Sunday Editorial – The Wrath of the Police Unions

I’d say Steven Greenhut hit it out of the park with this piece in today’s OC Register:

Despite the revelations, police unions continue to behave as before, trying to intimidate council members who refuse to go along with their demands for ever-higher pay and benefits, and protections for their members from oversight and accountability.

Two councilmen in Fullerton, Bruce Whitaker and Travis Kiger, are experiencing treatment similar to the Righeimer episode in Costa Mesa. The Fullerton police union is angry at the role those men played in demanding reform in the wake of the death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man fatally beaten by Fullerton officers in July 2011.

Please read the rest of “Steven Greenhut: Others feel wrath of police unions”

69 Replies to “Sunday Editorial – The Wrath of the Police Unions”

  1. Big bad Barry was sure sulking the other night when the City Council kicked him and his boys from the FPOA hard to the curb.

    I’d say it’s bye-bye Barry time when the Fullerton police officers union decides to elect a new President.

  2. Blatant harassment of elected? Yep. par for the cop course. In Fullerton it is being done under the watchful and pleaded eye of soon-to-be Ex-chief Danny.

    1. Doing their stupid shit on video and to their bosses, their City Councilmen, on the Dais is beyond stupid, dumber than dumb. Sleepy and sleeping, Bankhead syndrom.
      A free food Taxpayer funded FREE FOR ALL is no reason.

      Dumb & Dumber (1/6) Movie CLIP – Urine Trouble (1994) HD
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD2YJrvd71Y

      ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
      Mental deficiency used to be more finely classified using the following technical terms that later began to be abused by the rest of society (5):

      IQ Range Classification
      70-80 Borderline deficiency
      50-69 Moron
      20-49 Imbecile
      below 20 Idiot

      These are now largely obsolete and mental deficiency is now generally called mental retardation. The following is the currently used classification of retardation in the USA (5):

      IQ Range Classification
      50-69 Mild
      35-49 Moderate
      20-34 Severe
      below 20 Profound

      1. Fullerton Police Chief pat Mckinloey is an intelligent, well-educated man, recalled fullerton city council persons Jones and Bankhead, both intelligent and well-educated men.
        My point is these three men who obfuscated evidence in the Kelly Thomas beating, who paid out millions in legal settlements for their police force’s many civil rights abuses against fullerton’s community, who illegally hiked the water tax so to divert into more bloated salaries and pensions for city of fullerton employees, these three men knew exactly what they were doing and that it was immoral and illegal, do not let them ease out of their culpability by presenting them as stupid and thus not aware of the consequences of their actions because that is what they want the public to believe about them right now.
        just my opinion

  3. Check, Travis, Bruce and Barry. You have my vote. Sorry Jane I really like you, but not this time. Chaffee will not last long,
    So, the Public Saftey Union wants a fight. Bring it on.

  4. Unions are unions. I was in a union years ago at GE in NYS, before we went out on strike two or three guys that looked like mob goons, they probably weren’t, were on stage leading a rah rah that ended with us going out on strike. We got a whopping 25 a week strike pay. All unions are crooked, only there to get money, they say for their members, but like my experience, it’s really for the union, and ultimately the member gets screwed right along with the employer. Until that point the member is nothing more than a cash cow providing dues.

    1. Same with the United Aerospace Workers unions that used to “protect” the aerospace workers at Rockwell International, McDonnell Douglas, Northrup Grumman.

      The only people that they enriched were themselves.

    2. Exactly. And don’t forget, the cash cow of mandatory paycheck deductions funds the Democrat machine all over the country.

      Yet Prop 32, which would stop those mandatory deductions, looks like it’s going to be defeated.

      The only people left in CA will be union members, I guess.

    3. Yes, the union for GE in Schenectady, NY did so well with their huge 3 month strikes that the company downsized in Schenectady from 33,000 workers to 3,000. No that is not a typo!

