Promotions and probabilities

The Riverside Police Department has promoted two individuals into its upper management level. Deputy Chief John DeLaRosa has been promoted to fill the oft-vacant assistant chief position and Capt. Pete Esquivel is now a deputy chief.

Of DeLaRosa, Chief Russ Leach stated in this press release dated March 16.


“The position of Assistant Chief is key to solidifying and completing the Department’s command structure,” said Leach. “I have complete confidence in John’s leadership skills and his ability to ensure consistency in the Department’s public service focus”.



DeLaRosa's has quickly risen through the ranks since the hiring of Leach as the department's police chief. In early 2001, DeLaRosa was still a sergeant. Now, six years later, he's only the second assistant chief in the department's recent history. He went up so quickly some folks have barely seen him.

Esquivel was promoted to head the department's operational branch, which sounds a lot like the position formerly held by Deputy Chief Dave Dominguez. It's not clear how these promotions will impact Dominguez's job responsibilities or what his next assignment will be. It's never been clear if the department has supported Dominguez as much as the community clearly does.

For Esquivel, it's a big step up to the next level.



“Pete brings vast operational depth to the post of Deputy Chief,” said Leach. “His experienced leadership will be invaluable to RPD’s field staff and commanders.”



Brad Hudson also commented on the promotions, tying them in with the department's Strategic Plan which had been running in fits and starts last year and is hoping for a brighter future this year.


“The Chief’s selections for Assistant Chief and Deputy Chief will be vital to RPD’s long-term success in carrying out the Department’s Strategic Plan,” said City Manager Brad Hudson.

“We look forward to working with the Chief and his team to fulfill the City Council’s vision for proactive public service and accountability.”


What's not clear is whether or not the city council ever really had this sort of vision, given its behavior in recent months, but if Hudson said it, it must be so. At least for the moment.

These promotions provide an opening for several other individuals lower on the paramilitary style structure to move up, but who will be filling those spots has not been announced yet.

In New York City, the three police officers indicted for their involvement in the shooting of Sean Bell, 23, and his two friends turned themselves into authorities this morning according to this article in the New York Times.

And this later article also by the Times outlined the charges that each man has been indicted on.

New York Daily News posted a list of charges faced by the three police officers on its site.


Det. Gescard Isnora:

First degree manslaughter(death of Bell while intentionally causing serous harm to Timothy Guzman)

Second degree manslaughter(recklessly causing Bell's death while aiding Det. Michael Oliver)

First degree assault(shooting of Guzman while intending him serious harm)

Second degree assault(reckless shooting of Trent Benefield)

Second degree reckless endangerment(while discharging weapon on street where people were present)


Det. Michael Oliver:

First degree manslaughter(killing Bell while attempting to cause serious bodily injury to Guzman)

Second degree manslaughter(recklessly causing Bell's death while aiding Isnora)

Two counts first degree assault(intentionally causing serious injury to Guzman and Benefield)

Two counts second degree reckless endangerment(reckless shooting weapon on street where people were present and shooting inside an occupied residence)

Det. Marc Cooper

Two counts second degree reckless endangerment(recklessly shooting a gun on a street where people were present and shooting a gun at a an occupied train station)

The reckless endangerment counts were filed because of the danger that the shots fired by the police officers posed to other individuals including people who lived in a nearby residence pierced by a bullet as well as individuals at a train station across the street. Two Port of Authority police officers at the station narrowly missed being hit by gunfire, as was shown on a surveillance video soon after the shooting.

Even if the three men are acquitted at trial, they still may face administrative action from their department, according to this New York Times article

First of all, the three were indicted automatically received 30 day suspensions without pay, ordered to turn in their badges and assigned desk jobs until the outcome of the trial is clear.


(excerpt)


“There’s a very significant range of formal and informal sanctions,” said Eugene O’Donnell, a professor of police studies at John Jay School of Criminal Justice. “At the top end, there’s criminal conviction with incarceration, which is unlikely,” he said, explaining that prosecutors often have trouble proving criminal intent when the police shoot someone.

“Equally unlikely is that they’ll ever be back in front-line enforcement,” he added.

More letters have appeared in the Press Enterprise forum page in connection with the behavior of city council members at recent meetings.

A letter was written by Daniel H. Gressmann about comments made by the city council in a recent article about the placement of the video cameras used by Charter Communications in the council chambers. Gressmann is running against Councilman Steve Adams for the seat in the seventh ward.

(excerpt)

A few statements made are really discomforting. Councilman Dom Betro does not like the "belligerence" the public conveys.

Should the council silence people or should it find out why it infuriates them?

I also thought that part of "to get the work of city government done" was to receive input from the citizens. Is the council composed of elected officials serving the public or an anointed few doing what they believe needs to be done even if contrary to the will of the people?

Another seventh ward resident, Yolanda Garland, also wrote a letter about how the city council treats the public. Garland is lucky if she can get two words out of her mouth about anything without Councilmen Dom Betro, Ed Adkison, Frank Schiavone and especially her own representative, Adams either interrupting her, yelling "point of order" or ordering the city attorney's office to send her letters threatening arrest for "disrupting" meetings even though the video tapes of the meetings in question exonerate her.

(excerpt)

The acrimony exhibited in City Council meetings has not been lost on the many who view them. Council members themselves interrupt meetings on a regular basis.

Speakers have been publicly denigrated by council members, both personally and professionally, yet no one has made an effort to stop the maligning of speakers who do not share the council's views.

I, along with others, have received intimidating and menacing letters of reprimand threatening arrest, though meeting tapes prove that council members create the disorder.