IrishJoe
03-29-2007, 07:29 PM
Ah, another unbiased piece of journalism from the Sacramento Bee! (They do love the CHP...)
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/145874.html
Citing CHP 'soap opera,' two legislators press for audit
By John Hill - Bee Capitol Bureau
Two legislators are renewing their call for an audit of the California Highway Patrol in light of new revelations about possible misconduct in the upper ranks and a contracting snafu.
"It's been incident after incident after incident that they respond to after the cat is out of the bag," said Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City.
Garcia and Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, said they will press the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to order state Auditor Elaine Howle to conduct an audit of the CHP. "The soap opera continues," Romero said of recent events involving an investigation of leadership in the CHP's Inland Division east of Los Angeles and the replacement of a metal part on 3,000 recently purchased guns. "Where's the leadership on this?"
In recent days, the CHP removed the Inland Division commander, Chief Jeff Talbott, and Mike Williams, one of three assistant chiefs at the division. They were placed on paid administrative time off pending an investigation. The division, one of eight, includes about 600 uniformed officers.
The CHP would not detail the nature of the investigation, citing the Peace Officers' Bill of Rights, which protects police disciplinary information from being made public, and the ongoing investigation. Garcia said she has heard the allegations involve "inappropriate fraternization" at a CHP station.
An assistant chief in the same division, Mike Maples, also was placed on administrative time off. Last November, he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he ran into a parked car in his driveway, the Associated Press reported.
The troubled division is now being overseen by Assistant Commissioner Arthur Anderson and two chiefs brought in from elsewhere.
The CHP said it was open to the lawmakers' call for an audit, but noted that it has reviewed its own operations and opened up its books to outside analysts several times in the past two years.
The department touted recent accomplishments, such as a 5.5 percent decrease in auto thefts and what it described as an "initial report" showing a 9 percent drop in traffic fatalities last year.
"Unfortunately, any organization with 11,000 employees is not immune to occasional problems," CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said in a prepared statement. "In each instance where alleged misconduct has been brought to light, Commissioner (Mike) Brown has taken immediate action and aggressively investigated each case."
Garcia and Romero said they were also disturbed by a report earlier this month in The Bee that gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson was replacing a part in about 3,000 newly delivered guns after the component broke in two of the guns.
Clader said the faulty guns were discovered in training, and that the CHP "acted immediately and responsibly to assure the safety of our officers."
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/145874.html
Citing CHP 'soap opera,' two legislators press for audit
By John Hill - Bee Capitol Bureau
Two legislators are renewing their call for an audit of the California Highway Patrol in light of new revelations about possible misconduct in the upper ranks and a contracting snafu.
"It's been incident after incident after incident that they respond to after the cat is out of the bag," said Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City.
Garcia and Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, said they will press the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to order state Auditor Elaine Howle to conduct an audit of the CHP. "The soap opera continues," Romero said of recent events involving an investigation of leadership in the CHP's Inland Division east of Los Angeles and the replacement of a metal part on 3,000 recently purchased guns. "Where's the leadership on this?"
In recent days, the CHP removed the Inland Division commander, Chief Jeff Talbott, and Mike Williams, one of three assistant chiefs at the division. They were placed on paid administrative time off pending an investigation. The division, one of eight, includes about 600 uniformed officers.
The CHP would not detail the nature of the investigation, citing the Peace Officers' Bill of Rights, which protects police disciplinary information from being made public, and the ongoing investigation. Garcia said she has heard the allegations involve "inappropriate fraternization" at a CHP station.
An assistant chief in the same division, Mike Maples, also was placed on administrative time off. Last November, he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he ran into a parked car in his driveway, the Associated Press reported.
The troubled division is now being overseen by Assistant Commissioner Arthur Anderson and two chiefs brought in from elsewhere.
The CHP said it was open to the lawmakers' call for an audit, but noted that it has reviewed its own operations and opened up its books to outside analysts several times in the past two years.
The department touted recent accomplishments, such as a 5.5 percent decrease in auto thefts and what it described as an "initial report" showing a 9 percent drop in traffic fatalities last year.
"Unfortunately, any organization with 11,000 employees is not immune to occasional problems," CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said in a prepared statement. "In each instance where alleged misconduct has been brought to light, Commissioner (Mike) Brown has taken immediate action and aggressively investigated each case."
Garcia and Romero said they were also disturbed by a report earlier this month in The Bee that gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson was replacing a part in about 3,000 newly delivered guns after the component broke in two of the guns.
Clader said the faulty guns were discovered in training, and that the CHP "acted immediately and responsibly to assure the safety of our officers."