I REPORT, YOU DECIDE.-by Barry Levinson
I attended the Fullerton Republican Women’s Federated meeting on May 28, 2014. The guest speaker was our Police Chief Dan Hughes. He gave an interesting if somewhat disjointed speech. He indicated that it was good for his department to acknowledge when they do not live up to the highest standards. Yet, he then referred to activists and complained that whatever the FPD actually does, these activists are going to complain about his department.
Dan, either you want legitimate criticism or you want to bitterly complain whenever a member of the public has a legitimate beef with the FPD. Your speech certainly sent out mixed messages much like that famous pair, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
He also handed out the 2013 FPD Annual Report, which he indicated was the first one published since way back in 1967.
In it I noted that for 2013, the FPD Supervisor of the Year was none other than Sergeant Kevin Craig, the highest-ranking officer present during the beating death of Kelly Thomas. Craig, you may recall, testified in late 2013 or January 2014 for the defense of Ramos and Cicinelli, claiming that none of the actions taken by any of his fellow officers, including himself that night were indeed against FPD policy. It seemed rather odd that even before the criminal trial had begun, Dan Hughes chose this man to be his star performer.
Why, Dan, did you fire Ramos, Cicinelli and Wolfe, when your Supervisor of the Year testified that they did nothing wrong? Your training officer, Corporal Rubio also testified that they did absolutely nothing wrong.
I guess those officers were just walking by and Kelly Thomas just happened to repeatedly strike himself in the head, face, body, etc. and died. I guess Kelly Thomas asked Fullerton Police Officer, Jay Cincinelli if he could borrow his taser, so Kelly could inflict maximum damage to his own face. I guess it was just those 6 officers’ misfortune that they happened to be on their normal rounds when that terrible incident occurred.
One must accept the above scenario as the truth to be able to understand why not one of those 6 officers ever spent a night in jail. But those pesky activists — you know, the protestors — Dan Hughes will make darn sure that they spend some time behind bars. Because that is the fair-minded, not-politically-motivated police chief we are so lucky to have represent us in the most ethically run city in the state of California. Count your blessings, Fullertonians. The city of Bell has nothing over us. After all, they just stole money, not a life!
I forgot to tell all of you, that our police chief kept on repeating one point over and over again during his presentation. That point was that Dan Hughes just does not pay any attention to the politics within Fullerton. No, he just sends 6 police officers, including 2 supervisors as well as several police vehicles to Pasadena for half a day to arrest AJ for a misdemeanor failure to disperse.
I now have learned from Jean Thaxton’s public comments at last council meeting that Dan Hughes put together a police committee to review the tape of the Ramos, Cicinelli not guilty protest that took place on January 18, 2014. Based on that review, FPD filed that non-violent misdemeanor charge against peaceful protester and live streamer, AJ Redkey for failure to disperse (failure I guess to not disperse quickly enough for Dan Hughes because others have alleged that the same tape shows Mr. Redkey running from the protest area at the time the police asked the protestors to disperse). We all know that had to be the highest priority for our FPD that day. Clearly, if AJ Redkey was the most dangerous “suspect” that needed to be arrested that day 40 miles away in Pasadena, and you could afford to send 6 officers to make that arrest, then I would humbly point out that the FPD is greatly overstaffed!
By the way, it is my understanding that the most common way, the easiest way and probably the cheapest way to make that arrest was to call the Pasadena Police Department and ask them to make that arrest. I guess that easy solution never crossed your mind, Chief Hughes. I guess the next question is why did that simple and easy solution never cross your mind? Or maybe it was personal to you Dan Hughes, like the game of political payback! Just like the reports that the FPD riot police who taunted those protestors who were arrested on January 18th, 2014 with saying the words Not Guilty over and over again! If true, it shows a great lack of maturity and professionalism by those officers.
But unfortunately for the good people of Fullerton, the alleged bad acts of one or more Fullerton police officers do not end there. In fact, it was reported that those 10 arrested protestors complained that their very lives were threatened by at least one Fullerton police officer who was transporting them to jail. These protestors complained that they were threatened that when they arrived at the Orange County jail all their faces (including both men and women) will be smashed in by 12 waiting OC Sheriff Deputies. Yet when Dan Hughes was asked whether he had reviewed the DAR’s (Digital Audio Recorder’s) of those officers to investigate those extremely serious charges, our open and honest police chief remained totally silent.
PS: It is now over a month and counting when I first asked Dan Hughes to tell me the name of the Officer who replaced Reserve Officer Bill Wallis performing the very important role of monitoring and enforcing Fullerton’s Sex Offender population. I am becoming suspicious that Dan has not and maybe does not want to hire a replacement for Bill Wallis. That would certainly have the same or greater chilling effect as repealing our Ordinance No. 3149. No manpower, no enforcement, no protection for both our children and our women from dangerous sexual predators.
Barry Levinson
#1 by Barry Levinson on June 12, 2014 - 10:29 am
As truth is always number one with me, I would like to make one correction to my above article. In it I stated that Police Chief Hughes selected i.e. “chose” Kevin Craig as the 2013 FPD Supervisor of the Year. In fact, it was awarded by the FPOA, the Fullerton Police Officers Association (i.e. the rank and file union).
Although I am happy to report that it was not the chief’s decision, it is still a real concern that the FPOA, chose to give this award to Kevin Craig. (I do not know whether the FPOA leadership made the award decisions or whether it was voted on by the rank and file FPD union members. I would certainly like to know the answer to that question.)
I also believe it was Dan Hughes decision as Fullerton Police Chief to issue the 2013 FPD Annual Report which contained the listing of this FPOA award. Therefore, the chief I believe had to approve the contents of this FPD Annual Report.
I REPORT, YOU DECIDE.