city to get the camera-equipped squad cars will be the South Bureau.
So the city of Los Angeles has moved forward with the installation of its recorders even though technically they weren't required under its five-year federal consent decree which is entering into its seventh year this June. The department's leadership had offered to purchase the devices as an olive branch for its failure to implement several other mandatory reforms including its Early Warning System.
On the other hand, the city of Riverside was required by former State Attorney General Bill Lockyer to equip the department's squad cars with video recorders. The stipulated judgement stated that at least 10 of the devices were to be purchased and installed by the end of 2003, which was about a year after the department had created its policy addressing its video recorders. According to written records, the department installed 10 video recorders that year. The stipulated judgement also stated that the city was to make its best efforts to purchase and install at least 25 more devices by March 2006. However, by December 2005, the city had only purchased and installed a measly three recorders, bringing its total to 13 purchased and installed.
That number still stands today.
About a year ago when faced with the dissolution of the stipulated judgement, the city council passed an agenda item authorizing that $500,000 be spent on outfitting the entire fleet of squad cars with the digital recording devices. The city manager's office had promised that by summer 2006, the recorders would be installed. This decision on the eve of the end of the stipulated judgement was done at least in some respect to lessen any concerns that Lockyer may have had about whether or not the city had truly made any effort to purchase the second wave of recording devices.
But was it a promise that the city was ever intending to keep?
By January 2007, the recorders had not even been purchased. Both City Manager Brad Hudson and Asst. City Manager Tom DeSantis along with Deputy Chief John DeLaRosa said that currently, testing was being done involving two to three different vendors, yet when asked to name what these vendors were, De Santis could only name one, Panasonic.
The city council has shown through its attitude that for the most part, it couldn't care less if they were ever purchased, which shows that it's likely the recording devices are not nearly as enthusiastically supported by the police department's employees as they are in Los Angeles. Only Councilman Ed Adkison has consistently asked the city manager's office when the devices will be purchased and installed, because as he said, the money's been allocated, now buy the devices already. Yet so far, that hasn't been done.
Bob Baker is playing it smart to vocalize his support of the devices. After all, video recorders are good for good officers, not so good for not so good officers and Baker is trying to send the message that the LAPD has good officers through his endorsement of the equipment. The public understands this and sits back to see how police departments and elected city officials respond to this issue. And when what they see is the city and/or police department dragging its feet on this issue, what many of them ask, is who's being protected here?
Even if the city council and the police department is not enthusiastic about purchasing recording devices, it's much more eager when it comes to the election season. The first campaign forum was held this past Friday, March 16 by the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce.
Candidates from first, seventh ward go at it downtown
Candidates from wards 1 and 7 met and debated the issues at this forum held at the Marriott Hotel. The most popular topics were streets, streets and more streets as council members, Dom Betro and Steve Adams waxed on about how many streets they had patched up. You might as well listen now, because election season is the only time you will be able to listen to one continuous love fest about how important it is to have streets that aren't parking lots for either vehicles or Union Pacific freight trains.
Adams said hey, I fixed up 70 streets and I put "traffic slowing" measures in place. Is he serious? How much talent and effort does it take to slow down traffic in the La Sierra area even more. Hopefully, it didn't take too much money.
But he did tout Operation Free Flow to take large trucks off of freeways during daylight hours. I guess that means they'll be using side streets through Riverside instead.
Also dominating the discussion about the seventh ward were the issues of development and eminent domain.
Former mayor, Terry Frizzel led the charge, with Art Garcia in terms of promising to support the growth control measures approve by the city's voters and opposing eminent domain that allows the city to seize properties at below market value and sell them off to private developers.
At least one ward 7 candidate, veterinarian Roy Saldanha said he would not vacate his seat if elected.
(excerpt)
"You don't need to use it as a steppingstone to other positions," Saldanha said, a reference to Adams' failed run for state Assembly last year.
For the first ward, the main topic of the debate was development and more development with Betro leading that pack, talking about how he brought hundreds of millions of dollars to the downtown, while reducing crime. Betro is facing off against three grass-roots campaigners and is expected to be endorsed pretty much by most of the power structure in Riverside.
