Crime stats take 6 months to come out and are still questionable

What is most interesting about all this was that LAAG pressed LASD for crime statistics shortly after they were "unofficially" leaked to the city no doubt as fodder in support of the $20 million in funds just expended [blown] on a new Lakewood Sheriff's substation. Of course the statistics were never provided to LAAG. We had to wait for the 2006 stats to get posted in April 2007. click here to read related article

After the article below came out then Fender of course comes out with the following:

Lakewood, California - Topping the News

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Issue 101 - Council Recap

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 101

Statistics verified

Responding to a local news media report, Captain Dave Fender of

the Lakewood Sheriff's Station reported to council members that

serious crimes in Lakewood (called Part I crimes in FBI reports)

were down about 16 percent in 2006 while "violent crimes" (a

component of the serious crimes in FBI reports) was up 10

percent. Putting the numbers in perspective, Fender said

"violent crimes" exceeded previous year's total by 36 crime

incidents, while the category of serious crime was down overall

by more than 500 incidents.

All the 2005-2006 numbers from the FBI site (As of Oct 2007):

City Lakewood Population 81192

Violent crime 2006 407
Violent Crime 2005 371
% Change up 9.70

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 2006 4
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 2005 0
% Change up 400.00

Forcible rape 2006 11
Forcible rape 2005 13
% Change - 15.38

Robbery 2006 220
Robbery 2005 193
% Change up 13.99

Aggravated assault 2006 172
Aggravated assault 2005 165
% Change up 4.24

Property crime 2006 2255
Property crime 2005 2788
% Change - 19.12

Burglary 2006 394
Burglary 2005 418
% Change - 5.74

Larcenytheft 2006 1427
Larceny/theft 2005 1880
% Change - 24.10

Motor vehicle theft 2006 434
Motor vehicle theft 2005 490
% Change - 11.43

Arson 2006 11
Arson 2005 16
% Change - 31.25


FBI, local crime stats don't always match
Lakewood, L.B. both reported better numbers.
By Tracy Manzer, Staff writer
Article Launched: 09/24/2007 10:41:49 PM PDT

Conflicting results were found in comparisons of local and federal crime statistics for two cities - Lakewood and Long Beach - with the release of a federal crime report on Monday.

According to the FBI's 2006 Crimes in the United States report, violent crimes have increased by more than 9 percent in Lakewood - due in part to a 400-percent jump in murders, with zero reported in 2005, compared with 4 in 2006.

Long Beach saw an increase of less than 1 percent, according to the FBI.

But those numbers do not match crime statistics released by both cities earlier this year.

Lakewood listed an impressive 16-percent plummet in violent crimes and Long Beach boasted a 4-percent drop, and its fourth consecutive year of decrease in violent crimes for 2006, at the beginning of the year.

The federal crime report is put together each year with information provided by regional, state and local law enforcement agencies, said Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

Minor differences can occur with changes to data released earlier in the year by local agencies, Eimiller said.

Some data may be corrected, some statistics require updates and typos are possible, she said. Long Beach Deputy Police Chief J.J. Craig said crimes listed in the federal report under violent crimes - murder and manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault - make up only a portion of all Part I crimes.

Not all Part I crimes are violent crimes, but all violent crimes are in the Part I category, he explained.

"It's almost a sub-category," Craig added, noting at least eight other crime classifications that fall within the entire Part I crimes category and could be included in the local statistics released last March.

Lakewood spokesman Donald Waldie said Monday that the violent crimes statistics released by then-Mayor Larry Van Nostran at the state of the city address in January came straight from the Lakewood Sheriff's Station.

Van Nostran referred to the crimes as serious in the address. Waldie said the term is one the city prefers to violent crimes, but the classification remains the same.

Sheriff's authorities in charge of tracking statistics for Lakewood could not be reached for comment.

Perhaps more puzzling was the exact match for property crime statistics between the two cities and the federal report; Long Beach saw a 5-percent decrease and Lakewood a sizable 19-percent dive.

According to the federal crime report, violent crimes were up 1.9 percent nationwide, while property crimes across the country fell by nearly the same margin, dropping to their lowest level since 1987.

While the rate of violent crimes - calculated at roughly 473.5 per 100,000 inhabitants - rose for the second straight year, it is the third lowest total in the past two decades, according to the report.

Some local cities - like Artesia, Bellflower and Paramount - bucked the national increase while cities such as Avalon, Carson and Downey followed the trend to varying degrees.

Most of the local jurisdictions released their crime statistics in January and attributed positive gains to better community policing and community involvement.

