The "I"s have it: Investigations, inquiries and initiatives

An unnamed Riverside Police Department officer shot and wounded a man inside a car in Casa Blanca yesterday evening.


(excerpt)



According to police, two officers driving in a patrol car at 4:50 p.m. Friday in the 2800 block of Grace Street saw a man making what appeared to be a drug deal with two men in a vehicle, police spokesman Steven Frasher said.

The officers cuffed the man as he leaned into the car, but the driver started to back up his vehicle, Frasher said.

One officer tried to stop the driver by breaking the driver-side window with his flashlight, Frasher said. The officer got his hand caught in the window briefly, Frasher said.

The driver drove forward and the other officer thought he was driving at him and shot at the driver, hitting him once, Frasher said. The motorist drove his car two blocks to the intersection of Lincoln and Blackstone avenues and crashed. Frasher did not say what the car hit.

The wounded driver walked back two blocks and surrendered to police, Frasher said. The man was taken to Riverside Community Hospital and is expected to live. Police plan to arrest him, Frasher said.

Police then began searching for the passenger in the car who ran into the neighborhood. They found him in a house at 6:19 p.m. in the 2800 block of Blackstone Avenue and arrested him, Frasher said. He did not release a name.

The officer who put his hand through the window suffered a minor cut and was treated at the same hospital.



The shooting of course is under investigation by the police department through its officer-involved shooting team. The department's internal affairs division will also perform an administrative review relying largely on work product provided by the investigative team. Since the individual who was shot is expected to survive, the shooting will not be investigated by the Community Police Review Commission which is only dictated by both the city charter and the ordinance which created it in 2000 to investigate deaths of people resulting both from the direct and indirect actions of police officers regardless of whether a complaint has been filed or not.

This is probably the most controversial power of the CPRC, especially considering the actions mandated against it by what has been referred to, as the "Seventh Floor" of City Hall since the fatal shooting of Summer Marie Lane in 2004 or more correctly, the CPRC's finding on the Lane case which was released in 2005.


The text that includes this provision of the CPRC's duties and responsibilities is here.



A family member said that the officer who shot his relative had a "long history of harassment" in Casa Blanca. If that's true, then that leaves a very short list of possible officers because the majority of complaints from Casa Blanca residents pretty much involve a single officer who has been assigned there for quite a while.

The outcomes of any administrative investigations involving any police officer are confidential pursuant to state law so it's not clear whether any of those complaints were sustained or not or whether or not they were even filed with the police department and/or the Community Police Review Commission. So there's a lot of unknown factors and often even more questions.

That's also the nature of officer-involved deaths or shootings especially those that happen in neighborhoods which most frequently see police officers on a daily basis. That's one reason among others why it's very important for police department representatives to communicate with residents in neighborhoods where these critical incidents take place just as they do when there's violent crimes including gang shootings in a neighborhood because they are all major events. Too often however, in part because of state law, in part because of police culture and perhaps even the city's legal position, departments shroud themselves behind their walls in greater secrecy.

The CPRC provides a forum for officer-involved deaths because of its role in their investigation. However, for incidents outside that category, there's no similar mechanism of communication between the department and the communities impacted by non-fatal shootings or other incidents where a higher level of force is used.

And people do have many questions about these incidents, which is complicated by the fact that often the police department says it can't answer questions or refuses to do so.

One question among many asked by people who contact me and others about officer-involved shootings is rarely ever asking who did it, instead it's usually did so-and-so or [insert name] do it? Most times it's not the officer(s) who's actually involved in the shooting.

This time, it's just easier to predict which name will come up the most whether it's the right one or not. His or her name came up quite a few times after the fatal shooting of Douglas Steven Cloud last year which was in the same area, even though this officer wasn't involved in that shooting.




The family of a man who was shot and killed by an officer in Moreno Valley said that he was acting erratically, according to the Press Enterprise.


(excerpt)


[Steve]Williams was shot and killed by four Moreno Valley police officers in the backyard of a neighbor's home about 4:30 a.m. after police said he refused to drop his shotgun.

Williams was a construction worker. He previously owned a construction business that failed several years ago, Lourenco said. Williams was on disability for back problems but was scheduled to return to work next month.

