Watch as the DA explains how the other four officers involved in the Kelly Thomas murder did not mention excessive force when they wrote their reports of the incident.
Also recall that those reports were supposedly written (and even more importantly, rewritten) to the satisfaction of “The Management” who watched the tape.
Put it all together and you’ve got the makings of a full-fledged cover up.
Who were the FPD managers who orchestrated the collusion and the falsification of what they all knew to be true? We’d like to know Mssrs. Bankhead, Jones and McKinley, if it isn’t too much trouble!
And by come home to roost I mean a veritable pile-up of embarrassing and expensive lawsuits we will all have to pay for.
Check out the slew of new legal threats against the city on this week’s agenda, ironically followed by salary and pension negotiations with the unions whose members caused these problems in the first place. I wonder if Bankhead, Jones and McKinley will make that connection. Highly doubtful.
And don’t forget that City Manager Joe Felz is going to take another swing at getting that raise. God Almighty, who is minding the store?
Correction: Felz raise didn’t make it on to the agenda for some reason.
I keep hearing persistent rumors that the Fullerton City Manager Joe Felz has had discussions with high level County officials about the possibility of abolishing the Fullerton Police Department and replacing it with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Apparently the hook is not just the recent revelations of FPD misconduct, perjury, cover-up, crimes high and low, a spokesman caught blatantly lying, and the attendant PR curse that the department has visited upon itself. There is an issue of huge cost savings. And I mean huge.
While the prospect of getting honest, competent and respectful police services from the Sheriff’s Department is probably only marginally more likely than with the FPD (and there’s no way in the world it could be worse), extrapolating from current costs in contracted cities, using the OCSD could save the taxpayers of Fullerton as much as $13,000,000, per year from the FPDs bloated budget of $37,000,000.
That’s a whopping 37%, and $13,000,000 could go to a lot of things Fullertonians hold near and dear.
In this era of government fiscal constraint brought about in large measure by irresponsible decisions by dimwits like Don Bankhead, Dick Jones and PatMcKinley, to hand out exorbitant pay and benefits to “public safety” employees, everything should be on the table.
Uh, oh! Some semi-literate chucklehead is not happy with FFFF! We received an e-mail from an under-educated police apologist who wishes that we would turn our attention from the Fullerton Police Department record of bogus traffic tickets, theft, drug-abuse, credit card fraud, kidnapping, kidnapping and sexual battery, kidnapping, abetting suicide in the city jail, and, of course, the Kelly Thomas homicide; and instead focus on “what the fullerton police does (sic) for you to keep you and your fellow fullerton citizens safe.”
Safe, huh? Safe from what? The greatest threat to our “fellow Fullerton citizens” these days seems to come from the FPD itself.
Anyway, enjoy the amusing version of “The Truth” as penned by some poor, high school drop-out:
Trying harder to think just isn't going to help!
Privacy: You may publish this, but protect my identity
Subject: The Truth.
Dear Whatever bastard is running this blog, Whoever you are you have no idea what the fullerton police does for you to keep you and your fellow fullerton citizens safe. You and your and other sons of bitches have warped the Kelly Thomas “murder” into a wormhole of un-needed conflicts and issues. And then when i thought that you guys could not steep lower than that you verbally attack and threaten the officers and thier families, what nerve do you have. How would you like it if I threatened the safety and well-being of you and/or your family.
Just Remeber…….How Would You Like It?
Oh, yes we will “Remeber” the next time we and our and other sons of bitches “steep” even lower.
UPDATE: Here is a post from waaaay back in November, 2010 about how our police union leaders view the political process and their ability to manipulate it to their own advantage. Of course the egregious Andrew Goodrich figures prominently in our post. Be sure to read the last sentence!
Just in case you thought there was any doubt that public service might not be the number one priority of Fullerton’s boys in blue, take a look at the document below, a veritable “how-to” article on political influence written in 2003 by FPD PIO and union front-man, Andrew Goodrich.
See, it’s all about how to leverage your members dues to create a political machine and get what’s coming to you. Actually it’s about defining what’s coming to you and getting a subservient collection of clowns you elect to go along for the ride.
I especially enjoyed Goodrich bragging about batting one thousand. The record looked great in 2003, but then the wheels started coming off the squad car. Chris Norby and Shawn Nelson jumped ship PDQ (although Norby stayed on the Police Reservation long enough to vote for the obscene 3@50 deal in 2001, thanks Norby). The pitiful police-backed pipsqueak Mike Clesceri was tossed out in 2004 after a mere one term; and ditto the equally useless Leland Wilson who was just a bad memory by 2006.
