LBPOA BLOCKS RELEASE OF LIST OF OFFICERS WHO FATALLY SHOT SUSPECTS
By Dave Wielenga
The December deaths of two suspects who were shot by Long Beach Police Department officers has apparently prompted an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, which is seeking the names of all LBPD officers involved in fatal shootings since 2005.
But the Times reports that the Long Beach Police Officers Association (the union that represents LBPD officers) objects to the release of the names—citing concerns over officer safety—and has won a temporary restraining order pending a Jan. 18 hearing.
On Dec. 12, Long Beach police officers who did not identify themselves shot and killed Douglas Zerby on a porch in Belmont Shore, where he was holding a water nozzle.
16 Comments
According to the LA Times article, “News organizations frequently publish the names of officers involved in shootings. In fact, it is the Los Angeles Police Department’s policy to release the names of such officers.”
“citing concerns over officer safety”
the public has a right to know the names of the murderers it employs. hopefully the judge will rule that the police union has no right to stand in between the city and a news organization seeking a legally allowed release of information. bring on the sheriff’s dept.
The LA Times began this by researching why Long Beach has the highest frequency of officer involved shootings in California. Seeking to bar this information request by the LA Times from the public is consistent with the city’s and police department’s continued coverups of police mismanagement and all police wrong-doing. I say CONTINUED, because I have submitted several Public Record Act requests over the past 2-years to the city for similar type police information and have been repeatedly denied. Each time, the city cited “HOMELAND SECURITY” issues as the reason for denial and dared me to sue them. This is obviously more of a city policy issue than solely a police issue.
City taxpayers pay the salaries of city staff and the police and have a right to know if their employees are not acting in the best interest of the public. Time and time again we read and hear about problem individuals who’s actions are covered up by their management. Doesn’t it make you wonder whether there are trigger happy police officers. How many times are the same officers involved in shootings? Other than themselves, how does it serve taxpayers for public employees to be excluded from public scrutiny? Isn’t that what happened in the city of Bell when nobody was watching?
Cops should choose to resign if they are unwilling to take the public scrutiny when they shoot someone. If hiding their names is a concern, they should seek employment with wall street financial institutions or the Catholic Church who are well known for hiding the misdeeds of their employees.
Moreover, Long Beach City Council policy makers should consider disolving the Long Beach Police Department and bringing in the Sheriff’s Department similar to what Compton and other cities did after finding their representative in-city Police political organization had became too big and unmanageable. At least you know you are getting an organization devoted to eliminating crime when you bring in the Sheriff’s Department, as opposed to the Long Beach Police Department which devotes most of its time lobbying elected officials for cop compensation increases and cover-ups.
According to a Press Telegram Public Record’s Act information request, Long Beach city taxpayers paid over $15 million law suit legal fees in 2010. THat is the highest since 2006.
And guess what the biggest settlement was for? $7.95 million was paid to Thomas Lee Goldsteinmillion who was convicted of a shotgun murder on on Pine Avenue. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the conviction of the former Marine, citing police detectives’ misconduct in using unreliable witnesses led to his wrongful conviction.
Doesn’t this make you wonder whether these police officers who didn’t follow the law ever shot someone or were ever disciplined for their actions. That information is not available to the public in Long Beach whose policy is to withhold information and cover-up anything that might result in a law suit.
http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_16989971?source=rv
City of Long Beach taxpayers are STILL finishing up paying over $1.3 million in legal costs for the LONG BEACH POLICE “donning and doffing” lawsuit. You remember that one don’t you. That’s where Long Beach’s finest sued to be compensated for time spent putting on and taking off uniforms. In addition to the $1.3 million legal costs you and I paid, our wonderful city gave ALL 867 police officers an extra 47 hours of vacation over the next four years which amounts in another police officer windfall of $3.0 million in overtime needed to cover the additonal vacation.
How many more examples of the tale wagging the dog need to be published before people become angry enough to do something about it?
Mike,
I find it ironic you are being so hard on the police considering not long ago you were pushing hard for an increased police presence in Belmont Shore.
It’s kind of like they are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.
and Happy New Year!
Love,
LBCG
LBCG, 95% of the police do a great job. However, its the 5% running the show combined with our taxpayer paid city policy makers with whom I have difficulty. It’s unfortunate the “police code” forces the 95% who are doing a great job to stick up for the cops who consider themselves above the law. And when that rare event does happen when a cop questions another cops unlawful actions, those cops who speak up are forced out by the top brass. Case in point, Lobstergate.
Am I missing something here? Why is it important for the public to know the names of the officers involved in this tragedy? There will be time after a full investigation takes place to know who they are.