Betro who went from grass-roots candidate to development's darling in four short years is expected to be backed by both development interests and perhaps even the city's labor unions as well, given that the Riverside Firefighters' Association is included in the endorsement list on a recent brochure circulated about Betro's upcoming fundraiser.
The lack of heavily funded candidates running against him speaks volumes. Hopefully, now that the filing deadline has passed, Betro will remember that he once supported the Community Police Review Commission.
Former CPRC member Mike Gardner advocated more money spent on repairing streets and less spent on development downtown and attorney Letitia Pepper said that her concerns were redevelopment and eminent domain.
One candidate, Derek Thesier, brought up the issue of what's been going on at city council meetings lately in his comments.
(excerpt)
He would listen to all voices and would work to improve the atmosphere at City Council meetings, he said, citing recent clashes between council members and residents.
"Folks, I'll tell you, I'm embarrassed," Thesier said.
He's not the only one. Perhaps the voters in these wards will send a message about how embarrassed they are too.
The San Bernardino Sun editorial board weighed in on the recent placement of the Colton Police Department's police chief on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation involving allegations of misconduct.
Controversy hovers over Colton's police department
Like many people shocked by this chain of events, the editorial tried to reconcile the Chief Ken Rulon, it called an advocate for at-risk youth with the man accused of serious misconduct by individuals in the police department.
(excerpt)
Said Librado Alirez, a Huntington Park police lieutenant who worked 18 years with Rulon: "He has a deep belief that we're public servants, and we get paid to do a job for the public. He does not accept lazy (police officers) or people who are doing illegal or unethical actions, and he will go after them. He's a great guy to work for, if you're willing to work up to his expectations."
They are strong, moral principles we would expect any honorable police chief to have.
At this juncture, we can only hope that all parties in this distressing chain of events are treated fairly. And that all are given their due, not the least of whom being Rulon.
This article in the San Bernardino Sun stated that about 90% of the department's officers said that they had no confidence in their chief, which essentially means that regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Rulon's pretty much out the door.
(excerpt)
"This is to inform the city of how we feel about the chief of police and his capacity as our commander," said Wesley Bruhn, president of the association.
This "means we do not have the confidence in the chief of police to lead our department."
When the public in Colton heard about this, it congregated at City Hall to voice its support of Rulon, but was denied a chance to speak on the issue until next week. If this was meant to discourage public comment, it probably won't work.
Truly progressive police chiefs do not last long in police departments as the profession still isn't prepared for them. Hopefully, chiefs on the other side of the spectrum, those who commit serious misconduct, do not enjoy long tenures as chiefs either. It's too soon to know which category Rulon falls under and it's doubtful if that question will be confidently answered even after all the dust settles.
In New York City, there is still reaction to the grand jury indictments expected to be issued against three of the five New York City Police Department officers who shot and killed Sean Bell last Nov. 25 in Queens, according to this Newsday article.
Rev. Al Sharpton met with over 50 supporters and discussed the recent development. He told them to be braced for the long haul.
(excerpt)
"The upside is we have our day in court. The downside is that these lawyers are going to come back and try to make these young people look like the worst people in the world," he said, referring to Bell, 23, Trent Benefield, 23, and Joseph Guzman, 31.
Over 100 people rallied yesterday, during an ice storm. They called for the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
A representative from the local government also reacted to the grand jury's decision.
(excerpt)
"We've been through this before," said City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn). "Diallo had indictments. Abner Louima had indictments. I think they're setting this up for an acquittal."
The indictments are expected to be read by the Queens District Attorney's office during its press conference tomorrow morning at 11 am(EST).
LAPD to purchase video recorders
The biggest fan of the cameras in this case happens to be the Police Protective League.
(excerpt)
"It's a good accounting of what happened at the scene," said Bob Baker, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
"A lot of time when there is a traffic stop, things are alleged by citizens that didn't happen. I think it's great for the officers, great for the community and great for the city."