In 2010 the union backed a geriatric of dubious mental competency, a poster boy for pension abuse, and a guy who dodged criminal responsibility by giving his DNA to the DA. Hey two outta three ain’t bad –for them. For the rest of us? Not so good!
Bringing shop floor militancy to a police force near you...
And here’s a little bit more about Mr. Goodrich: promoted to “Community Services bureau leader – and police public information officer” last January as chronicled by Barbara Giasone:
Goodrich also signed the May 3, 2010 MOU on behalf of the FPOA, along with Barry Coffman and Robert Kirk.
And just in case you feel your tax dollars that pay for 3@50, etc. are insufficient thanks to the police for all they do you can always help out some more. Here’s a solicitation we received from the FPOA just yesterday. Your gift is supposed to go to FPOA “community outreach” but IS NOT tax deductible. Hmm. You get a decal of a police badge.
In closing I really feel compelled to wonder whether or not any of the three worthy gentlemen named above have been posting comments on our blog.
Okay, there seems to be confusion about the term “repuglican” as often used here on FFFF. The term does not refer to a political party, but rather a personality type within the GOP. The Dems have their own version, no doubt, but since we are a red county we are stuck with the ‘pugs. Please read the following post from October 2009.
Repuglicanism has always been a target of our blog because it seeks to empower, and enrich the grifters who put imbeciles like Bankhead, Jones and McKinley in charge of doling out government welfare to the high rollers. It also seeks to defend the all-important status quo above all else.
– Joe Sipowicz
This morning we received the following e-mail from a Friend:
Dear FFFF, some of your posters keep using the term “Repuglican.” I am not sure if this is simply a typo or if you mean to use this unusual term. Can you please clarify? Thanks.
Sure. Be happy to. This locution is no accident. It is a fusion of the words Republican and repugnant, from which you may draw the obvious conclusions.
We apply the term to describe local Republicans of the same ilk, although the issue of “neo-conservativism” is largely irrelevant here. These individuals are people who pursue the politics of partisan affiliation for its own sake, but also for what they can get out of it. The main thing, the only thing, really, is to stand for the Party (as a convenient vehicle for self-promotion, of course!), and of course to oppose the Other Party. Issues themselves mean almost nothing except as way to promote themselves in the wider context of promoting the Party. Inner conviction means little; philosophical beliefs mean little – except for getting and hanging on to the strings of political power in order to pull and persuade them in your direction.
Repuglicans love big business interests because those are the guys with the money; the high-rollers who will enable your “conference” in Maui.
A red bastion in a blue state, OC is chock-full of Repuglicans – who use the local municipal and County governments for their own advancement and enrichment. The Legislature is hopelessly Democrat, but this does not mean that the doors to fun and profit are completely closed to Repuglicans. Especially if they hang around long enough.
Fullerton City Councilman and former Police Chief, Pat McPension ain’t sayin’ much these days, at least nothing that isn’t getting him in even deeper in the City’s cover-up of the Kelly Thomas homicide at the hands for six Fullerton cops on the sultry night of July 5th.
But take a quick trip to Fullerton Stories and listen to then candidate Pat McPension in the fall of 2010.
Enjoy Pat’s list of repuglican endorsements, including DA Tony Rakauckas (!) and also the rear guard of decrepit liberalism in Fullerton, Molly McClanahan and Jan Flory.
Also enjoy Pat’s observation that it’s a good thing when nobody shows up to public meetings! Check. It’s a lot easier to cover-up what you’re doing when nobody is around (except “journalists” who regurgitate City Hall press releases and toss up softball questions). And of course nobody will be there to call you out on the serial misdeeds of your police department. The one you were in charge of for 17 long years. Remember, Pat? Yes, when you hired thieves, thugs, pill-poppers, sexual predators, kidnappers, perjurers, one-eyed LAPD rejects, killers of unarmed homeless people (and who knows who else) to patrol the mean streets of Fullerton.
Suffer through McPension’s bogus concern about out-of-control public employee pensions, and reflect upon the sad fact that in eight months on the City Council he hasn’t uttered so much as a tiny squeak on the subject.
In 2010 Pat promised to “hit the ground running.” Boy, that sure turned out to be a big elephant splat on the pavement in 2011.
We’ve got it on really good authority that former city councilman, State legislator, and current Irvine resident, Dick Ackerman is going to be heading up the anti-recall effort for Fullerton’s Three Blind Mice: Jones, Bankhead, and McKinley. For those of you who don’t recall the name Ackerman, run through our FFFF archives to discover what sort of moral fiber that this individual is composed of. We busted The Dickster cooking up a fake address in 2009 for his incompetent wife to run in our Assembly district although they actually live in Irvine (note: the Mrs was endorsed by Jones, Bankhead, and McKinley). We caught the old lady operating a fake charity for lobbyists so she and Dick could get free trips to Maui. We also cheered when the Voice of OC finally uncovered the smoking gun that tied Ackerman to illegal lobbying on behalf of the crooked OC Fair Board as we had been reporting all along.