  5. Let’s not forget that it was Fulleron Police Officer Union President, Barry Coffman, who was the officer who was attempting to disrupt the protest in front of the Fullerton Police Department by issuing “honking citations” to individuals who were driving by the protesters and honking their car horns in support.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEIbMZxqJw8

  6. I grew in a union home. Dad was all in. I never saw any of them do anything but drink and party. If business was done, I never saw it. The only thing I saw, he was sure layed off alot, during the 70’s. He was part of the UAW, I think.

  7. Caption:

    This is my cheese burger. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

    My cheese burger is my best friend. It is my life. I must consume it as I must consume my fries.

    My cheese burger, without me, is useless. Without my cheese burger, I am useless.

  8. “In case you weren’t properly terrified at the prospect of President-elect Obama and his “terrorist pals” remaking this country into a Communist police state, the right-wing blogosphere would like you to get a load of this prescient quote from a past leader of the Soviet Union:

    AND SO IT BEGINS!

    “We cannot expect Americans to jump from capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism.”

    -Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev, 1959″

  9. Under POBAR, the officer has an absolute right to decline to take a polygraph examination. No disciplinary action or other reproach can be taken against an officer for refusing to take a polygraph. Nor can there be any comment to the refusal mentioned in the investigation, testimony, hearings etc. This does not apply to the use of a polygraph examination being used to screen applicants for employment, or applicants voluntarily seeking transfer to a sensitive assignment within a police department.

    So, they can be made to take a Poly. I want the new cheif of Fullerton to take a poly, and all those seeking a promotion. Being promoted to detective, I would think, would be concidered a sensitive assignment.
    Line up boys and girls.

  10. POBOR! And, polys can be beaten. Also, many OC polygraph services are operated by former LEOs; fox guarding the hen-house.

    1. Just wanted to see if was possible. So many LOE’s on this blog, said it was not possible. I had to see for myself. Many jobs depend on this. So, I guess they get another free pass.

      1. I think the reason polys are usually not admissible in court cases is because they can be beat; or, answers may be “inconclusive” – e.g., not clear cut as to truth or lie…

    1. Sad Lap :
      Travis and Bruce have locked down the 75 votes from the retards who read this blog on a regular basis.

      Are you so ignorant that you haven’t realized that retard is a totally unacceptable word to use? are you really that stupid or just enjoy acting like it? Wow, just wow… if this is what the FPOA/Fluzzy camp breeds it’s no wonder we are in a world of hurt here in Fullerton. I don’t know whether to be disgusted by you or feel sorry for you….it’s a toss up.

  11. This blog sucks. 5 people posting circle jerking each other. All other opinions blocked. Dumb. I could jerk LifeSave in real life lol

      1. Sorry. That’s just the image that I see with the same 5 people posting over and over with the same opinions. This blog lost its flavor when all the outside opinions were blocked out.

        1. Don’t forget the lurkers and Keller’s son, and most of the FPD, and FOPA, and OC Register reporters, and the City Council, do I need to go on?

          1. If you read into the trolls comment hes saying FFFF is a really big deal (Its also intelligent timely fun humourous and very very informative), and hes trolling it because of that.

            Someone who continuously makes attacks with sexual elements is more than disturbing!!!

  12. Public safety unions have repeatedly pressed for higher wages, defined pensions irregardless of performance or market conditions, relief of any kind discipline, demotion, reduction in pay or benefits when cops are found guilty of wrong doing and in many cases an array of felonies. Granted, it’s a tough job. But any job is tough to find these days and only going to get tougher. Reform is essential to the fiscal health of this community, otherwise, these guys are all going to be cutting off their noses in spite of themselves. You’d like to think cops are smart enough to see the writing on the wall and that the righteous ones would stand up, band together to do the right thing.

