Author: The Fullerton Harpoon

The Fullerton Harpoon is a retired commerical fisherman having served many years on the Japanese whaler Nisshin Maru where he unfortunately lost the right side of his brain and his sense of propriety in a Greenpeace attack.
Posted onBehind Closed Doors

Former City Manager Chris Meyer Shares Wisdom; Recipients Underwhelmed

by 110 Comments on Former City Manager Chris Meyer Shares Wisdom; Recipients Underwhelmed
You supply the caption…

Our new city council members recently received this unsolicited e-mail from former City Manager Chris Meyer:

Council Members, you might want to consider the attached article from Oakland on police commissions/ oversight, before you decide how you want to proceed.  It is very instructive on the challenges you may face.  Since the procedures for disciplinary action for police officers are embodied in their labor contract (which is subject the collective bargaining process under MMB, PERB; and other State laws, as well as long established city policy), and since the current contract with the optional extension, doesn’t expire until 2014, an oversight commission would be a ineffective, and generally useless until a new contract was mutually agreed upon, or imposed unilaterally on the POA.

Instead, you may want to focus on appointing a permanent Chief of Police for the time being, and see if the problems can be resolved that way.  As to the Council appointing a Chief of Police, go ahead and give it a try.  It will be interesting to see how the Chief interfaces with the Council, and implements both your individual, and collective agendas. You might want to ask Shawn, Sharon, or Pam what the closed session discussion was like when the most recent Chief was selected.  You will note that in the City Manager Ordinance, that the CM is required to consult with the Council on the selection of the Chief. That means that at least three Council Members need to concur with the CM’s recommendation in order for it to happen, unless of course the CM is planning on looking for a new job. For all practical purposes at least four members of the Council need to concur, as no Chief candidate will take a job on a 3/2 vote.The Council also interviews the final three candidates for the job, and can direct the appointment. Generally the CM can work with any of the top three, so the selection is responsive to the Councils direction, and desires.  Finally, ask yourself this question?  Do you want to be responsible for the Chief’s actions.  Remember that will require you to fall on your collective swords, as well as the Chief, if something like Kelly happens again. And, just a reminder, the Chief gets POBAR protection, and presumptive clause protection for medical conditions related to the incident, or the job, so you would be gone long before he, or she would, as you would bear the ultimate responsibility.

Chris Meyer
City Manager, Retired

The part I love is the former City Manager trying to scare the new council members into the same craven cowardliness that tanked the last crew. Do you want to be responsible for the Chief’s actions?

Well, hell yes!!

Leaders lead. The poor, brainless bastards that just got recalled failed to lead. They let “the system” take charge; the result was a disaster. Comically, the otiose Meyer derives his entire screed on the premise that “things just happen.”  But Meyer fails to grasp one basic truth: things just happen when nobody is in charge.

Typically, Meyer omits to remind the new council that he was in charge as the Fullerton Police Department slid down the greasy slope of corruption. Typical? Yes, indeed. The old, corrupt regime never took responsibility for its actions. And a bloated pustule like Meyer could make $200,000 a year coaching his three sawdust-brained puppets to dodge the accountability they were elected to assume.

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Posted onLaw N Disorder

Civilian Oversight in Fullerton Cops’ Future?

by 68 Comments on Civilian Oversight in Fullerton Cops’ Future?
Oversee me? Fat chance!

A Friend sent in this analysis of how an oversight group might bring some accountability to the police department.

A Civilian Oversight Group for Fullerton

“Civilian Oversight” refers to the ongoing monitoring of police activities with a view toward holding each police officer accountable for the services they provide, with the people they serve, (both good and bad) as well as the policies the police force operate under. Effective civilian oversight and influence of police is essential to ensure that the police force uses its powers and authority in a manner reflecting respect for law and individual rights and freedoms

A review of literature written about this subject suggests the single most important element in law enforcement is accountability. Holding individual police officers and law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions provides for lawfulness and legitimacy in policing, Citizen oversight groups occupy a unique niche in the law enforcement community. They are often lauded by citizens, avoided be government officials, and opposed by the police departments they seek to monitor. Due to the close working relationships between city officials and prosecutors have with police it can be troublesome for these individuals to pursue a police oversight program as it can damage cooperative partnerships with law enforcement personnel.

Citizens however are highly motivated to become part of the police oversight process. Being a member of an oversight group allows citizens to have their voices heard in what is a closed investigation and sanctioning process. Citizens have become disillusioned with the oversight process because civilian groups rarity have a sufficient level of power and facilitate change in the police agencies they oversee. Without the cooperation of the police agencies or mandated power from city officials oversight groups are held to playing a minor , advisory role in the investigation of police misconduct.