See anything you like?
Only a few days ago we shared a notice for an upcoming country club event in which Ackerman will hold forth on how to manage a lynch-type mob.
That boy's gonna be real good to me...soon!
Well, now you know the sort of character we’re dealing with here. But what you might not know is that Dick Ackerman, who works for The Nossaman law firm was recently gifted with a huge windfall by his old pals Jones, Bankhead, and McKinley. See, on August 16th The Three Blind Miceignored their own professional staff’s recommendation, and instead presented Nossaman’s client, St. Anton Partners a multi-million dollar subsidy on a 60 units per acre low income housing project on Santa Fe Avenue! No wonder Dicky Boy was hanging out at the Council meeting all night and had to endure outraged citizens attacking the incompetence and stoogery of his three puppets on the council for three long hours.
Just for added fun here’s Ackerman’s blurb from the Nossaman website:
He assists companies, individuals, groups, and public agencies in their interactions with governments at the local, county, state, and federal levels. In addition, Mr. Ackerman assists clients in dealing with government and special districts on how to get through the political process.
In layman’s parlance, Ackerman is a political fixer, an influence peddler, and a lobbyist. Just the sort of guy who would spring to the defense of his trio of myopic rodent pals on the Fullerton City Council.
Here’s the page from the staff report listing the scores of the various “developers” seeking official City endorsement that will pave the way for millions in taxpayer subsidies. Check out Ackerman’s crew, St. Anton. Eighth freakin’ place! And yet Jones, Bankhead and McKinley decided to award millions to the guy who will be running their recall campaign. Stink? Much?
The second most ironic thing about this sad but illuminating story is that when he was on the city council in the 1980s, Ackerman was the most steadfast opponent of publicly subsidized housing in Fullerton. Well, that was then and this is now. See, when you’re a ‘puglican and money’s at stake, principles go right down the toilet. The most ironic thing is that in 1994 Ackerman also championed the cause of three incompetent buffoons who were being recalled. He lost that one, too.
As a thoughtful commenter reminds us, below, McKinley, Bankhead, and Jones were so eager to accomodate their pal Ackerman that they pushed through a vote and then had to rescind it because they never held a public hearing. Another example of Three Blind Stooge FAIL.
Dedicated commenter “corrupt” gave me great idea a while ago about applying a sort of Hippocratic Oath to our police here in Fullerton. They already take an oath of some kind which, based on recent events, doesn’t seem to have done much good. Nevertheless, I persevere in my attempt to get our boys in blue to toe the line – before we replace them with boys in green.
Here’s my oath:
1. First, I will do no harm to those I am supposed to protect and serve. This includes perpetrating no credit card fraud, assault or sexual battery, kidnapping, theft, homicide, or encouraging suicide while in custody.
2. I will obey the same laws that apply to people who pay for my salary and pension.
3. I will not make public statements that are intentionally misleading, or that are outright fabrications.
4. I will not accept free food or drink at downtown bars.
5. I will not fabricate evidence, falsify reports or commit perjury in order to prosecute the innocent; I will not cause others to do same.
6. I will not consider being recorded by citizens in the exercise of my job duties a reason to illegally confiscate recording devices; nor will I cause said citizens to be assaulted, arrested, or prosecuted (see 4, above) for exercising their rights as free men and women.
7. I will not knowingly permit any of my fellow officers to violate items 1-6; I will immediately report any such violations to my superiors. Superiors will do likewise – up to the civilian immediately in charge of the Police Department.
If you have anything you’d like to add please feel free to elaborate, as always, in the comments thread.
In the wake of a rolling tsunami of scandals, cover-ups, and abuse of its own citizens I have been hearing increased calls to disband the department altogether and bring in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Apparently the issue is not just FPD-fatigue and the brutal costs their misbehavin’ is going to cost the taxpayers; nor even police misconduct in general – since the OCSD has had its own share of bad behavior in recent years.
Anything you can do I can do better...
No, the prime motivation will be the comparatively low cost per capita that the OCSD charges its contract city partners for varying levels of service. Some have said that the City could easily save the General Fund $10-15 million a year, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Former Fullerton councilmember and current County Supervisor Shawn Nelson would be in a perfect position to help broker this deal
So could we be seeing the streets of Fullerton patrolled by guys in green? Perhaps. Why not? The current police force has disgraced itself so badly in the past few moths that from a public relations standpoint there would never be a better time.
