Hoops
Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/25/2010 11:48:28 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – In his first State of the Department address since becoming sheriff 13 months ago, Rod Hoops on Thursday talked about change, accomplishments and a challenging future.
The challenges will come in the form of budget cuts in San Bernardino County that may require restructuring and reorganization, Hoops said.
“We will have to do the same work with less money,” he said.
Hoops spoke to county and state officials, station commanders and deputy chiefs from specialized units in a packed conference room at the Sheriff’s Department headquarters.
There were “a lot of changes in a short period of time,” he said of the past year.
Hoops, who became sheriff in January 2009, highlighted moving county officials from Chino Hills to Fontana – making Chino Hills a standalone station and improving response times to San Antonio Heights and the West End – and consolidating the Victor Valley and Adelanto stations.
Hoops also reviewed some accomplishments.
Sheriff’s deputies reunited Bryant Rodriguez, who was kidnapped from his mother’s home in San Bernardino in May, and arrested the suspects.
“The investigation was one of the largest and most intense we have had to do,” Hoops said.
The county’s cold case team arrested Larry Hite in November in connection with the 1986 slaying of Nancy Klinger, and the Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team concluded an 18-month investigation of the Mexican gang La Familia and the smuggling of drugs into the country through the Inland Empire.
In January 2009, Rancho Cucamonga-based deputies arrested 10 people who were allegedly involved in a series of takeover bank robberies in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties.
To read entire story, click here.
So when does Abernathie get his promotion to Lt. That was the deal wasn’t it?
Disgusted Voter if this is the deal it normally gets done about a year before one is scheduled to retire.
Kinda of like getting promoted from Captain to Deputy Chief, work as a Deputy Chief for about a year then retire at a higher pay rate.
Someting a few get as a handshake for playing their game.
Disgusted Voter:
Yes, Abernathie will be a new lieutenant soon. Since M. Blanco of the Upland Police Department is the new treasurer of PORAC, (Peace Officer’s Research Association of California)Abernathie, who is also on the Executive Board of PORAC is needed as another level of law enforcement management within the PORAC hierarchy. This is why Sheriff Hoops is in such need of an endorsement for Sheriff from PORAC. PORAC controls the level of legal defense service that deputies or officers receive when accused of wrongdoing. Since Hoops is aligned with PORAC, PORAC will see to it that anyone he wants to terminate will receive antiquated legal defense, and thus ensuring him that he can terminate anyone he does not like with impunity. Hoops and the PORAC organization are as dirty as anything that ever came out of New York or Chicago in the 50’s & 60’s. These guys would have shot Frank Serpico themselves. They have all turned into everything they used to hate.
Hoops is the real deal, a good guy trying to do whats right in a tough environment. He got stuck with Ramos’s campaign guy and is looking for any excuse to get out of that camp, so give the good guys a break. Hoops knows Ramos is unethical and is trying to keep him in check, but Ramos has his own investigators that can do what ever Ramos wants. It must be nice not to have any check or balances Mike.
I have also heard Hoops is very distressed with Ramos. There is more than enough happening here for even Hoops to take a close look at Ramos.
I too have heard some rumblings.
In order to be fair to Hoops he should have dealt with the Captain Gray scandal like any other crook and not cover it up as he did. HOW can you explain stuff like that away when others are being fired for MUCH less?
That does not make him the real deal or a good guy.
That is since he has been Sheriff.
Now take what he has seen as Deputy Chief, Assistant Sheriff and on down the line, it gets worse for turning a blind eye to all that he saw and knew.
Hoops is the real deal, a good guy? Did you have a beer with him, talked with him several times?
Or did he jump on a hand grenade for you while in Nam? That would make him the real deal or a good guy.
Or something in between?
Nice guy to talk with, I’ll give you that. The real deal comes when the chips are down and he or anyone else does the right thing. And does so more often than not.
I am sure Hoops is quite disturbed by what Ramos is doing.
My opinion Hoops and many other politicians and elected officials don’t like all this heat, BAD for business, to much attention on EVERYONE, to many outside agencies looking at EVERYONE, don’t need the Feds coming in here and snooping around.
No the real deal is when you seperate yourself from a corrupt culture that has better than a 50 year history and start taking care of business by YOUR loud and clear actions, NOT TALKING.
Best example to date for Hoops, he took away all the Special Deputy Badges unless they complete training.