    1. Ok let’s have a logical discussion then since you are speaking logic.

      Why would any union or group of cops not do everything possible to stay as a PD and not go Sheriffs? Any work group would fight until their death to not lose their employer. Not sure why this is all so odd in your eyes. They want to stay as a PD. simple. They will do anything and everything possible to keep it that way. Just like you all did everything and everything to get the old farts out and your boys in. Fair game.

      I think FPD should go Sheriffs though. Fresh start. They can lateral to other OC cities which is a fresh start for them. Better pay. Better benefits. More promotions. More specialty opportunities. Win win for everyone.

      1. “Maybe because they couldnt catch a rolling donut”
        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

        “Being honest is so much simpler, lying makes things impossibly complicated”
        *************************************************
        When you add violence, aggression, sadistic rage, obstruction of justice, cover Ups, Backroom Deals, Spendthrift Taxpayer Funded Free for Alls (TFFFAs),
        routine tortue sprees, etc etc etc and on and on for a very long time.

        The result is The City of Fullertons ongoing news as being called a Soap Opera in the Press… Its really a DISASTER!!!

        1. Stick to the point and current issues Life. You are very confused. Maybe because the POA tactics are working? Politics is confusion. The more you can confuse the better. Keep FPD or go Sheriffs? And vote Kiger in or out? If Kiger in, the Sheriffs it is. If Kiger out, then FPD remains. Sad that politics dictates a city’s police dept but so be it.

          1. It’s not just Kiger, It’s a lot of us who are residents also. Let’s face it the FPD needs some help. They have their demons to deal with, and we are running out of time and money.

            1. Agree. They needed help prior to 2011 and still need continued monitoring and help. Just a matter of hiring an outside Chief and moving forward. Not continuous steps backwards. After November, hopefully they can hire that outside Chief and move forward with confidence and trust. If not, then hire Sheriffs now and move forward with tan and green running the ship with the same cops mixed in.

  13. Steven Greenhut has been the best regional/national collumnist on police related issues since all of this started. I think I saw this same op-ed in Reason the other day.

  14. Yes :
    Stick to the point and current issues Life. You are very confused. Maybe because the POA tactics are working? Politics is confusion. The more you can confuse the better. Keep FPD or go Sheriffs? And vote Kiger in or out? If Kiger in, the Sheriffs it is. If Kiger out, then FPD remains. Sad that politics dictates a city’s police dept but so be it.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Only the best, whoever they may be.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=10991035&l=927b01930f&id=93196209677

    OCSD Harbor Patrol in a training exercise with the Coast Guard. Got a…

  15. This piece is a great read. Courage and conviction are all we have left because there is nothing left to lose. The till is empty and all the hands are all out waiting for something that is not going to come. November will see the re-election of Mr Kiger and Mr Whitaker. Flory will be merely ceremonial like the cardboard fence sitting weather vane.

  16. Its different for the old guard to give up the ship! When the old guard is supported by a reactionary police union one has to ask, who would vote for them since its very obvious they are beholden to public employee unions at a time when they need to be scrutinized and cleaned up! The alternative is severe cutbacks in services over the next 5 years to avoid municipal bankruptcy.
    Also, the active support by union members for acting chief Danny tells one that he is definitely not the one to have as permanent chief.