Maybe the City of Long Beach should consider firing the Long Beach Police Department and enlist the services of the Los Angeles County Sherrifs Dept. (a reputable law enforcement agency) and then you won’t have to be continually paying out on these lawsuits (that the tax payers ultimately pay anyways), stemming from the antics of wreckless police officers ( allegedly like Officer Weber in Long Beach). It has worked in many other cities in the county and would be a money saving move, in light of the cost of lawsuits paid, and still being paid to date! Then you would not have to worry about being gunned down at your friends house, especially if you decide that you might want to water his lawn. You should be listening to what those people are saying in response to the news articles! Especially those like the President of the Residents Association, and activists that have a passion for a positive change in the local community. It’s time to make the police accountable when a human life is taken. Why is it that the police departments investigate themselves anyways? When a doctor errs and takes a life, he is held accountable. When one of our enlisted troops takes an innocent life, he is held accountable. Then why is there not an independent agency in place that would investigate when police officers take a life, needlessly? I’d be willing to bet that the amount of officer involved shootings would drop, DRAMATICALLY! They know that they have the ability to manipulate the scene, the evidence, and the courts!
When was the last time you saw a police officer face murder charges? Officer Mehsler in Alameda county was given a 2 yr. sentence, and will ultimately only serve six months, for MURDER! Wow, when will we wake up and make changes? When one of our own family is struck down? Is that what it will take? Well, get prepared, if we don’t make changes now, the next victim could be you! Martin Luther King said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere”. Take a look around, it’s not as safe as you might think. If I have a licence to carry a weapon (Not concealed), and I decide to clean my unloaded weapon on my porch, and a naeighbor sees me, and calls in a report of “man with a gun”, am I to fear being shot on my own porch? . . . Come on, where is the NRA on this one. We need to rally for a major change in the use of deadly force, and the accountability when it’s deemed neccessary!
Hello Mr. Armijo,
Significantly reduced politics is another benefit the Sheriffs Dept would provide. The Long Beach Police Officers (LBPOA) union is a HUGE polictical force and a main culprit of the unsustainable city worker penions. Every city council election candidate kowtows to the police and fire unions demand for increased compensation in exchange for having their 1500 uniformed officers going door to door before the election in support of their bought candidate.
Mr. Ruehle, I would like to talk with you about some of these topics. Could you email me please. My emailis richard.armijo1@hotmail.com
Mr. Ruehle has become LBPD’s most vocal public critic. This is his right, but it is also unfortunate. Mr. Ruehle often bases his critiques on information he either fails to fully understand or, if he does understand it, fails to represent it as accurately as possible. This is also unfortunate because it greatly undermines his position and his credibility.
Whether Mr. Ruehle likes it or not, there exist laws which expressly *prohibit* the city from disclosing certain information concerning personnel matters of its law enforcement personnel. This does not mean that the city is hiding anything. It is simply complying with the law. Mr. Ruehle would do well to learn a bit more about these laws before continuing to take the city to task for abiding by them.
Mr. Ruehle states: “According to a Press Telegram Public Record’s Act information request, Long Beach city taxpayers paid over $15 million law suit legal fees in 2010.” But that is not what PT staff writer Eakins actually said in his article. As well, Mr. Ruehle conveniently omits information from City Attorney Shannon that serves to explain the reason the city chose to settle “Goldstein” rather than continue to pay the increasing costs to litigate it.
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16989971
Long Beach contracted with LASD to patrol part of the city once before. While this unfortunately proved necessary due to severe police department attrition at the time, it was not an ideal situation. It can certainly be said that the deputies assigned to patrol parts of east and north Long Beach at the time did a fine job while they were here. However, they were answerable to elected county, rather than city, officials. Some, including Mr. Ruehle, seem to have forgotten that there were some challenges with that arrangement that the elected Council of the time was unwilling to overlook and, I think, for very good reason.
Mr. Ruehle is wise to say: “95% of the police (in Long Beach) do a great job,” however I think he underestimates. I have some small degree of professional experience with LBPD and I can say with certainty that although no law enforcement organization -including LASD and LBPD- is perfect, LBPD employees, both sworn and civilian, are among the most professional and competent I have ever had the honor to work with.
I think it is very easy for critics like Mr. Ruehle to spout off concerning things about which he knows little and to misrepresent and omit information to support his superficial conclusions. Mr. Ruehle seems to have a very big ax to grind.
Others would do well to take both what he says and how he says it with a very large grain of salt.
“Others would do well to take both what he says and how he says it with a very large grain of salt.”
others would do well to completely ignore your undeniably biased remarks OFFICER greet. if we want to have smoke blown up our ass from lbpd theres a pio for that. i knew you wouldnt have the good sense to stay out of this thread greet, its actually fairly shocking that an ignoramus like you has been on the force for so long, i guess thats another reason to hope the sheriffs move in and sad sacks like you are put out to pasture.
Hi howard, you are mistaken. I am not an officer and I do not speak for the police department and never have. I am expressing my personal opinion, which I am no less entitled to do than you or Mr. Ruehle or anyone else here. You simply do not like what I have to say.
Concerning smoke, if anything I’ve said here is inaccurate or fallacious, do feel free to offer some specific corrections otherwise all you are doing is whining.
Attached is a September 2010 PT article indicating Long Beach Police Sgt. John Greet was honored for 25 years of service.
http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_16197389
Mr. Ruehle, your link in no way serves as evidence that I am a Long Beach Police Officer. You will not be able to present any such evidence because there is none…because I am not a Long Beach Police Officer. You really should let this go now.