The communities in Los Angeles have long supported them. It's surprising to actually see a group of police officers support them too. That's probably made some difference in the city's decision to embrace the technology as well, though it's also being done in part to sidestep a couple of the reforms in the consent decree that the city and department have struggled with most in terms of implementing them.
The Los Angeles Times also published this article about the plans to install the cameras. The vendor of choice is IBM Corp. according to LAPD Chief William Bratton and the first area of the city to get the camera-equipped squad cars will be the South Bureau.
So the city of Los Angeles has moved forward with the installation of its recorders even though technically they weren't required under its five-year federal consent decree which is entering into its seventh year this June. The department's leadership had offered to purchase the devices as an olive branch for its failure to implement several other mandatory reforms including its Early Warning System.
On the other hand, the city of Riverside was required by former State Attorney General Bill Lockyer to equip the department's squad cars with video recorders. The stipulated judgement stated that at least 10 of the devices were to be purchased and installed by the end of 2003, which was about a year after the department had created its policy addressing its video recorders. According to written records, the department installed 10 video recorders that year. The stipulated judgement also stated that the city was to make its best efforts to purchase and install at least 25 more devices by March 2006. However, by December 2005, the city had only purchased and installed a measly three recorders, bringing its total to 13 purchased and installed.
That number still stands today.
About a year ago when faced with the dissolution of the stipulated judgement, the city council passed an agenda item authorizing that $500,000 be spent on outfitting the entire fleet of squad cars with the digital recording devices. The city manager's office had promised that by summer 2006, the recorders would be installed. This decision on the eve of the end of the stipulated judgement was done at least in some respect to lessen any concerns that Lockyer may have had about whether or not the city had truly made any effort to purchase the second wave of recording devices.
But was it a promise that the city was ever intending to keep?
By January 2007, the recorders had not even been purchased. Both City Manager Brad Hudson and Asst. City Manager Tom DeSantis along with Deputy Chief John DeLaRosa said that currently, testing was being done involving two to three different vendors, yet when asked to name what these vendors were, De Santis could only name one, Panasonic.
The city council has shown through its attitude that for the most part, it couldn't care less if they were ever purchased, which shows that it's likely the recording devices are not nearly as enthusiastically supported by the police department's employees as they are in Los Angeles. Only Councilman Ed Adkison has consistently asked the city manager's office when the devices will be purchased and installed, because as he said, the money's been allocated, now buy the devices already. Yet so far, that hasn't been done.
Bob Baker is playing it smart to vocalize his support of the devices. After all, video recorders are good for good officers, not so good for not so good officers and Baker is trying to send the message that the LAPD has good officers through his endorsement of the equipment. The public understands this and sits back to see how police departments and elected city officials respond to this issue. And when what they see is the city and/or police department dragging its feet on this issue, what many of them ask, is who's being protected here?
Even if the city council and the police department is not enthusiastic about purchasing recording devices, it's much more eager when it comes to the election season. The first campaign forum was held this past Friday, March 16 by the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce.
Candidates from first, seventh ward go at it downtown
Candidates from wards 1 and 7 met and debated the issues at this forum held at the Marriott Hotel. The most popular topics were streets, streets and more streets as council members, Dom Betro and Steve Adams waxed on about how many streets they had patched up. You might as well listen now, because election season is the only time you will be able to listen to one continuous love fest about how important it is to have streets that aren't parking lots for either vehicles or Union Pacific freight trains.
Adams said hey, I fixed up 70 streets and I put "traffic slowing" measures in place. Is he serious? How much talent and effort does it take to slow down traffic in the La Sierra area even more. Hopefully, it didn't take too much money.
But he did tout Operation Free Flow to take large trucks off of freeways during daylight hours. I guess that means they'll be using side streets through Riverside instead.
Also dominating the discussion about the seventh ward were the issues of development and eminent domain.
Former mayor, Terry Frizzel led the charge, with Art Garcia in terms of promising to support the growth control measures approve by the city's voters and opposing eminent domain that allows the city to seize properties at below market value and sell them off to private developers.
At least one ward 7 candidate, veterinarian Roy Saldanha said he would not vacate his seat if elected.