I guess it’s human nature to talk with someone a few times, and decide he is a good guy. Ah yes the gift of gab.
The answer to most of this is, ELECTION time is coming up. Time to put on the good guy face.
We ALL know what a good car salesman is all about.
Marty Lockwood, VERY interesting comments regarding PORAC. I hope your wrong about that. But I will let you know if your correct.
You are very CORRECT on the legal defense issue, actually very scary for those honest cops who could get wrapped up in a political situation and are left standing all by themselves.
All I can say for those concerned at this time, ASK the Legal Defense Fund Administrator Ed Fishman to assign you new counsel. NOT ANYONE affiliated with SEBA.
I would demand legal counsel from the Law Firm of Dammeir & Lackie. THESE guys take care of business when it comes to management corruption and game playing. THEY have a solid paper trail of wins for those they represent.
Even their losses clearly show they fight like hell for their clients and these guys ARE NOT politically correct if need be.
I have heard they have no love for some in SEBA, and hopefully they would take the case. Both know this County VERY well. A law firm like that is needed right now in this County.
SEBA counsel has talked smack about that law firm, something about being to aggressive and not to bright. NOT TRUE!!!
There are a couple of other issues that relate directly to what you have said Marty that I will wait to comment on until I talk with some others.
Marty here is a recent article written by Michael McGill partner in the Law Firm of Dammeir,Lackie & McGill. You might recognize the Chief of Police in this article.
You won’t see such article about Abernathie or SEBA from recent memory.
It is interesting that in a recent case a Deputy requested new counsel and didn’t like the SEBA attorney, the Legal Defense Fund assigned him a new attorney out of the Encino area to handle the case.
No doubt a long drive for the Deputy when Dammeir’s office is in Upland. Interesting article and we know it’s true.
CHIEF OF POLICE FORCED TO WITHDRAW FRIVOLOUS DISCIPLINARY ACTION
By:
Michael A. McGill, Esq.
After having just been promoted to police chief in 2006, Michael Billdt is seeing his short and embattled reign with the San Bernardino Police Department come to an end. The decision not to renew Billdt’s long-term contract and begin the search for his replacement marks the end of a tumultuous era in San Bernardino Police Department history and is a move that is welcomed by virtually every officer within the Department.
While there are many reasons for Billdt’s ultimate demise, among them is his failure to treat the officers he leads equally and with respect. The most recent example involves the case of Sergeant Steve Lowes. Sergeant Lowes has spent the better part of the last two and a half years enduring Billdt’s vindictive wrath, all for simply exercising his right to file a grievance.
Throughout his 25-year career, Lowes had done everything expected of him. He had been a model employee, with a clean disciplinary record and a history of exemplary performance. In April 2006, he was assigned as the sergeant in charge of the Department’s MET team. He, along with three other sergeants, filed a grievance against their lieutenant, who had been harassing officers and creating a hostile work environment. Little did he know that this grievance, and his refusal to back down, would force him in to the fight of his life.
A month after filing the grievance, in May 2006, Billdt confronted Lowes and attempted to extort him into withdrawing the grievance by making an open internal affairs investigation “go away.” However, Lowes was confident that the investigation was a sham, and would not give in. At the same time, lieutenant Brian Boom, a man considered by officers to be Billdt’s “hatchet man,” confided in another lieutenant that Billdt wanted to punish Lowes by transferring him out of his MET position as a result of the grievance. Still again, after another failed attempt to get Lowes to end the grievance, Billdt threatened Lowes telling him that if he would not end the grievance, he was going to “do something for the good of the department.” In response, Lowes said only that he too was trying to do something for the good of the department.
Immediately after it became clear that Lowes would not give in, he was hit with an onslaught of internal affairs investigations alleging misconduct and negligent performance, including the sham investigation Billdt had previously offered to make “go away.” Lowes was noticed of discipline for three different incidents: two 80-hour suspensions and a demotion. Almost overnight, Lowes went from an outstanding officer and a department leader, to a disciplinary problem. Rather than back down, Lowes decided to fight back.
Lowes retained Lackie, Dammeier & McGill who immediately filed a retaliation lawsuit against Billdt, seeking punitive damages for his malicious actions. At the same time, Lowes also appealed his 80-hour suspension and demotion. Lowes would not take any deals he was offered along the way and was looking forward to proving his innocence at a administrative hearing.
