Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/30/2010 09:00:19 PM PDT
After nearly eight months, San Bernardino County prosecutors still have not decided whether they will file criminal charges against two top county fire officials who used a fire department trailer to move personal belongings on county time.
“That matter is still under investigation. There’s no real time line yet as to when it might be complete,” said Susan Mickey, spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office.
In mid-August, county Fire Chief Pat Dennen and Deputy Fire Chief Dan Wurl were placed on unpaid administrative leave for 10 days after a human resources investigation determined they used the Fire Department trailer to move Wurl’s belongings from Running Springs to his new home in Yucaipa over a 10-day period in July.
The move occurred during work hours, and it remains unclear how much it cost taxpayers. The county has not made its findings public because prosecutors are considering criminal charges.
The county forwarded its findings to the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit for review on Aug. 13. It has languished there ever since.
Although the case remains high on the priority list, limited resources and a higher priority – the ever-expanding corruption probe into the county’s $102 million legal settlement with a Rancho Cucamonga- based developer – has contributed to the delay, Mickey said.
In August, Supervisor Josie Gonzales said the “public deserved better,” and that Dennen’s and Wurl’s conduct was no
better than the alleged corruption in the Assessor’s Office under the reign of Bill Postmus.
Her viewpoint appears to have softened since then.
On Tuesday, she said there “is absolutely nothing professionally lacking” in Dennen and Wurl and that criminal charges would lack merit because, among other things, they both stepped forward and took responsibility for their actions.
While it is not uncommon for prosecutorial reviews of potential criminal cases to span months, Dennen’s and Wurl’s case, experts say, is unique in that the two reportedly took responsibility for their actions and had already been disciplined at the administrative level.
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Once a matter passes through the portals of the Public Integrity Unit, nothing can escape, not even light. It will “languish” there till the end of time.
I wonder? If what is being said that the supervisors and higher ups were receiving free medical care at ARMC if this has anything to do with her change of mind.
How many times have we now heard of Josie changing positions on a given issue on a given day or a given moment?
NOW we have another issue that just came up, she was getting free medical care at ARMC and might not have used her real name in order to cover that up.
NOW we need to know how much the cost of whatever the procedure was and how many procedures have been done for Josie?
CAN you believe this? Josie you are as much of a crook as the others.No wonder you have drug your feet in more than a couple issues that involved corruption.
YOU have your own issues to try and hide. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
Did one of them borrow an empty trailer? Yes.
Was it on County Time? No.
Did they miss-use the County vehicle policy? No, they had written approval to use a vehicle for travel – per county policy, and verbal approval for use during emergencies, per CAO’s and Chairman’s approval (dating back several years)
Did the County ever formalize this policy? No.
Did they ever drive one home or for personal use? No.
Did they in-fact repay the county for the use of the vehicles anyway? Yes, in full.
Are these statements in-fact true? YES!
Is this a waste of everyone’s time? YES!
They paid their dues. Let it go.
Facts, as exec staff being responsible for setting a leadership example, did they exercise good judgment? Did some unreported retaliatory reassignments occur after the issue had died down for a while (tell us about PB)? And is this typical behavior of an individual with an attitude of entitlement?
On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is scum and 1 is ignorant buffoon, I’d say the actions were a 4-5. I seriously doubt that this is the only transgression of ethics by those involved. I also believe Russ Leach never ever drove home drunk until that last night where he was under a medically supervised, internal ethanol treatment, right?
The County complaint against these two has entered the Twilight Zone, the Black-hole of complaints, the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit.
Fact,no doubt you are a supporter of these gentlemen or you are one of them, that is fine either way.
But to tell us or give us the impression this was a one time deal for them, is insulting to most of us who have worked within the County structure.
Countless stories now coming forth on just about every executive manager of every department in this County who does this stuff daily and as routine as responding to a call for service.
I find it VERY interesting that CERTAIN individuals of higher status in the County, are being allowed to pay back in funds what they NEVER should have taken or become involved in the first place.
My point is the common employee is fired if not prosecuted rather quickly in identical circumstances. MOST of the time just fired.
The supervisors being allowed to pay the SYSTEM back is APPEARING to be a ploy to downplay potential issues in a prosecution for embezzelment or theft or whatever obscure violation of the law Mr.Ramos may choose to use.
Doubtful his office will do anything for fear the Fire Department will allow his house to burn down.
What you should be happy about is if either of these two gentleman EVER try and fire an employee for similiar or lesser violations of that policy, the attorney that represent your rank and file employees should be having a field day with that issue.
Lets hope the attorney that represents fire personnel is not a crook too!!
As Unwilling mentioned a MUCH bigger issue, the whistleblower in this case, are they still suffering from retaliation as a result of what they did? Are they still even working?
So let it go is not in the formula at this time.
Fact need to get his/her story straight. The article itself says the MOVE TOOK PLACE ON COUNTY TIME. Hello! Fact needs to get the facts straight!