(excerpt)
"You don't need to use it as a steppingstone to other positions," Saldanha said, a reference to Adams' failed run for state Assembly last year.
For the first ward, the main topic of the debate was development and more development with Betro leading that pack, talking about how he brought hundreds of millions of dollars to the downtown, while reducing crime. Betro is facing off against three grass-roots campaigners and is expected to be endorsed pretty much by most of the power structure in Riverside.
Betro who went from grass-roots candidate to development's darling in four short years is expected to be backed by both development interests and perhaps even the city's labor unions as well, given that the Riverside Firefighters' Association is included in the endorsement list on a recent brochure circulated about Betro's upcoming fundraiser.
The lack of heavily funded candidates running against him speaks volumes. Hopefully, now that the filing deadline has passed, Betro will remember that he once supported the Community Police Review Commission.
Former CPRC member Mike Gardner advocated more money spent on repairing streets and less spent on development downtown and attorney Letitia Pepper said that her concerns were redevelopment and eminent domain.
One candidate, Derek Thesier, brought up the issue of what's been going on at city council meetings lately in his comments.
(excerpt)
He would listen to all voices and would work to improve the atmosphere at City Council meetings, he said, citing recent clashes between council members and residents.
"Folks, I'll tell you, I'm embarrassed," Thesier said.
He's not the only one. Perhaps the voters in these wards will send a message about how embarrassed they are too.
The San Bernardino Sun editorial board weighed in on the recent placement of the Colton Police Department's police chief on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation involving allegations of misconduct.
Controversy hovers over Colton's police department
Like many people shocked by this chain of events, the editorial tried to reconcile the Chief Ken Rulon, it called an advocate for at-risk youth with the man accused of serious misconduct by individuals in the police department.
(excerpt)
Said Librado Alirez, a Huntington Park police lieutenant who worked 18 years with Rulon: "He has a deep belief that we're public servants, and we get paid to do a job for the public. He does not accept lazy (police officers) or people who are doing illegal or unethical actions, and he will go after them. He's a great guy to work for, if you're willing to work up to his expectations."
They are strong, moral principles we would expect any honorable police chief to have.
At this juncture, we can only hope that all parties in this distressing chain of events are treated fairly. And that all are given their due, not the least of whom being Rulon.
This article in the San Bernardino Sun stated that about 90% of the department's officers said that they had no confidence in their chief, which essentially means that regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Rulon's pretty much out the door.
(excerpt)
"This is to inform the city of how we feel about the chief of police and his capacity as our commander," said Wesley Bruhn, president of the association.
This "means we do not have the confidence in the chief of police to lead our department."
When the public in Colton heard about this, it congregated at City Hall to voice its support of Rulon, but was denied a chance to speak on the issue until next week. If this was meant to discourage public comment, it probably won't work.
Truly progressive police chiefs do not last long in police departments as the profession still isn't prepared for them. Hopefully, chiefs on the other side of the spectrum, those who commit serious misconduct, do not enjoy long tenures as chiefs either. It's too soon to know which category Rulon falls under and it's doubtful if that question will be confidently answered even after all the dust settles.
In New York City, there is still reaction to the grand jury indictments expected to be issued against three of the five New York City Police Department officers who shot and killed Sean Bell last Nov. 25 in Queens, according to this Newsday article.
Rev. Al Sharpton met with over 50 supporters and discussed the recent development. He told them to be braced for the long haul.
(excerpt)
"The upside is we have our day in court. The downside is that these lawyers are going to come back and try to make these young people look like the worst people in the world," he said, referring to Bell, 23, Trent Benefield, 23, and Joseph Guzman, 31.
Over 100 people rallied yesterday, during an ice storm. They called for the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
A representative from the local government also reacted to the grand jury's decision.
(excerpt)
"We've been through this before," said City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn). "Diallo had indictments. Abner Louima had indictments. I think they're setting this up for an acquittal."
The indictments are expected to be read by the Queens District Attorney's office during its press conference tomorrow morning at 11 am(EST).
Labels: City elections, consent decrees and other adventures
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