At the administrative hearing, Billdt would bear the burden of proving that Lowes committed the acts of misconduct and that the discipline imposed was appropriate. In recognition of this fact, and knowing that he had done nothing wrong, Lowes waived his privacy rights and requested open hearings and invited the media to attend.
When forced to justify his allegations against Lowes, Billdt refused to do so. In an unprecedented act, Billdt abruptly decided to “sustain” the allegations against Lowes, but decided that “no discipline” was appropriate. Rather than have to face the music, Billdt backed down and rescinded two of the three discipline cases-the 80-hour suspension and the demotion. Since no discipline was actually imposed, and because Billdt indicated the sustained allegations couldn’t be used against Lowes for personnel purposes, Billdt claimed that Lowes was no longer entitled to an appeal hearing.
Thus, after facing such severe discipline as a demotion and having his livelihood threatened, Lowes has received only a 80-hour suspension that is currently being challenged in his retaliation lawsuit.
Billdt’s vindictiveness had become so evident that he soon began to alienate the San Bernardino Police Officers Association. The Association had been experiencing its own problems with Billdt, who had reneged on numerous promises, and had refused to address the Association’s claim of cronyism after Billdt promoted most of his friends. Billdt’s treatment of Lowes, in addition to these other problems, eventually led to a vote of no confidence by an overwhelming majority of Association members in 2008. Soon thereafter, the decision by the City to search for a new chief was made.
Although Sergeant Lowes is happy that he has prevailed in these recent hearings, he is disappointed that he was not given a chance to publicly challenge the bogus allegations made against him. Nonetheless, he looks forward to his upcoming trial where Billdt will have to explain himself, and won’t be able to escape so easily.
Now if anyone has an article like this that support Abernathie and SEBA, please let me know.
Anti Corruption Unit:
I appreciate the case info. and I am familiar with it. San Bernardino POA fired PORAC Legal Defense Fund Attorney Robert Krause of Castle, Petersen and Krause in favor of Lackie & Dammeier, and now McGill is a senior partner. The quality of work Deiter’s office gives has suffered greatly, as he has taken on far too many clients from other law firms, but has not increased his staffing to keep up with demand. San Bernardino PD alone is a full time job for 1 attorney.
Let me give you an example of Attorney Mike McGill. A probationary Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff was terminated a day before he was off probation working the jail for unsubstantiated complaints that were never investigated. Inmates said he was mean. No use of force issue. Instead of Mike McGill filing for writ of mandate outlining the violations of department policy that took place in his training, and subsequent termination process that followed, Mike McGill tried to create case law by alleging a violation of Assembly Bill 301, the peace officer’s procedural bill of rights. Probationary employees are for the most part: “At Will” employees, and have no standing pursuant to AB301. The deputy provided Attorney Mike McGill with copies of the departmental policy violations. Mike McGill was not interested in them.
To make maters worse, the day of the hearing, Attorney Mike McGill did not show up for the hearing. He gave it to another attorney the night before, and that attorney had no clue how to proceed. The judge denied the writ as it pertained to AB301, but then asked if there were any departmental policy violations in question. The attorney did not bring those documents to the hearing, or was never provided them by Attorney Mike McGill. The deputy lost, and was fired. A good guy who spent $6000.00 + dollars he had to borrow was thrown under the bus by Attorney Mike McGill. The union did not pay his attorney’s fees. There is a much bigger cover-up in this case. Stay tuned for that. Mike McGill and Deiter Dammeier will be extremely embarrassed when it comes out. Remember Deiter Dammeier’s failed campaign for the Rancho Cucamonga City Council? He is all about power, and the manic ego’s of those that possess and abuse it.