One of the main reasons for this is the strong opposition put forth by rank and file police officers as well as the labor unions that represent them. These groups see civilian oversight groups as untrained outsiders that are unable to objectively and effectively investigate incidents of police misconduct.

In order to increase their ability to produce the desired results, citizens’ oversight groups must continue their efforts and to remain visible in the communities they serve. For well established groups this means for providing an easy to find resource for individuals mistreated by the police. For newer or unsanctioned oversight groups visibility is crucial is a first step toward giving legitimacy both in their community as well as in the political landscape of the city.

The composition an oversight group is also an important factor in building a strong profile. It is important to have a well spoken and diverse membership base that communicates both strength and compassion to individuals and communities dealing with abuse of police power.

On July 11, 2012 there will be a meeting in the library to discuss the benefits of a civilian oversight group for the city of Fullerton. In about a month there will be a planning meeting for this civilian oversight group. See you there!

 

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Posted onAbout Us

Larry Bennett’s Last Gasp

by 249 Comments on Larry Bennett’s Last Gasp

Here is a clip from Rick Reiff’s program featuring our own admin, and the sorry sack of guano known as Larry Bennett. He’s the clown who blew a hundred grand defending the Three Bald Tires from a much deserved recall.

Observe that Bennett is not only a bad loser he is still a liar, which seems to come so naturally. He is still dodging the easiest question of all: if Tony Bushala wanted to control the City Council to further his own mythical development schemes, how much easier would it have been to simply donate to the Three Dead Batteries’ campaigns? The answer of course is a lot. A lot cheaper too.

Did you enjoy how Bennett glossed over the illegal water tax? He still likes it!

Bennett is also still going by the title Planning Commissioner. I wonder how much longer he’ll keep that job.

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Posted onBehind Closed Doors

Quirk Endorsed by PORAC

by 108 Comments on Quirk Endorsed by PORAC

What is PORAC? The Peace Officers Research Associaion of California is a statewide cop lobby whose contributions go to provide legal aid and comfort to cops, good and bad. We learned about this “research association” last winter as it made a $19,000 contribution to the anti-recall campaign, a failed effort to protect the political hides of the three cop union puppets on the Fullerton City Council. PORAC is also paying the legal bills for the two Fullerton cops, Manny Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, who have been charged with the killing of the mentally ill homeless man, Kelly Thomas.

Now PORAC has a new project: promoting the dubious political fortunes of Sharon Quirk-Silva. Check out the list of supporters on her website.

Now that’s a fine collection of educrats, far left leaning politicos that have helped tank California, and of course, unions that greased their skids. But really, Sharon, PORAC? Can you really be that clueless? Or is it just desperation?

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

I Know Awful, And This is Awful

by 158 Comments on I Know Awful, And This is Awful

Get a load of the sort of useless crap The Three Bald Tires are wasting their contributor’s money on, accompanied by another thoughtful “press release” by the slouching sloth, Larry Bennett. Hard hitting? How about comically pathetic?

ANTI-RECALL COMMITTEE RELEASES HARD HITTING

AD CALLING OUT SPECIAL INTEREST KING TONY BUSHALA

 Fullerton, CA – Today the committee fighting the Tony Bushala funded Fullerton recall released an ad   that documents Bushala’s $260,000 effort to buy the Fullerton city council.  “Bushala’s special interest money has polluted Fullerton.  His rent-a-mob has been disrupting city council meetings for months.  Many of the people he paid to collect recall signatures are now regular gadflies at city council meetings. This ad exposes Bushala’s sinister power play – using Kelly Thomas’ death – to advance his political agenda,” declared committee chairman Larry Bennett.

Yes, folks, the blithering idiots who paid for this pathetic video are the same clowns who have been squandering your tax dollars for the past two decades. It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?

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Posted onBehind Closed Doors

The New FPD. Send in More Troops

by 89 Comments on The New FPD. Send in More Troops

Apparently Dan Hughes and Sharon Quirk’s “reformed” FPD learned one lesson from the Kelly Thomas murder perpetrated by members of the force last summer. Don’t de-escalate, instead just send in more boys!

Our roving correspondent “streets of fullerton” sent in a story complete with pics from an incident on Harbor Boulevard, last night at 10:30. Here’s how it began: one garden-variety, Manny Ramos-body type FPD cop lecturing a homeless dude.

When he returned to the scene a bit later, our correspondent noticed half the night shift was there to weigh in. Our witness seems to think there may have been a physical altercation of some sort.

Well maybe this strategy is an improvement. Apparently the homeless guy left the scene in a cop car, alive. What his offense was and why he was confronted in the first place is still unknown.

Perhaps we should call Rusty Kennedy’s Human Relations Commission so he can tell us all about it. Here’s Rusty’s number: 714/567-7470.

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