  17. the issue of pension reform, exorbitent salaries for pulic servants is relevant more so now than the past years because all levels of government have grossly indebted themselves with these same pensions and salaries.
    Worsening this reality is the fact that over the last few decades,all levels of government have intruded into the lives of the people they vowed to represent with its metamorphesis into a nanny state using the guise of health, safety and welfare
    to justify its nanny role.
    Government’s intended role defined by President Thomas Jefferson was primarily to protect the rights of individuals to engage in business, opinions, exchange of ideas, to pursue their interests without fear of government retribution in the form of fines, imprisonment or other forms of suppression that always strikes fear into the individual who merely wants to live his or her life.
    It costs lots of money to feed the nanny state and it only dines on tax payer dollars.
    The nanny state needs lots of tax dollar food to continue regulating the minutiae of individual’s lives;when to use a phone, specific trashcans to discard an empty bottle, police checkpoints because you dare drive over potholed city streets, punishing freedom of speech by labeling it “hate talk” or “bullying”, and the list goes on.
    The nanny state inflates the power of local officials and consequently inflates their belief in their self-worth. This is why I am not shocked our public servants, fullerton PD, believe they are entitled to extremely generous pensions and salaries. This same inflated self-worth may explain why this entitity, the fullerton PD believes it is above the law it has vowed to uphold, resorts to defaming tactics to suppress any government representative who dare present them with the truth; the city of Fullerton does not have the money to continue their pensions and salaries.
    However, the issue of Fullerton PD’s defaming tactics, foolish politicians who curry favor with public unions for their campaign money and support may be a moot point because after rounds of quantitative easing our dollar is way more inflated than the egos of our public servants, the Fullerton PD.

    1. …..and eventually the 9.8 m/s force of gravity, 4th grade math and the laws of physics will all converge on these foolish enough to think that what is truly unsustainable will if in fact come to an end. Van that is a great synopsis of the “Great American Experiment” and how it being left to the myopic and foolish will end in utter disgrace and disaster.

  18. Nice picture of Coffman in all of his glowering, gluttonous glory. Is there a pinup calendar of Fullerton cops for sale this year?

    1. Life. Even you know that’s not true. You have posted numerous OCSD issues just in the last year. We both know that OCSD will end up with the same issues over and over. We can think they won’t or hope they won’t but we both know if OCSD comes into town we will have very similiar issues over the following years. I predict many more uses of force actually.

      1. Yep. Outside Chief or OCSD and move forward. OCSD best chance to move forward because even with outside Chief any incident will be blamed on the remaining culture of corruption that remained.

  19. Yes :
    Stick to the point and current issues Life. You are very confused. Maybe because the POA tactics are working? Politics is confusion. The more you can confuse the better. Keep FPD or go Sheriffs? And vote Kiger in or out? If Kiger in, the Sheriffs it is. If Kiger out, then FPD remains. Sad that politics dictates a city’s police dept but so be it.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Sorry but I beg to differ,
    “Sad that politics dictates a city’s police dept but so be it.”
    RULE OF LAW DICTATES ANY CITIES FUNCTIONS. there is also GOD AND COUNTRY, and a thing often stepped on in California, the spirit of our founding fathers, and LOVE for our fellow Man!!! (NOT PERSONS, at least not yet 🙂 )

    1. I quoted a different post, so I thought, above.

      .

      Yes :
      Stick to the point and current issues Life. You are very confused. Maybe because the POA tactics are working? Politics is confusion. The more you can confuse the better. Keep FPD or go Sheriffs? And vote Kiger in or out? If Kiger in, the Sheriffs it is. If Kiger out, then FPD remains. Sad that politics dictates a city’s police dept but so be it.

      1. “RULE OF LAW DICTATES ANY CITIES FUNCTIONS. there is also GOD AND COUNTRY, and a thing often stepped on in California, the spirit of our founding fathers, and LOVE for our fellow Man!!! (NOT PERSONS, at least not yet)”

  20. Yes :
    Life. Even you know that’s not true. You have posted numerous OCSD issues just in the last year. We both know that OCSD will end up with the same issues over and over. We can think they won’t or hope they won’t but we both know if OCSD comes into town we will have very similiar issues over the following years. I predict many more uses of force actually.

    Nonfeasence, malfeasance and misfeasance, coverups and brushing aside, is not standard in Departments that arent a major news topic often referanced.

  21. Cop Logic :
    Yep. Outside Chief or OCSD and move forward. OCSD best chance to move forward because even with outside Chief any incident will be blamed on the remaining culture of corruption that remained.

    The PDs problems are probably more of a symptom of the infamous vile City Politics.

    Quirk read the definition of Politics on the Dais, they really need acting classes.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *