The Chief is Gone Long Live the Chief
It’s now been a day since Chief Dan Hughes left us to go work for the Mouse. After all the praise he’s been showered with it’s time somebody said what too many of us are thinking and that’s that if the FPD stinks it stinks like a fish from the top down so we’re gonna take a quick look at the top.
First let us recall the letter to Joe Felz from Benjamin Lira outlining Hughes place in the chain of command corruption.
Dan Hughes didn’t think there was a problem with the FPD because he was a part of the problem and he certainly didn’t see a problem after he took over and made some changes that we can’t fully verify because of records laws and access that only our betters get. Some go as far as to claim he said the video of Kelly Thomas being beaten to death “wasn’t that bad”.
Dan Hughes was so confident in the goodness of his department that he was under the impression that only a vocal minority lost favor with the Police Department after the Thomas beating (Rincon, Mater, Major, Hampton, Nguyen, Mejia, et cetera). A vocal minority.
The actions of the FPD are what spurred the recall. FPD beat a man to death and then the council majority sat on their hands. Remember the recall? It led to three of those City Council Members being removed from office by a factor of 2-1. If only a vocal minority was against the Police than a even smaller minority was in favor of them going on this metric.
Hughes was the head of the Patrol Division at the time of the Kelly Thomas murder and said nothing as Spokesman Andrew Goodrich lied to the people of Fullerton about the boo-boos that FPD sustained in the process of their fucking up a guy, as Ramos promised, who committed the heinous crime of being homeless.
Hughes was on the same police force that the Genacco report said suffered from a Culture of Corruption and he did nothing on record to stop it. If there was a Culture of Corruption he was a part of it for 20+ years before we could prove it existed to enough people to notice. To pretend that he wasn’t a part of the problem is naive.
On his way out the door we learn that the FPD arrested a couple for being victims of a crime based on the word of actual criminals because apparently police work, like looking at the video that exonerates the true victims, was just too hard for this pillar of our community and his reformed department.
We Also learned on Wednesday that Chief Hughes left a parting gift for City Manager Joe Felz. Felz got to get away with an alleged DUI, if nothing else he got at least got away with destruction of city property because we’re told, well nothing. We’re told nothing. The only reason you know anything about this story is because we here at FFFF got ahold of a memo from Danny boy himself. It’s all hush-hush and will remain that way during the closed session at council on Tuesday.
Speaking of secrets.
Did you know that we already have a new Interim Chief? You’d think we residents would be allowed to know who’s running our Police Department. Suckers. You’re allowed to know what they tell you you’re allowed to know and when they tell you if they bother to even tell you. The ink is probably already dry on the contract and we don’t even know if it was legally opened up to candidates. Wanna bet that the Council rubber stamps the new Chief behind closed doors too?
The good thing for Disney and their new VP of Dineyland Security and Emergency Services is that at least he’ll have fewer DUIs to cover up for his bosses now that the House of Blues has left Downtown Disney.
What this picture doesn’t show is any protesters in the background because the area was blocked off & even the busses re-routed to prevent any possible disruptions.
http://behindthebadgeoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/160610-FPD-Chief-Walk-of-Honor-03-SJG-1024×714.jpg
Why would Chief Dan Hughes allow Officer Cary Tong to work among the public almost a year after Hughes learned that Tong had made a false arrest and had written a false report? Officer Tong would still be working the streets of Fullerton today if the DA’s office had not insisted that Tong be placed on leave. The DA’s office told Hughes they would not prosecute any case in which Tong had any involvement, the DA’s office had deemed Tong a Brady officer. Why would Hughes risk the department to more bad media exposure?….the story of Officer Tong lying for Hughes written by Officer Lira seem to shine some light on the special relationship between Tong and Hughes. One thing to say about Hughes…If you cover for him he has your back…right Corbett and Felz?
When will the DA’s office announce criminal charges against Tong, my guess any day now.
Did Disney know about this pending case? By the way, who does the background investigations for Disney? is it the same investigation firm that does the pre-employment backgrounds for the Fullerton Police Department?
The information below by Officer Lira may shed some light on the decision making process of Danny Hughes.
Letter to City Manager Joe Felz by Officer Lira July 2012
The more I look around I can’t help but feel Dan Hughes is the common theme amongst corruption that has occurred. For instance, the city is being sued by Clarke, a citizen who said he was assaulted on St Patrick’s day 2010. All those involved know it was Dan Hughes who initiated this contact and took Clarke down to the ground causing him injuries yet no record of this ever exist. In fact, this arrest was followed by Officer Cary Tong purposely slamming on the brakes and while recorded on DAR you can hear Officer Tong allowing the inmates face to slam on the “cage” three times in the Police car. I think it’s sad and ironic how now the city is being sued but up until now Hughes’ involvement is not known. To me this shows what kind of person he really is. In addition to that during this investigation he had Sgt Chocek secretly/privately go up to each officer involved and promise them lenient discipline in return for not reporting Dan Hughes’ involvement.
Does Disney use RCS Investigations and Consulting LLC. for it’s employment backgrounds just wondering?
http://patch.com/california/missionviejo/perennial-foes-spitzer-and-rackauckas-fling-charges-bullying-and-grandstanding-over-county-contract
How is Felz still able to appoint a new chief? He needs to be put on leave NOW.
Prior to hiring Hughes did Mr. Iden of Disney get all the information necessary to make a sound, informed decision about the character and decision making ability of Chief Danny Hughes?