Deiter has done the same to Fontana Officer’s and others, as he gets his marching orders from LDF Administrator and Attorney, Ed Fishman, and Larry Friedman before him, who gets his orders from PORAC President Ron Cottingham, who is also on the board of Calpers, who also works with Abernathie, who is on the Executive Board of PORAC, who tells Ed Fishman who deserves good legal defense, and who doesn’t, who meets with Lackie & Dammeier at PORAC meetings, which are administered by President Ron Cottingham, and attended by PORAC Legal Administrator Ed Fishman and now newest PORAC Treasurer M. Blanco of Upland PD, who is personal friends with Attorney Deiter Dammeier, whose offices are in Upland, CA. whose cronies will only support Deiter Dammeier for political office if they like him, in which case he has to sell out some clients of some attorneys in exchange for future favor from those attorneys. That law firm is Jones & Mayer of Fullerton California whom departments hire when they want to fire a law enforcement officer. The PORAC attorney’s make deals at the expense of the law enforcement client for future favor, so those attorney’s seeking public office, or some state level committee appointment, (Such as PORAC Pres. Ron Cottingham to Calpers) are paid back for their efforts. Jones & Mayer is a corrupt law firm that will do or say whatever they are paid to do or say by the department that has hired them. In exchange, Jones & Mayer is used exclusively to defend cities and counties against Pitchess Motions. This makes their law firm untold millions in legal fees. The same is true for The Counseling Team of San Bernardino. This firm performs psychological examinations of police/sheriff/fire. The head doctor is Nancy Boles, who is married to former Sheriff Gary Penrod. If a chief or sheriff does not like you, they formulate a reason to send you to them for a fitness for duty evaluation. Whomever is requesting the test contacts Penrod, or his wife and just has to say that subtle phrase. Something to the effect of; “I’m not sure if officer/deputy so and so fits into our long term goals here.” That’s code for get rid of them. The same is done at law enforcement staff meetings. Half the brass roles their eyes, the other half salivates over who is going to manufacture a termination case first.
Deiter is no different. He is a good attorney, but that level of service is selective, and based solely on that employees standing within the PORAC organization, or whether that association employee’s local president hasn’t been shoulder tapped by their chief in the same staff meeting manner. There was no way Deiter Dammeier or Mike McGill would ever have done anything to successfully defend a probationary deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The win is too small to counter the political fallout of having angered Sheriff Baca. Sheriff Baca is friends with PORAC President Ron Cottingham. There is no way Deiter was going to anger him. Oh, he’ll keep the deputy’s money though. You get the picture.
Very interesting indeed.
Marty your story rings true on several other issues also, and it puts other pieces of a puzzle in place.
One might be that Deputy who was assigned that attorney out of the Encino area, based on the evidence in that case it appears the attorney might of had his marching orders from up north also.
THOSE orders of course don’t rock the political boat.
That attorney had some compelling evidence in his possession prior to a Civil Service Hearing and didn’t seem to gun ho to bring it out and had months to prepare, spent most of his time looking at other areas of the case, that really didn’t answer the legal issues at hand.
Seems by talking with more than a couple of other members these attorneys are ignoring evidence that puts certain people on the chopping block, and the attorneys are making all kinds of excuses to avoid the primary issue.
But they are racking up the cash spending time looking at irrelevant issues.
Tell me what you know about the law firm of Silver, Hadden & Silver?
Do you know why San Bernardino POA got rid of Bob Krause??
Thanks….
This is the type of legal fraud that goes right along with Mikey Ramos’ “selective prosecution”. In order for a union member to get a fair shake, there has to be an “understanding” (pure politics) between the union leaders and the legal community involved as to how the case will be ultimately disposed. Didn’t Dammeier (and McGill) cut there teeth with the Ontario PD, representing safety employees against the likes of the Devilreaux machine. Seems like they got way too much publicity and client base than they deserve, all by playing along with, and therefore being fully engulfed in, the politics surrounding how the game is played in San Bernardino County. Corrupt and self-serving attorneys make me sick.
Anti-Corruption Unit: Great to see how well informed you are, as it are those that take a vested interest in civic issues that truly care; whether we agree with the opinion or not. Most of those that are in power did all the hard work they would ever do in life attempting to obtain that power. Once they arrive, and are sworn in, they coast, all the while hoping you’ll never learn the truth about them. The truth being they are in over their heads, and do not want you to know that they do not know what they are doing.
As far as why the San Bernardino Peace Officer’s Association fired Robert Krause, I’m not certain of the reason(s) but you might ask the membership off the record. Krause and Dammeier worked together at the same firm at one time and despise one another. Dammeier has taken many of Krause’s clients, as well as clients from Silver, Hadden & Silver. Steve Silver’s office has now taken on police management associations as clients to compensate. Playing both sides is not winning them any fans. Krause is like so many PORAC/LDF attorney’s in that the level of legal defense he provides is based on that officer/deputy’s standing within PORAC/SEBA/ALADS/LAPPL etc. as mediocre defense for one client will find him favor for a future client.