Craig noted Monday that many of the decreases that occurred in Long Beach in 2006 have continued into this year, including further reductions in aggravated assaults - a category within violent crimes that covers a range of violations including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery.

Tracy Manzer can be reached at tracy.manzer@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1261.

On the Net: Crime Statistics.


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

A Power Grab or a ploy?

I guess the taxpayers have no say in this even though this is likely a just an attempt to give an immediate pay raise to hundreds of "officers". This tactic/ploy has been used again and again. Municipal court judges all became "superior court" judges a few years back and of course in the process boosted their pay significantly up to the superior court level. The government efficiency wizards made all kinds of promises as to how things would be better once the transition was made. Result? What do you think? Nothing. No change in how fast courts process cases or the quality of the results. Also given all the stories on LAAG about Baca's mismanagement, from the jails to Paris Hilton to "arrest contests" how could anybody in their right mind claim he is a good manager? The only good idea comes from the Sheriff's department themselves (not Baca of course): just outsource these glorified security guards to the private sector and save a few hundred million in salary, health and pension costs so we could pour it into the bottomless pit that is Martin Luther "killer King" hospital. Dont forget how much better airport security got once we "federalized" (i.e. boosted pay and pensions) for luggage screeners. Oh man dont get me going...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-takeover8oct08,1,2078875.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Baca may try to expand department
The L.A. County sheriff, whose agency is already the largest in the nation, assigns a team to explore taking over the Office of Public Safety.
By Stuart Pfeifer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 8, 2007

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who already leads the largest sheriff's department in the nation, may soon try to make his agency even bigger.

At the request of the county's top administrator, Baca has assigned a team to explore taking over the county Office of Public Safety, a police force that patrols parks, hospitals and government buildings.

Although relatively obscure, it is the fourth-largest police department in the county, with more than 460 sworn officers. It is led by a high-profile chief, Margaret York, a former top-ranking Los Angeles Police Department executive whose work as an LAPD detective was the inspiration for the television series "Cagney and Lacey." She's married to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lance Ito.

York's department has been under pressure. It has struggled to keep officers on the force in part because it pays far less than other agencies, including the Sheriff's Department. Veteran county police officers draw base salaries of about $52,000 compared with $76,000 for sheriff's deputies. County police officers recently lost a lawsuit that sought to bring their pay in line with that of sheriff's deputies.

Also, a sergeant filed a federal lawsuit against the department last year, alleging that he was denied promotion because he annoyed supervisors by reporting misconduct by fellow officers.

Among Sgt. Richard Robinson's allegations: that an officer worked security for the Los Angeles Clippers while on the clock as a county police officer, that police executives drove county cars to a bar and drank while on duty and that officers covered up instances of excessive force against suspects.

A sergeant assigned to work for York reportedly said that Robinson was a top employee but "would never be promoted because he reports too much misconduct," according to a declaration in the lawsuit. The case has not yet gone to trial.

Neither Robinson nor York would discuss the lawsuit -- or the outcome of internal affairs investigations into the alleged misconduct he reported. "We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously," York said.

County Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka said a Sheriff's Department takeover is one of several options he's considering. The county police currently report to the CEO's office, an arrangement that Fujioka finds uncomfortable.

"I'm not a law enforcement person," Fujioka said. "The sheriff is our chief law enforcement officer. He knows how to supervise a law enforcement or security function. It seems to me it would be appropriate to look at that as one of the options."

For the last few weeks, sheriff's employees have been visiting facilities that the county police supervise to determine how much a merger would cost. The Board of Supervisors would ultimately decide whether a merger was appropriate.

Sheriff's Capt. Edward Rogner said the department could save money if it had security guards perform some of the functions now handled by sworn officers. He said he expects to complete a report by early November.

If a merger took place, it would be one of the largest in Sheriff's Department history -- and the third since Baca took office in 1998. He also supervised takeovers of the Compton Police Department and the community college police force, adding a combined 200 deputy positions. The Sheriff's Department has more than 9,100 sworn deputies.

York said she believes her department is performing well, but she is not opposed to a merger.

"I'm very proud of the officers we have," she said. "We have officers who are educated. We have officers who are bright. We have officers who are very committed to public service.