Lourenco said his stepfather was friendly with neighbors, took pride in his lawn and often offered to watch homes while neighbors were away and manicure the surrounding yards.

"He was almost an ambassador on this street," Lourenco said. "We still don't want to believe what happened that night. That was not Steve."





My way or the highway?



Riverside's main library which is located in its downtown is the focus of much discussion about its future. At a "public meeting" on Jan. 16 held at 2 p.m. in its city council chambers, the city will lay out its plan for its expansion and renovation with the metropolitan museum, under the Riverside Renaissance. And apparently, it's City Manager Brad Hudson's way or the highway, as unless many people attend the meeting, it's just in name only.




Never fear, at least this meeting has been announced, according to the Press Enterprise.



(excerpt)



A citizens' group, the Committee to Renew the Library, headed by the city's former library director, Judith Auth, is calling for a much larger expansion so that both the library and museum have more space.

"Both organizations are deserving and neither should be shortchanged," said resident Dawn Hassett, who is working with Auth. Hassett helped run the campaign for Measure C, which was approved by voters in March 2002 and imposes a $19-per-parcel tax for 10 years to raise money for the city library system.

The committee is rallying supporters to speak out about the project. It offers a rare opportunity, Auth and Hassett said, as Riverside is marketing itself as the City of the Arts.

"We need to get it right," Hassett said.

No similar group has been active on behalf of the museum.

City Councilman Mike Gardner, whose ward includes downtown, said he sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime project. If the library and museum boards regard the expansion as too small, an argument could be made that the city should wait until it has the money for a more suitable project, he said.

"The buck does stop with the council," Gardner said. "It's not going to be an easy call."


So even though it's in the afternoon which of course is probably intentional to keep attendance down, if you're concerned about both the library and the museum, do attend. If you can't be there, contact your city council representative and inform them of what you would say if the meeting was actually scheduled during a time you could attend.



Other public hearings that will be taking place soon are those which involve the construction of over or underpasses at three railroad crossings. This was a decision of the Land Use and Utilities Committee chaired by Ward Five Councilman Chris MacArthur which includes Ward Seven Councilman Steve Adams and Ward Two Councilman Andrew Melendrez.


In the paths of these grade separations, are as many as 31 homes which if the owners don't take the city's asking price, will likely be seized under eminent domain for public use. The removal of some businesses will also be necessary according to the city.



(excerpt, Press Enterprise)



The committee -- Councilmen Steve Adams, Andy Melendrez and Chris Mac Arthur -- directed Boyd to set up community meetings to receive comments from the public on each of the three proposed projects.

"Nothing's set in stone," Boyd said.

Underpasses involve lowering the street to go beneath railroad tracks, while overpasses involve building a bridge over the tracks.

Michael Minner, 50, has lived in a house next to the Union Pacific tracks on Riverside Avenue since 2000 and said he's not going to call the movers just yet.

"There's a lot of talking and no walking" at City Hall, he said at his home.

But his sister owns the house and would be thrilled if the city bought it, Minner said.

"How are you going to sell it anyway?" he said.




The discussion of the renovation of the pedestrian mall downtown will be held this Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 6:30p.m. It's just a shade under $10 million in price at the moment. I say at the moment because the price tags on these items always increase. This one will as well. Already, it's attracted quite a bit of controversy, given that the downtown pedestrian mall had already been renovated courtesy of business taxes contributed by members of the Downtown Neighborhood Partnership, including taxes provided by businesses on Market Street and others who were forced out of the downtown through threats of Eminent Domain. Not only were these businesses promised that their taxes would also pay for exterior improvements on their street, but the failure of the partnership to deliver was actually used against them by the city's Redevelopment Agency.

But apparently, one watchdog discovered years ago at City Hall a letter involving the DNP that stated its purpose as being to promote the Mission Inn Hotel above everything else. When the person went back to access that letter for printing a copy, it was no where to be found.

The construction will make it difficult for many businesses to get the traffic they need to operate and restaurants in particular have an especially difficult time staying afloat even if they buck the serious odds against their success when they are first started. But more than a few downtown businesses have felt alienated by the city's plans for the area that houses them so that's not exactly news.

Replacing a 100 year sewer system is very important. However, the city's picked probably one of the more fiscally difficult periods in its recent history when its departments are facing up to 15% in budget cuts to replace it.