For the older police defense attorney’s now such as Krause, James Trott, Lackie and others they are finding old clients they defended 20 + years ago are now lieutenants, captains, and chiefs. They now find themselves on opposite sides of old clients/friends, and often want to appease these old friends and display more loyalty to them than their own clients. Even opposing counsel such as the law firm Jones & Mayer, which are hired by municipalities to manufacture termination cases are friends with these attorney’s. They are seen out to lunch together following the employee hearings and associate together off the clock like the friends they truly are.
With Attorney George Franscell retired, the best attorney hands down is Bill Hadden. The only one that comes close to him is Attorney Michael Stone in Pasadena. No one better in criminal trials Than Bill Hadden, or civil service hearings. Any union that dropped Silver, Hadden & Silver for Lackie & Dammeier was very foolish. Steve Silver is still good as well. I don’t know enough about his wife Susan Silver to comment on her. Attorney Liz Tourgemen is impressive from there as well. Silver’s offices as well as Michael Stone’s practices law only, and you won’t find their attorney’s distracted by running for Rancho City Council as Mr. Dammeier has when he’s supposed to be looking out for his clients. I hope the information is helpful.
Abernathie will be a new lieutenant soon? Wow is this why the Sheriff’s union endorsed Hoops back in October 2009 for Sheriff before the filing period was over. This cuts the deputies short. They had a choice of Hoops or Averback for sheriff. The union has given Hoops $25,000 toward his campaign. Is this Chicago? This need to be investigated. The filing period has not closed and Abernathie has his boy Hoops getting all the money. WOW
Interesting to see your opinion of Bill Hadden. Great at criminal defense as he was part of Ivory Webb’s defense team. We all know the results there. Kudos to Michael Swartz as he was the lead attorney.
But as you know MANY more administrative issues that involve cops than criminal, that is where the problems start.
I do think most associations want aggressive representation for their members. At this point SEBA would be the exception to that rule. No paper trail to suggest otherwise.
As I recall it was Krause and Lackie who worked together back in the day, I have no knowledge of Dammeier being in the mix with Krause.
All these lawyers you speak of have some pretty good victories for themselves over the years. I call it the obvious paper trial.
But recently more than a few instances have popped up with SEBA’s lawyers suggesting exactly what you are saying is happening. Corruption within is quite obvious.
I will detail those specific issues another time.
One of the most outrageous issues that has come to my attention was a SEBA member under administrative investigation.
That member took that investigation home when he finally received it, went through every written document, listened to the taped interviews, read the summary from the IA investigator and FOUND tons of errors. Nothing in the tapes matched what was said in the summary of the report.
This investigation involved 5 others, 3 Sergeants and 2 Deputies.
The member compiled a detailed report of those errors and brought that to the attention of his lawyer and told his attorney he wanted to use these errors in the Board of Chiefs hearing and Civil Service if need be.
The members attorney took that information to Internal Affairs and allowed them to correct ALL those errors before the case proceeding to the Board of Chiefs hearing. The attorney NEVER said a word to his client, just did it.
It took several investigator several weeks to re-write the entire investigation. The member was beside himself.
I have never heard of that being done, can you imagine a defense attorney in a criminal case going to the prosecution before trial and telling the DDA’s about the errors in their case and allowing them to correct their mistakes?? UNBELIEVABLE and OUTRAGEOUS.
Like finding a DNA sample that isn’t any good and telling the DDA’s here this sample sucks, go get another one and let me know.
Worse yet the lead IA investigators with a solid history of being stupid and a crook himself eventually gets promoted. SEBA and their attorneys WERE more than aware of how dumb this investigator was.
But this is the touchy-feely attitude SEBA and their attorneys have with the Sheriff’s brass, of course all to the detriment of the members.
PORAC/LDF are aware of these issues. Shortly we will see how they respond to these issues which involve to many instances that cannot be explained away.
For now I will give the Legal Defense Fund Board of Trustees the benefit of the doubt. WE will see.
Some have been operating this way for sometime assuming everyone is stupid and won’t say anything, most of the time that is correct.
Marty after some thought, how is Bill Hadden the best attorney hands down?
Hadden has won some victories, but you can only get so much mileage out of the Webb case or cases like that. Criminal versus administrative.
I speak of Hadden as it relates to SEBA, not any other association.
Let’s say if Hadden and Swartz had not won the Webb case, he and a couple of others might have been hung from a yard arm, both from the rank and file as well as other associations. The world was watching that case.