"Whether we become deputies or remain as a separate department, I'd be willing to put my officers up against any officers in the country."

stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com



Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

Another Sheriff debacle in taxpayers laps

The Lakewood Sheriff's must have known this contest was going to get exposed/leaked at some point and given the general mistrust of law enforcement in general (post OJ) did they not think that the people arrested would try to use any angle to get out of the arrests? I guess now the the sheriffs will be busy once again re opening all these cases and responding to subpoenas from defense attorneys. May even get some taxpayer paid overtime out of it. Brilliant foresight on the part of Sheriff leadership. "The sheriff has never been shy about having anybody review anything," Steve Whitmore said. "These are good, solid arrests." Uh not the point Mr. Whitmore. The point is that they all now have to be opened up and re-investigated as people have lost faith in law enforcements objectivity (no help from Atty Gen. Alberto Gonzales either). This is why law enforcement's good works is constantly challenged. This is why the ACLU gets lots of donations. Thats the point. These guys dont get it. Screw up after screw up and this is just the stuff the media CATCHES! Imagine what we dont see? This is why the inability to terminate government employees is a very bad thing. At the end of the day they just shrug their shoulders and say "hey not our problem".


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-game5oct05,0,209184.story?coll=la-home-local
From the Los Angeles Times
Sheriff's Department's arrest contests to be investigated
Public defender's office plans challenges to cases stemming from a contest Aug. 15 at the Lakewood station geared to boost deputies' productivity.
By Matt Lait and Scott Glover
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

October 5, 2007

The Los Angeles County public defender's office on Thursday launched an investigation into arrests made two months ago by sheriff's deputies participating in a five-city competition to book as many suspects as possible during a 24-hour period.

Public Defender Michael P. Judge said his office would review all the arrests made Aug. 15 -- the day of one of the competitions -- and challenge the merits of the cases in court.

"Our contention is that the activities of the deputies may not have been prompted by what they saw but rather by the pressure of producing greater arrest numbers for the competition," Judge said.

The competition in question was dubbed "Operation Any Booking" and was initiated by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department lieutenant who said he wanted to increase the productivity and boost the morale of some deputies in the Lakewood station, which serves the southeast Los Angeles County cities of Lakewood, Bellflower, Paramount, Artesia and Hawaiian Gardens.

The deputies making the most arrests in those cities won "bragging rights," Lt. James Tatreau told The Times earlier this week.

Tatreau said he helped organize that and other monthly competitions, including a contest to see how many vehicles deputies could impound in a single night, as well as how many "field interviews" of gang members and other suspected criminals deputies could conduct during a 24-hour period.

Sheriff Lee Baca called for an end to the competitions after learning about them from Times reporters Wednesday. A spokesman for Baca said Thursday that the sheriff was not concerned about the public defender's inquiry.

"The sheriff has never been shy about having anybody review anything," Steve Whitmore said. "These are good, solid arrests."

According to statistics produced by the Sheriff's Department as part of a public records request, there were 28 arrests on the night of Operation Any Booking. That figure matched the average number of arrests made throughout the month.

However, department officials acknowledged that the other contests regarding vehicle impounds and field interviews resulted in dramatic increases in those activities. For example, the five cities in which deputies ordered vehicles impounded had 37 vehicles towed during the day of the competition, compared to an average daily total of 4.7 vehicles.

Judge said that even though the statistics did not show an increase in the arrest numbers during the competition, that did not necessarily mean the figures weren't inflated.

"It could have been a really slow night," Judge said.

Judge said he did not know how many of the cases from Aug. 15 were still pending or how many involved clients of the public defender's office.

"That's what we're trying to ascertain," he said. If there still are active cases, Judge said he believed the revelations of the contest would be "ripe material for cross-examination" of the arresting deputies.

Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson said she was not surprised Judge had launched an investigation.

"The sheriff basically handed him this opportunity," she said.

But Levenson said she thought the public defender would be fighting an uphill battle to have any cases overturned absent solid evidence that the deputies had done something wrong.

"Officers can have all the wrong motives, but they're still legal stops as long as there were objective facts to support reasonable suspicion or probable cause," said Levenson, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

She said Judge and his colleagues could also try to argue that they would have been better able to defend their clients had they known about the contests and used them to challenge officers' credibility in court.

Getting information out of the Sheriff's Department absent a court order may also be a problem, Levenson predicted.

"It's not easy to get somebody to go back and reopen an investigation," she said.

The story about the contest, published Wednesday and also posted on www.latimes.com generated more than 200 e-mails from around Southern California and across the country. Many people condemned the contests and the Sheriff's Department. But many others supported the competitions and praised Tatreau by name, some saying that he should be promoted for his innovative approach to policing.

matt.lait@latimes.com
scott.glover@latimes.com

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

"Why isn't there any oversight..."