Or did Disney rely on the background check conducted by the City of Fullerton on Hughes 33 years ago when they hired a 19 year old who’s only misdeed was driving too fast in the parking lot of Sunny Hills High School?
When Chief Hughes was being interviewed for his new job by the folks at Disney and if they were to have ask him a hypothetical question on how he would handle the late night drunk driving accident by his City Manager would Hughes have told the interview board he would: extend special treatment to the City Manager, have no concern for the damage to property and risk to the public. Not call the CHP to investigate so to expose the City of Fullerton and its employees to the appearance of a coverup?
Would the hiring board at Disney felt that was the right answer?
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/leaders/ronald-l-iden/
Of course they did! That’s exactly what they were looking for, someone who knows how to keep things out of public view. Remember when Disney wouldn’t let the cops into an accident site until they had cleaned things up? He’ll be perfect for the job.
This blog needs to be taken down now…it’s all a bunch of lies. Danny Hughes was responsible for cleaning up the department. There is one little accident by a the City Manager and all this old stuff comes up in which Chief Hughes is not responsible. It was an accident, accidents happen, What’s the big deal? Get over it already.
If there is so much corruption within the department since Dan took over least one officer would have come forward and report it, at least talked about it and I haven’t heard of any. Put this to bed and lets move on.
Aw, now I feel so bad about myself! Poor, misunderstood Danny!
Now…whether Hughes did ANYTHING to clean up ANYTHING may be a debateable point. I don’t think you can reform sopmething you claim id AOK, but that’s just me.
However I am so glad to hear you admit the the FPD NEEDED “cleaning up.” Now we’re getting somewhere. The first step to recovery is admitting the problem. Of course Danny never did even that, did he?
The corruption is worse since Hughes took over. Officer are leaving. A officer who was hired since Hughes became the Chief wrote a letter to staff upon his exit to work for another department, laying out all the corruption that goes on within the FPD.. (Don’t know how to post a copy of that letter here)
Email the letter to the address on the Contact page of this website.
If you want to know about what’s really going on at the Fullerton Police Department read this…It tells the real story, not a bunch of lies.
http://behindthebadgeoc.com/news/
A scam operation, the biggest heist of which is using OUR tax dollars to promote an unaccountable police department through brain dead PR.
https://fullertonrag.com/2015/07/08/why-should-you-pay-for-the-fullerton-police-departments-self-serving-public-relations/
For 60k per year, I will write any stories a Police Department wants me to write.
Bill Rams Owner “Behind the Badge”
Ex-OC Register reporter
Well there is Ben Lira, who did come forward and who claims the reason he was fired was his refusal to remain silent, so there’s your officer. And his treatment would explain why there weren’t more – I couldn’t help but notice that Barry Coffman was able to disregard the laws against commenting on personnel matters with impunity while he publicly trashed Lira’s reputation. And Lira may be the only officer to come forward publicly on the record, he is not the only one to do so privately, and off the record.
Oh boy, oh my Danny Boy!!!
No need to pack your lunch on Monday for your first day at work.
I don’t think you will be there that long.
Lira was proven to be the biggest liar ever. The poster boy for a disgruntled employee. He disappeared quick when the facts came out.
Reality Is……
Hughes fired Corporal Paul Irish for taking about Departmental Corruption and Ethics during a departmental briefing On September 6, 2014. What will be said about Corporal Paul Irish when the facts come out?
X-Cop – If you know anybody who wants to help me get those facts out I’m pretty easy to reach and sources will remain anonymous.
Does it matter? What’s the point? Someone got fired for doing something bad and you want to ride DannyBoy for it? You know as well as I do he got fired for more than that silly. POBAR would save him from nonsense like that.
You would hope an honest, hardworking 21-year police veteran like Corporal Paul Irish, with no prior disciple on record would get fired for more than talking in briefing training about ethics, the code of silence, corruption within police departments and the benefit of a civilian review board….. but he did. What’s in dispute is whether or or not Irish told his supervisor he would do training on “seat belt policy” and changed his mind and did “Ethics Training” instead. The department considered that to be a lie and fired him for lying. Irish claims he told his supervisor, “I might do training on seat belt policy” this conversation with the supervisor was one on one and Irish has no prior history of lying unlike some of the police witnesses in this case.
In fact Corporal Irish’s words posed such a danger to the community, Irish was suspended the next day he returned to work while other officers facing criminal charges such as murder, theft, sexual assault….and the list goes on…. have been allowed to remain on duty while their charges were investigated but not Irish. Corporal Irish was suspended for about 8 months and then served with his notice of termination. He is currently in the arbitration point of his appeal….this is the point were someone other than the Chief of Police and the City Manager will hear the facts of his case.
I believe Corporal Irish was treated this way was because he had previously reported criminal acts and departmental policy violations which had been ignored or discounted.
Prior to being fired Irish had been harassed, denied promotion and assignments.
I understand that there are many audio copies of Irish’s “Ethics Training” floating around. It might be of some interest to hear the 15 minutes of dangerous words that cost this man his job, reputation and the ability to provide for his family.
I’m sure his lawyer would be willing to provide further details…..
Mike Williamson
200 East Del Mar Blvd., Suite 350
Pasadena, CA 91105
Telephone: (626) 683-5600
LOL! Don’t shoot your foot again. Man that was ugly.
Still waiting.
If you shoot your foot once, shot the other one too so they match.
Who is going to be the new Chief? We already know that the next City Manager is already in place.