Lackie and Dammeier have kick more butt in the courtroom for their members than Silver Hadden&Silver ever dreamed of. That pertains to individual cops, NOT the Association as a whole.
The paper trail on the battles fought as it relates to retaliation,desperate treatment, department standards etc between Dammeier and Hadden are like night and day.
If there is a politicaly correct law firm out there representing cops, it is Silver,Hadden&Silver.
If Steve Silver has in fact started representing Police Management in ANY cases, that would be a basis for me as an Association President to look for another law firm.
That tells me they are hurting when that happens.
Sorry I don’t believe for a second when you compare side by side Dammeier and Hadden in over all statistics, Hadden would not even come close to being the winner.
I will support that opinion with specific facts at a later time.
But if you have a specific case of Bill Hadden putting management on the witness stand and tearing them a new one on behalf of a client, by all means speak up.
If you do know of a case outside SEBA, then that would prove even more that Hadden works for Abernathie, not the client. Because Hadden does not subject SBSD management to aggressive cross or direct examination about their bad behavior.
Those are facts that so far are undisputed.
AntiCorruptionUnit:
Thanks for the Manifesto, but I don’t have a horse in this race, nor a vested interest in whether you agree. You asked about Silver’s office and I told you.
Lackie became an attorney in 1993. Dammeier in 1997. Silver became an attorney in 1966, and Hadden in 1982. I’m not certain Dammeier was even born by 1966, and likely hadn’t made it as far as high school by 1982.
The Webb case is far from being Silver & Hadden’s biggest victory. Their victories are more noted in Los Angeles, and Ventura Counties. When I said (criminal trials) that is where the attorney is defending an employee charged with a crime. Silver and Hadden’s victories are in the double or triple digits. I know of not one (criminal jury trial) either Lackie or Dammeier has successfully tried (themselves) and taken to a defense counsel jury verdict for a (sworn law enforcement) client. I’m not saying there aren’t any, but the reason I have not heard of any is quite simple.
Up until a couple years ago, Lackie & Dammeier would pawn off any criminal defense cases of officer’s or deputies charged with a crime to Attorney Todd Rash in Riverside. Rash later turned out to be so incompetent, he is no longer their go-to guy, as he was once described on their web site. I don’t know who has replaced him, if anyone. Their list of administrative, and labor/contract negotiations victories are impressive, but the LASO deputy case I wrote of previously that Mike McGill handled is not one of them. They tossed that poor kid under the bus like he was a registered sex offender.
You can hold a torch for Lackie & Dammeier all you wish, but when handing out advice to employees charged with a crime who are just trying to stay out of county jail, or state prison, you are not serving them well by recommending L & D. By mere tenure, and volume alone, Silver, Hadden & Silver has them beat, as does Michael Stone. Don’t misunderstand me though. These are attorney’s, which means in one way or another, they are all dirty. Some are just dirtier than others, and for vastly different reasons. L & D “tearing them a new one” as you put it can be fun, and beating up the bully is necessary at times, but going Roman on everyone, every time will not serve all clients well who still have to go back to work for these same degenerate chief’s or sheriff’s later.
These attorney’s choose their battles. In administrative cases with multiple officers/deputies from the same case and union, L & D choose the most desirable client they want first, and so inform Ed Fishman from PORAC’s legal defense fund. Fishman then farms out the remaining clients to whatever panel attorney/firm suits them at the time. The least desirable client gets most antiquated defense. Make no mistake about it, the jury is in, and has been in on PORAC LDF, and it’s board of trustees for a long time. They are as dirty as the day’s long. (Every) attorney gets their marching orders from PORAC admin. & LDF, as they pay the bills. As many former LDF attorney’s learned, you either play the game, or you are out.
The SEBA client story you gave is not unusual at all, nor surprising. All law enforcement unions should quit choosing current employees to head their union/associations. They should choose a retied, or even disgruntled retired employee that has no other agenda; except maybe to get even. Otherwise you just end up with former police union presidents such as those in Pasadena, Fountain Valley, Fontana, Riverside, Long Beach and others that sold out their union members only to get promoted to sergeant, or lieutenant later. Any president that was promoted later was an obvious sellout. The only way to go “Old School” is to place “Old School” back in the driver seat. They can; “Tear all the new ones” you like with impunity.
Marty your opinion on all this is appreciated. You do put some things in a better perspective. Thanks for that.
Someone needs to play Roman around SEBA for now. LOL!!!