Thats a good question and it comes from a teachers union president no less! The point is that we as taxpayers expect government to be the "overseers" yet the government is the one that needs the oversight. Remember this is not private corporate money its your tax dollars they are stealing and misusing. Someday taxpayers will learn to stand up and ask for some accountability from government leaders at all levels of government. The fraud is just as bad if not worse at the local level as no one watches it like at the state and national level. Yes the dollars involved in the fraud are a little smaller but so are the local budgets. Oh and dont expect "oversight" from local elected politicians. They are pals with the govt bureaucrats doing the cheating. Politicians only pander to votes and getting re-elected (esp. in cities where there are no term limits). You dont vote they could care less what you say. Now if you have a lot of votes, well then maybe they will say "you make a good point".


Oct 5, 2007 12:00 am US/Pacific
Follow-Up: LAUSD Credit Card Paper Trail

David Goldstein
Reporting

(CBS) LOS ANGELES This report is a follow-up to David Goldstein's riveting report from last week in which he exposed a myriad of abuses of procurement cards being used by LAUSD officials...including a $500 coffee maker.

"Did you have any idea they were spending upwards of $5 million a month on procurement cards?"

No, no!

Teachers Union President A.J. Duffy had no idea.

NAT SOT: Of Papers

We uncovered millions of dollars in charges on credit card statements from LAUSD administrators.

"My question is, why isn't there any oversight in the district?"

In our investigation we combed through seven months of statements from more than 1700 administrator's credit cards.

Most of the administrators word at schools. The cards are supposed to be used for low-level items like paper, toner and emergency supplies.

But we found a lot more.

$995 for a mattress. Another $995 for a company that produces video games. $995 for flowers. We found charges for fishing tackle...stuffed animals...purchases at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Smart & Final and Trader Joes...Linens and Things. Millions and millions of dollars in charges.

"So your reaction to the money being spent? So let me get this straight...they don't pay their teachers enough money, they don't pay them on time. And we have administrators who are involved in fraud. My question is -- why isn't there any oversight in this district?"

The district's inspector general DID conduct an audit earlier this year -- and estimated $4-5 million in fraud and misuse.

He says, "Often we couldn't find the merchandise when we went to look for it." It wasn't in the schools, I asked.

"No," he said, "It wasn't in the schools."

Which leads you to believe what? "That the person bought these things for their own personal use."

The audit specifically states that prohibited purchases are food and beverage -- and conference, workshop or seminar registration fees.

But we found a $221 charge for the Restaurant Depot -- a restaurant in Torrance. $330 for Gen Con, LLC...they held a "Star Wars" convention in LA earlier this year.

(Stand up) Since we first aired this investigation last week, we've been flooded with E mails from people expressing outrage. And it's become a hot topic for LA Talk Radio. But, the district still stands behind its practices.

Every item we questions, they defended. Or stated the charges are being disputed because the credit card was stolen. And they claim expenses are reviewed.

"Is it foolproof? No. And that's what the review mechanisms help us take a look at."

But the Union Chief says it may be time for a hard look.

"I dar say if they started combing through those records going back 3, 4, 5, 7 years they would find millions of dollars in fraud."

So far, two people have been charged and convicted. Another dozen are being investigated. And the inspector general says there are hundreds of other credit card charges that need better explanations.


Sep 28, 2007 10:17 am US/Pacific
EXCLUSIVE: LAUSD Money Spent On Shopping Sprees?
ARCHIVE: Live Chat With David Goldstein
Image

David Goldstein
Reporting

LAUSD credit card statements are raising questions about what taxpayers' money is being used for. David Goldstein has the story.

While your children go to school, we got an education in math by going through their administrators' LAUSD credit card statements. We found they were spending money. Lots and lots of money. Sometimes, $5 million a month, raising some serious questions.

''Does that raise a red flag?''

''Well, of course it does.''

Just think of your one- or two-page credit card statement at home, then multiply that by 1,700! That’s how many credit cards there are at LAUSD. Administrators spend it on computers, coffee, flowers, just about anything. We went through all these reports and found some interesting items.

$451 at the Sharper Image. $796 in yoga classes. $320 at this day spa in Valley Village. Over $1,600 on a company that sells U.S. Postal Service clothes and accessories. All taxpayers money. All questionable charges, according to the district’s inspector general.

''All of those would be violations of the procurement card use, some of them fraudulent.''

Administrators in almost every school have at least one of the procurement cards. They’re supposed to be used for low-valued items like office supplies. But the inspector general's conducted an audit earlier this year and estimated $4 to 5 million dollars in fraud of misuse, including charges for electronics and computers that couldn’t be justified.

