What will become of Maywood and other tales

"Nobody has the courage to clean this place up," he said. "We need to hire someone who can right this department."


---Mayor Felipe Aguirre, to Los Angeles Times before casting a vote for Al Hutchings to be the new interim police chief.




"Ours was the easy part," she said. "Hutchings has the hard job. He's walking into something that is going to be very difficult. I wish him luck."


---Councilwoman Ana Rosa Rizo, Maywood who voted for Hutchings.




"On behalf of the police departments present, we not only silently support your (our) efforts, but appreciate all the crap you had to endure by those bottom feeders called Maywood/Huntington Park Residents."


---"Officer White", from Save Our State




"you are no fun any more. it was like a fiesta...they thought if they hit the mexicans hard enough, candy would come out. iz no problum.....jess."



---Anonymous loser, May 2007 in response to a posting here about the LAPD MacArthur Park incident.






More controversy in Maywood, California in the wake of the city council's decision to hire Al Hutchings who had been convicted of theft while employed at the Los Angeles Police Department and had resigned from Maywood Police Department after he was caught on videotape in a compromising position with a female business owner while onduty. After meeting in closed session to make the decision, the city council announced its decision to over 125 people waiting for it in the council chambers. The reasoning behind hiring Hutchings apparently had nothing to do with an adage that it takes a criminal to catch a criminal in a department that has produced more than its share. But instead, the three that cast their votes for Hutchings seemed to believe he could really fix the scandal-plagued department. The two that didn't apparently weren't available for comment.


(excerpt)


Hutchings said he was bracing for confrontation. Since working in Maywood as an officer, Hutchings said, he has endured anonymous calls threatening his life. Somebody called him "the devil" on the phone after Friday's vote.

"This is a department with a lot of officers with guns," he said. Some of the officers are "nut cases," he added. "The crazies will come out of the woodwork."

Maywood, whose residents are mostly low-income immigrants, is one of the densest cities in the nation. It sits on the edge of the Los Angeles River and in the shadow of the industrial warehouses and railroad tracks of neighboring Vernon. The quiet city's tree-lined streets are lined with modest, neatly kept homes, and its commercial center consists mostly of strip malls at the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard.

Resident Marco Solis, 25, who works at a factory that manufactures plastic trash cans, voiced concern about Hutchings' return.

"It's better to give another person an opportunity," he said as he picked through clothes and furniture at a yard sale on one of the city's narrow residential streets.

Security guard Olga Garcia agreed. "He's corrupt," she said after a midday meal at a Denny's restaurant. "You know his record's dirty. . . . The only thing it's going to achieve is more corruption."





The Citizen Justice Institute includes Maywood on its list of city governments that operate like rackets and included an action plan to address governments that were engaging or about to engage in corrupt behavior. This plan includes the suggestions listed below.


(excerpt)


What is the answer?

Downsizing government gives them less to steal and less power to abuse. Moreover, perhaps a privatization process will put the authority in the hands of those with a different orientation, pleasing the customer, making a profit to please shareholders and saving the customers money and aggravation. While privatization is not a panacea, it might be a step forward.

Making politicians fearful of the citizenry, instead of contemptuous, is necessary. Citizens who are vigilant and involved rather than apathetic can be a strong antidote to politics as usual. Informed citizens who carefully watch their government are the front line of defense of the integrity of the community.

But letter writing and participating in elections won't be enough. Town incumbents are often impossible to replace because they have political machines that often consist of other corrupt people, and there are legions of them. Letters to the Editor won't accomplish much by themselves, though they do raise issues and often do get read.

Without breaking the law, municipal activists need to select the issues that matter most and launch a campaign to embarrass and humiliate the people most responsible. Personal attacks often work. If somebody is guilty of nepotism, identify him. If there is blatant corruption, name them, but be sure the evidence is solid and documented.

Picketing is extremely important, as is community access cable television, the Internet, and poster campaigns.

Small town crooks and bullies need lessons in humility. Give it to them.





Maywood's city government and police department are currently under investigation by county, state and federal law enforcement and prosecuting agencies for corruption and misconduct in both. State Attorney General Jerry Brown announced last year that his office was conducting a probe from top to bottom. The FBI is another agency that is investigating allegations stemming from the police department's habit of hiring police officers who have been fired from other agencies or even charged and prosecuted for criminal conduct. The behavior has ranged from excessive force incidents to sexual misconduct and harassment to one officer who tried to run over a member of the police commission in a parking lot.


Maywood is in a very bad place, much worse than many other cities but I couldn't help thinking of Riverside when I read this article, especially the part about the importance of involvement over apathy and being watchful of what government does and the decisions that it makes, in other words being an active participant in your local government.

After watching the behavior of elected officials who seem to have little patience for city residents who don't agree with their plans for the city, I've learned that it has little to do with how polite and well-spoken people are, or how much they have researched themselves on the issues. If you disagree with city council members, then when you finish speaking, you'll have to listen to one or more of them tell everyone from the dais that you're a liar, have no ethics or whatever. The rest of those on the dais watch in silence because the culture of the city council is such that this type of behavior or what's called the elected government putting its own ethics on display is one that the current leadership believes is acceptable.

But as for making personal attacks, that's tacky and it's better to leave them to the couple of elected officials who repeatedly engage in them and stick to challenging them on the issues that impact city residents. Remind them that their constituents are those who live within their wards, not development firms who are out of the city and that you expect them to respect the wishes of the voters on issues involving city services including the Community Police Review Commission because they represent these individuals. Ask them questions about agenda reports they may or may not have read. They may or may not answer them but the questions are on the public record. Utilize the California Public Records Act to get information on issues pertaining to city government, which hopefully will some day learn what public information means including employees in the city manager's office.

If you are subjected to personal attacks by elected officials, don't despair. Depending on what time it is, that all can change. Just ask the community members who protested against the development of the DHL hub at March Air Reserve which has led to the DHL mess. Remember how they were viewed and they were treated, most notably as gadflies ranting about a problem that existed only in their heads? Well, that's all changed now as the two remaining members of the March Joint Powers Commission have made it their job to remedy the situation which is great of them to do so. But where were they several years and many sleepless nights ago? And why is there this feeling that this is all turning about because it's another election year?


I guess after watching all the gifts handed out last year including the one taken back, it's hard not to be a bit cynical.

But Maywood's got other issues as well, beyond those afflicting Riverside's City Hall. Two city council members in Maywood said they were both elected to "clean things up" in their city. And it's not just what's on the surface that has created concern.

In August 2006, dual protests by Save Our State and the Minutemen in Maywood received the following responses by individuals claiming to be police officers at Save Our State Forum via the Pursuing Holiness discussion board. The posting was about the protesters stringing a Mexican flag up a pole at a post office.

Whether you support or oppose this action is a discussion to have, but why is it that these discussions take place time and time again using language that dehumanizes people of color? Whether they are Black or Latino, they're not people, they are "tampons", "turds", "low-lifes", "animals" and "bottom feeders" and other terms that more than hint of misogyny as well. You rarely see Whites portrayed in this manner including those who are undocumented immigrants. In fact, there's very little mention of undocumented immigrants who are White who cross the Canadian border or who come from Eastern European countries by either Save Our Sate or the Minutemen, let alone the use of derogatory terms associated with them.

This usage of dehumanizing language makes it clear that there's much more hatred towards particular undocumented immigrants than just their status. Entire groups relegated to the "no human involved" status. In fact, they are not even considered animals. It's like these unidentified people spent all day figuring out the most derogatory terms they could call them, but more likely, these words came out quickly being second nature by now. They hate them for other reasons, in ways they don't hate White people as a group. If ever there's going to be a discussion on the issues surrounding immigration and undocumented immigrants, you won't find it there. If you want to dehumanize people of color, then it's a perfect spot.


One commenter who said he or she worked at the demonstration apologized for not protecting the demonstrators from SOS from a "group of immigrants sneaking up on them" and said if he wasn't working, he or she would join them., apparently not knowing that he or she has already done so.


Another anonymous individual who went by "Officer White" and also said he worked at the demonstration called the residents of Maywood and Huntington Park, "bottom feeders", "pukes", "turds" and "local tampons". The flag of another country is "used toilet paper", "toilet rag" and a "sanitary napkin". There's no way to know whether he or she is what they claim to be, but if this person is indeed in law enforcement, it is very sad indeed and probably very unfortunate for those who they despise to the point of stripping them of their humanity who cross their paths. It's enough to make you cry and I have, for both the people being demeaned and those doing the demeaning, whether they are police officers or not. To live with that ugliness inside your head is a full-time job, even when you don't use it as justification to abuse others. They are truly prisoners in cells of their own making.

"Officer White" ends his soliloquy with the following coda.




(excerpt)



Do not feel that the police hold the same views as the janitor/day laborer city council of all the cities in the area. Many of the police have served in the Military, so it really hits hard when we have actually risked our lives overseas, to then come stateside and see these turds raise a red white and green piece of used toiled paper over a Post Office. Come back soon and have nother peaceful protest. We will adjust on our lessons learned, and think about the parking set up I mentioned.




Nice. Reading these comments puts some perspective on the recent decision by the San Bernardino Police Department's labor union to hire Save Our State founder, Joe Turner and the claims of that union's leadership that its hiring of Turner has nothing to do with the organization he's founded or the issue on which he's for better or worse built his reputation. Yes indeed. It gives a whole new spin on hiring Turner as a consultant to provide "outreach" as well and maeks that reasoning even more difficult to believe especially given the wealth of community leaders in San Bernardino who could provide assistance in that area.








In the weeks that have followed the release of consultant Eileen Luna-Firebaugh's critique of the Independent Police Review up in Portland, Oregon, there has been quite a bit of finger pointing. Meaning that people are trying to blame this person or the other for the poor showing the city's oversight mechanism received during its outside audit. Rather than taking a serious look at it and examining the recommendations in it, there's been more discussion at least in the press of who is responsible for what seems to be presented as a mess.



Is the "blame game" being played out in Portland's power circles? The Portland Mercury asks if it's a power play going on between Mayor Tom Potter, who once was chief of the Portland Police Bureau, and the Independent Police Review's auditor, Gary Blackmer. The issue at stake is the Independent Police Review which was the focus of a critical audit by Eileen Luna-Firebaught who was hired by the city to research it and make recommendations to improve its operation.



(excerpt)



"In this model, there is one person who, depending on their individual ability and characteristics," says the report, "seeks to address police policy issues and the enhancement of accountability in a systemic way."

Blackmer did not return the Mercury's call for comment on the report by press time, nor did IPR Director Leslie Stevens, who announced last Thursday, January 24, that she plans to leave the IPR to head up the police bureau's Office of Professional Standards—a move the Oregonian's editorial board wrote on Saturday, January 26, "may suggest she's had a too-cozy relationship with the bureau."

Nevertheless, one city commissioner in particular is not so sure Blackmer should shoulder all the blame for the IPR's perceived lack of community trust.


"The mayor has not accepted his responsibility in all this," says City Commissioner Randy Leonard. "Why is the man who is supposed to be in charge of the police bureau [Mayor Tom Potter is police commissioner] seeking to hold the city auditor responsible?"

While he won't use the word "setup," it appears Leonard feels the mayor's office wanted to use Luna-Firebaugh's report as a way to justify making changes to the IPR by blaming Blackmer for its shortcomings, when public confidence in the police bureau's complaints process should be Potter's responsibility, Leonard thinks.

"I think the mayor's office had a distinct point of view about how the CRC works," says Leonard, "And they told that to[Luna-Firebaugh] and she was heavily influenced by the impression she got from the mayor's office."

Luna-Firebaugh responds: "I think it is unfortunate if [Commissioner Leonard] thinks I am biased. The only thing I am biased in favor of is good government."

The mayor's office, too, isn't buying it.

"Tom's not a big fan of sound-bite solutions, which is why he hired a nationally known expert to evaluate the program.



So he's hired the consultant to come up with an outside insight into an internalized system and while Luna-Firebaugh's report is officially under review, some sserious consideration should be taken of her recommendations, which for all their apparent controversy aren't much different than those given during previous audits of the Independent Police Review and the Citizen Review Committee, which residents in Portland feel has been the target of attempts to weaken it by City Auditor Gary Blackmer as related here by Portland residents that he of course doesn't consider to be *real* community.






As for Blackmer, the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce interviewed him here. There's nothing on his involvement with the Independent Police Review.








The trial continues in a molestation case involving a Desert Hot Springs Police Department officer.



The trial of a former Canton Police Department officer charged with strangling his pregnant girlfriend begins today.



The assistant commissioner of the Canadian Royal Mounted Police apologized to Black residents in the town of Digby for some racist and sexist comments that were made by a former watch commander.



According to the Washington Post, About 34 police officers have been arrested during 2007




(excerpt)


Although the percentage of officers arrested on the 3,800-member force is small, this year's total is 10 more than last year's. At least five cases involve on-duty conduct, but the majority stem from off-duty activities. Thirteen officers were arrested on domestic violence charges, 10 for drunken driving.

Police officials refused to provide many details, initially denying a request under the Freedom of Information Act. After The Washington Post appealed, officials agreed to provide a general breakdown of cases but refused to release names, saying they were concerned about the officers' privacy and noting that some cases could be dismissed.

Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, who took office a year ago, said she relied on the advice of the city's attorneys in not releasing the officers' identities. The Post obtained more than a dozen names through court records and other law enforcement sources.

Lanier said she began noticing an increase in domestic violence and alcohol-related arrests at the end of last year. Some trouble could be related to job stress from overtime that officers were forced to work last year, she said. But she added that she has little tolerance for officers committing crimes.

"Once you've embarrassed the department or shown me you don't have integrity, I don't want you back," she said. In most cases, when officers are arrested, their badges and guns are taken away and they are put on desk duty until the charges are resolved. In cases involving drugs or sexual assault, officers typically are barred from the workplace. In traffic offense cases, including drunken driving, officers could be returned to the streets pending outcomes.




Another study on tasers from the United Kingdom which adds to the controversy of the safety of the devices.





Remember to vote on Feb. 5. Paper ballots are back in style again because of the ruling issued by the secretary of state office last year.



(excerpt, Press Enterprise)


Riverside County, after pioneering the use of electronic voting machines in 2000, has mothballed the ATM-style machines and is using paper ballots Tuesday for the first time in more than eight years.

"We're thinking we'll not be done counting the paper ballots cast at the polls until near dawn on Wednesday morning," said Riverside County Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore.



What does the Press Enterprise Editorial Board say about Measure A, the so-called rooster initiative? A big resounding no.


Speaking of elections, Ward Four Councilman Frank Schiavone has taken out his papers to run for the District One position of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. I guess that makes it official.