In closed session, the city will be discussing the Workers' Compensation case of Officer David Johansen. It's not uncommon for these types of cases to be heard by the city council in closed sessions.








Corona's police chief, Richard Gonzalez is being honored by a local synagogue.



Once a waitress, then a sheriff deputy, now a chief deputy. So has been the life of Colleen Walker, who was just promoted to the higher rank by her boss, Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff.


(excerpt)



After some prodding from the officers, Walker decided to try her hand at being a deputy, hanging up her waitress apron for a gun and badge.

On Friday, the 53-year-old Coachella Valley resident was named one of seven chief deputies for the department, joining the agency's administrative staff being pulled together by new Sheriff Stanley Sniff.

"She brings a great deal of experience," said Undersheriff Valerie Hill.

"It is the type of person we are looking for to move us into the future."







Though not much information has been released recently, the investigation into the disappearance of Stacey Peterson is continuing full speed ahead according to the Chicago Tribune.


(excerpt)



State police officials made the case their agency's top investigative priority, and stories on her disappearance dominated news headlines for weeks as police and volunteers searched woods and combed rivers and lakes throughout the area. Over time, however, the searches dwindled and the investigation faded from view as police concentrated on poring over tips.

Friends and relatives of Stacy Peterson said they were happy to know police had not scaled back their efforts.

"It's encouraging," said her aunt Suzan Robison. "I just hope they're searching in the right places. At least they're still working on it, and that gives us hope."

Police also continue their investigation into the 2004 death of Drew Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in her bathtub. At the time, a coroner's jury ruled the death was accidental, but in November, Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow called the death suspicious and had her body exhumed.





A gun that was created to be used by the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Investigation Section is being marketed for the public, according to the Los Angeles Times.

That's got some city leaders very upset.


(excerpt)


The guns for the undercover unit were created at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. Kimber, a Yonkers, N.Y.-based gun maker, is marketing a slightly modified version to the public, touting the weapons as the "hot new SIS pistols" on the company's website.

For each of the more than $1,000 guns sold, Kimber says it will donate $15 to the nonprofit Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation, which provides financial support to officers and their families in times of death, injury or illness.

But news that a weapon is being marketed with an "SIS" serration -- a clear reference to the LAPD -- was met with criticism from city and civil rights leaders.

"It is very disturbing," said Councilman Jack Weiss. "If any member of the public is shot with one of these guns or, heaven forbid, a cop is shot with one these guns, what would be the explanation?"

LAPD officials said the department does not endorse the gun but has no control over how the manufacturer markets the weapon.

Regarding questions about the weapons marketed to the public, Police Chief William J. Bratton dismissed the topic as a "nonissue," calling it "foolish."



City leaders and community leaders cite the troubling history of the SIS as well as what they called the apparent endorsement and identification of the LAPD with the gun as problematic. Police officials said that since Bratton has been chief, many changes have been made to how the controversial unit operates.





If anyone's looking for a job as a police chief, there's an opening below.




Job Description

Manages a department of 2000 employees, 1627 sworn officers and 373
civilian positions, with a $182M budget. Must possess experience in
leadership and management of police organizations, ability to foster
constructive strategic and operational innovation and police-community
trust. Selected candidate will work with diverse communities,
neighborhood organizations, and police employees; develop and use
technological advances; prepare budgets; advance employment –
management collaboration; and team with public agencies as member of
the City Manager's Executive Team.

Applicants should possess public-service values, strong communication
and "people" skills. Position requires a bachelor's degree
(master's preferred) in public/business administration, law
enforcement, criminal justice or related field; with five years as a
senior administrator in large, complex departments. Completion of FBI
National Academy, SPI, SMIP or similar advanced training preferred.
City residency within six months required. Salary commensurate with
experience. Identities and resumes of final candidates are subject to
public disclosure.

Resumes may be submitted online at www.watersconsultin g.com/recruitmen t
. The position will
remain open until filled with first review of applicants February 15,
2008. For more information contact Chuck Rohre at 877.356.2924.


Charlotte - Mecklenburg is an equal opportunity employer and values
diversity at all levels of its organization.
About CharlotteMecklenbur g Police Department (CMPD)
About Charlotte's City Manager -
Curt Walton









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