Often we couldn't find the merchandise when we went to look for it.

''It wasn’t in the schools?''

''It wasn’t in the schools.''

''Which leads you to believe what?''

''That the person bought that for their own use.''

But we found even more!

$500 for a company that sells coffee makers. There were charges to collection agencies. Money transfers to Mexico. Even a cruise to San Francisco. Plus thousands of dollars in movie tickets and sporting events. Even if it was used for students, it's misuse of the card.

''That's the first I've heard about the movie tickets. Even my staff hasn’t told me about that. No, that would absolutely raise a red flag.''

And parents we talked to were also upset.

''That’s sad. Disgustingly so.''

''I'm shocked and saddened.''

''Isn't it just a blank check for people to charge anything they want?''

But the district’s business manager defends the program.

“There is abuse in any system and we take a look at where we can find abuses and we correct policy as it needs to be corrected.”

He says they're already had to block hundreds of merchants – like Nordstroms – because charges appeared on the statements. But he admits they can't stop everything.

''We always sample audit. Do we catch everyone? No, I can’t say we do.''

Federal Workers Accused
Of Abusing Business Class
Aversion to Coach
Cost $146 Million
In 12-Month Period
By CHRISTOPHER CONKEY
WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 3, 2007; Page A10

WASHINGTON -- Most business-class and first-class travel by federal bureaucrats is improper and unwarranted, costing taxpayers an extra $146 million in a recent 12-month period, congressional investigators said.


The most common abuse by federal employees is the overuse of business-class fares, which receive less scrutiny than first-class tickets but cost several times more than coach prices. Even though business-class travel accounts for 96% of all premium-class travel at federal agencies, many departments don't monitor it, according to a Government Accountability Office study being released today.

In the 12 months that ended June 30, the GAO found, at least $146 million, or 67%, of the money federal agencies spent on premium-class travel was not properly authorized or justified, the report said. Senior executives and presidential appointees, who comprise less than 0.5% of the federal work force, accounted for 15% of the tab, it said.

"The abuse of business-class travel is particularly troubling, as it usually costs more than five times the price of coach-class travel," Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, ranking member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said in a statement. He has introduced legislation that would require agencies to track and report their use of business-class travel, as they do for first-class travel.

The report lists several instances in which "breakdowns" and a "weak control environment" permitted needless or unauthorized premium travel.

A senior executive at the Foreign Agricultural Service, a division of the Agriculture Department focused on foreign markets, took 10 premium-class trips to Europe from Washington, D.C., with a subordinate approving the trips, which the GAO said was tantamount to self-approval. An Agriculture Department spokesperson said Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner yesterday sent a memo to employees saying any exceptions to coach travel must be approved by the office of the chief financial officer.

A Defense Department official took 15 premium flights between July 2005 and September 2006 because of a "medical condition," but the claim was backed by a letter from another department employee citing a nonlife-changing surgery that occurred in 2001. The Defense Department declined to comment but was singled out elsewhere in the report for improving its travel oversight since a 2003 GAO audit.

The study also showed wide disparities among agencies in deciding in which cases their employees are allowed to fly premium, such as when a nonstop international flight exceeds 14 hours.

Department of Homeland Security employees took 6,600 such flights to Europe, Africa or the Middle East during the 12-month period examined. About 3% bought first-class or business-class tickets. By contrast, 83% of the 540 such trips taken by representatives from the Millennium Challenge Corp., a public corporation that channels development aid, paid premium fares.

An MCC spokesman called the spending legal and justified. It said the corporation "tightened controls on travel" in 2005 and "earlier this year put in place additional procedures to monitor and reduce costs."

Most agencies are guided by uniform regulations, but some federal entities, including Congress, the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Postal Service, have their own rules. A spokesperson for President Bush said she hadn't seen the GAO report and couldn't comment on it, but noted that White House employees other than the president follow the general travel regulations adhered to by other federal agencies.

A spokesman for Sen. Coleman said Senate rules prohibit senators and staffers from flying first class. A spokesman for the House's chief administrative officer said members can choose which class to fly, but the amount is taken out of their office's annual operation budgets.

The Postal Service allows the 11 members on its Board of Governors to travel first class to any destination. A spokesman said the perk is intended to offset the fact that 9 of the 11 members are paid an annual salary of $30,000 and hold other jobs.

The Federal Reserve allows its seven governors to travel business class for all international flights and on domestic flights exceeding five hours. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his security detail can travel first class.

In December 2005, then-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and his guards flew from Washington to London for a conference at a round-trip cost of $25,000, according to a Fed spokesperson. The GAO said the total cost for coach tickets would have been $1,500.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

Busy Work competition at LASD Lakewood station

Apparently the LASD Lakewood substation officers dont have enough to do? Well how about writing a few parking tickets after the useless city parking staff goes home at 5pm (just when most of the parking violations start occurring in Lakewood). Well you know the saying in Lakewood, "write a parking citation loose a vote".

So if they cant find enough to do and dont want to write parking tickets (as that is too far beneath them) then perhaps we should transfer some of the officers to other LASD areas that have a use for them and save a few million dollars of the city budget. I think the LASD contract is the largest portion of the city service budget for "contractors"

City Councilman Todd Rogers, who coincidentally is commander of the Carson Sheriff's Station, was quoted below stating: "But I do want my officers to be proactive. That's what really characterizes the Sheriff's Department, in my opinion, and we've been historically proactive in terms of seeking out law violators."

Given the parking problems in the city and the council stating over and over again that it is a complaint driven system, and not forgetting about the whole Brian Miller explosion debacle, LAAG finds it hard to believe that LASD is proactive. Maybe in "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" (Carson) but we have not see proactiveness in Lakewood. And this after rewarding the Sheriff's with a new 20 million plus station?

Lakewood Sheriff's Station capt. apologizes for quotas
Sheriff Baca emphasizes `quality over quantity.'
By Karen Robes, Staff writer
Article Launched: 10/04/2007 09:15:48 PM PDT

LAKEWOOD - The commander of the Los Angeles County Lakewood Sheriff's Station said Thursday he was wrong in permitting competitions that pushed deputies to achieve the most arrests, net the most impound vehicles and interrogate the most gang members.

Capt. David Fender said he made an error in judgment and will stop conducting the contests, a practice not condoned by Sheriff Lee Baca.

"As the sheriff puts it, `Quality over quantity,"' Fender said. "I erred because I gave the ultimate approval to go out there and try to make the arrests on this given day. But it was all for the right reasons - to impact crime and bring up productivity and morale.

"We weren't promoting any quotas or attaching any rewards to the arrests," Fender said.

Baca said the competitions were a well-meaning but poorly conceived idea that promoted "the wrong values."

"We're not into numbers, we're into quality," Baca said. "I don't think it will occur again."

Fender's apology comes after reports of an internal e-mail by sheriff's Lt. James Tatreau to patrol deputies to make them aware of the contests, said Fender.

Some Lakewood city officials - including City Councilman Todd Rogers, who is commander of the Carson Sheriff's Station - said they were not aware of the competitions.

Rogers said he knows Fender and Tatreau, whom he described as "an outstanding guy who did it with all the best intentions, which was to motivate deputies and increase productivity."

"There was no malicious intent," Rogers said.

Rogers said the line between motivating deputies and falling into a situation such as Lakewood's is a blurry one.

"You don't want to establish quotas, obviously and you don't want to go out and say this is the standard by which you'll be judged," he said. "But I do want my officers to be proactive. That's what really characterizes the Sheriff's Department, in my opinion, and we've been historically proactive in terms of seeking out law violators. But there has to be a purpose, part of a larger law enforcement mission."

Rogers said the city will monitor the issue.


Los Angeles County Deputies Criticized Over Competition
Updated: October 4th, 2007 10:20 PM EDT
Story by knbc.com
http://www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=38213

The Sheriff's Department was under fire from law enforcement experts Thursday over contests to see which Lakewood station deputies could make the most arrests, impound the most vehicles and question the most gang members in a 24-hour period. Video

An e-mail written Aug. 15 and obtained by the Los Angeles Times described one recent competition -- "Operation Any Booking" -- designed to arrest as many people as possible within a specific 24-hour period, according to the newspaper.

Lakewood-based sheriff's Lt. James Tatreau, the e-mail's author, told The Times the intent was motivational and said the only prize was "bragging rights."

"No way, no how did anyone encourage officers to falsify a report or an arrest," he said.

Another competition, dubbed "Operation Vehicle Impound," aimed at seizing as many cars as possible, according to the Times. It took place July 11 and dramatically increased the number of vehicles seized.

A third competition challenged deputies to see how many gang members and other suspected criminals could be stopped and questioned, according to the Times. That produced a spike in such interviews.

Some police accountability experts, civil libertarians and defense attorneys condemned the competitions, saying they trivialized traumatic encounters such as arrests and having a car impounded, The Times reported.

"It's crazy," Jane White, the associate director of the National Center for Community Policing, told the Times. "I'm at a loss for words. I've never heard of anything like this before."

Hubert Williams, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Police Foundation, which promotes innovative policing strategies, told The Times that the competitions were "highly problematic and inappropriate."

Sheriff Lee Baca told The Times the competitions were well-meaning but ill-conceived.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-games4oct04,1,2655896.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Deputies compete in arrest contests
Southeast L.A. competitions were meant to boost morale, official says. Baca calls them a well-meaning but ill-conceived idea.
By Scott Glover and Matt Lait
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

October 4, 2007

Participating in sports such as football, weightlifting and boxing has long been part of the culture within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. But deputies have recently been playing some new games -- on-duty enforcement competitions that have police watchers across the country crying foul.

One recent competition, described in an internal Sheriff's Department e-mail obtained by The Times, was called "Operation Any Booking." The object was to arrest as many people as possible within a specific 24-hour period.

Other one-day competitions have included "Operation Vehicle Impound," a contest aimed at seizing as many cars as possible. And another challenged deputies to see how many gang members and other suspected criminals could be stopped and questioned.

The prize for winning was nothing more than "bragging rights," said Lt. James Tatreau, who helped organize the events that involved teams of deputies patrolling the southeast Los Angeles cities of Lakewood, Bellflower, Paramount, Artesia and Hawaiian Gardens. The station is one of 23 that make up the nation's largest sheriff's department.

"It's just a friendly competition to have a little fun out here," Tatreau said. It was Tatreau who sent the e-mail about the booking contest Aug. 15. Tatreau said he viewed the games, which began in July, as a morale booster for overworked deputies who, because of staffing shortages, are required to work four overtime shifts a month.

But police accountability experts, civil libertarians and defense attorneys condemned the practice, saying that it trivialized traumatic encounters such as arrests and having a car impounded, and raised questions about deputies' motives in taking such actions.

Hubert Williams, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Police Foundation, which promotes innovative policing strategies, called the competitions "highly problematic and inappropriate."

"The arrest is one of the most potent tools in the possession of law enforcement and should be used with great thought," Williams said. "It's not a competition or a game."

Others, including Los Angeles County Public Defender Michael P. Judge, worried that the games might also prompt deputies to make illegitimate arrests to boost their statistics.

"Certainly, it calls into question whether there was a legitimate reason to book any of the people who were booked during the time of the competition," Judge said.

"It's crazy," said Jane White, the associate director of the National Center for Community Policing. "I'm at a loss for words. I've never heard of anything like this before."

After being called for comment by The Times on Wednesday, Sheriff Lee Baca said he spoke with the Lakewood station lieutenant. Baca called the competitions a well-meaning but ill-conceived idea that promoted "the wrong values."

"We train deputies to be independent thinkers and leaders," Baca said. "The lesson learned here is that -- whether it's for morale purposes or to increase productivity -- law enforcement is not the kind of service where you can dictate the activity.

"We're not into numbers, we're into quality," he said. "I don't think it will occur again."

Operation Any Booking did not result in an increase in arrests on the day of the contest, according to records provided to The Times in response to a public records request. The cities reported a combined total of 28 arrests, which was equal to the daily average that month.

The impound competition, however, appears to have dramatically increased the number of vehicles seized, records show. On average, deputies in the five-city area hauled away 4.7 cars a day in July. On the day of the contest, July 11, they impounded 37 vehicles -- which owners could not recover until they paid a towing fee.

Deputies in Lakewood seized 18 vehicles that day, half the total they would impound over the course of the month.

The number of field interviews with gang members and other suspected criminals also soared during the contest to increase that particular enforcement activity. Tatreau said the spike occurred because some deputies had fallen out of the habit of doing that intelligence gathering.

Before he was contacted by Baca, Tatreau said he stood by the idea to encourage deputies' productivity and had been encouraged by deputies who liked the competition.

"They were pumped and excited," Tatreau said. "I've never got any negative feedback. It's not a quota or review system. It's a morale booster."

Like every station, Tatreau said, there are "good, hardworking deputies and there are the lazy guys." He said he was trying to encourage the less motivated deputies to get more involved in proactive police work.

Tatreau said he joined the Lakewood station about 18 months ago and noticed that some deputies weren't pulling their weight. Some patrol deputies made 15 to 20 arrests a month, while others made seven arrests in an entire year, he said.

"It frustrates me that people are so against doing work and cry foul," he said.

Tatreau said he was "almost certain" that he was the one who came up with the original idea to have deputies compete, but that he did so with the approval of his captain.

On the day of the contests, a sheet of paper was posted in the watch commander's office where deputies reported their activity. At the end of the 24-hour period, the team results were tallied.

"We're not doing anything wrong," Tatreau said. "No way, no how did anyone encourage officers to falsify a report or an arrest."

scott.glover@latimes.com

matt.lait@latimes.com


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

The big snow (or fire) job

LAAG feels sorry for the city of Pacifica. If they are anything like Lakewood they don't stand a chance against the "smoke and fire" [our phrase for "safe and sane"] peddlers. The vast PR machine of the fireworks industry has lots of money and people as this is a very profitable industry. Sort of like the pharmaceutical industry lobby. The smoke and fire peddlers basically have taken over the state fire Marshall's office.

Our LAAG site is replete with statistics from the fire dept themselves showing that cities that allow "legal" fireworks have a greater problem with illegal firework damage and likely, illegal use. This is likely due to legal fireworks creating a "permissive" environment for other mayhem and illegal firework use and also creating a one upsmanship situation ("our illegal fireworks are better than your legal ones). The legal fireworks also help to mask illegal use. And of course there is always "illegal" use of "legal" fireworks (ie modifying them so they explode or shoot in the air) This is the way legal fireworks start fires.

The marketing guru for one of the smoke and fire peddlers notes that the problem with firework use has gotten worse in the last 10 years. That is likely due to the fact that sports clubs and fraternal benefit societies have now become addicted to selling smoke and fire and that the problem has become acute in the last 10 years as the fireworks companies see linking with these organizations as a way to entrench themselves and use the clubs fund raising mantra as impenetrable political cover. It really is like getting addicted to selling drugs. The money is great and the clubs are conned into the notion that there is nothing else out there that can compete fundraising wise. These organizations have been drawn into the same trap as the medical marijuana "clinics". Yeah were selling pot to help sick people. Right. Well at least 5% of their customers are sick.

The smoke and fire peddlers have burrowed into Sacramento politics like termites and tried to stir up some watered down increased penalty legislation which again is just political cover. The penalties are not the issue. The cases never get to the penalty stage as enforcement is impossible. Deterrence is based on the likelihood of getting caught and the likelihood of getting convicted. And right now those percentages benefit the offenders due to the nature of the laws and difficulty of enforcement. Law enforcement benefits from all this increased enforcement with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on overtime. What is so ironic is that the the money spent on over time is likely greater than the small percentage of money the clubs make on the fireworks that cause the overtime. The city would be better off pay the overtime money to the clubs.

Putting a cap on an explosive problem
City seeking strict fireworks sanctions
By Elaine Larsen
http://www.pacificatribune.com/localnews/ci_7073495
Article Launched: 10/03/2007 01:21:20 PM PDT

It's an explosive problem in Pacifica to be sure -- putting a cap on the illegal bottle rockets and M-80s that cause mayhem in neighborhoods, yet not penalize those who enjoy safe and sane fireworks that are a tradition and help fund programs for thousands of kids.

Such has been the conundrum of Pacifica officials for several decades and the issue has been before the community in at least two public votes.

"Pacifica is not alone in this problem," Dennis Revell, president of Revell Communication which represents the safe and sane supplier [what a cute phrase], TNT Fireworks, told the council last month. "This has been a growing problem in communities throughout California for the last 10 years."

But more productive — and perhaps permanent — solutions might well be in the offing.

Senate Bill 839, which is headed to the governor's desk for signature, would throw more manpower and resources [resources is "Sacramento speak" for tax dollars; laag editor] toward stopping suppliers of illegal fireworks from bringing them over the border into California or selling them on the Internet in the first place.

It would also put more teeth in local law enforcement efforts to curtail illegal fireworks, giving them the authority to impose stiffer fines on violators and giving them a way to dispose of the confiscated pyrotechnics safely. [no problem here as the cops can take them home to their kids; laag editor]

And if Pacifica Police Chief Jim Saunders has his way, the San Mateo County District Attorney will declare illegal fireworks a felony. That would mean that violators who insist on shooting off fireworks that have the explosive power of dynamite would not just walk away with a citation as they do now, but face being booked into county jail. [really this is already the law and felony prosecutions will mean even less likelihood of enforcement; laag editor]

These and other potential solutions were tossed around at a recent Pacifica City Council meeting, setting the stage for the council s eventual decision to put together a special task force to further study the problem and make recommendations. [oh and by all means invite the fireworks sellers to propose a "solution" what a joke; laag editor]

"I'm quite concerned about the fourth of July being on a Friday next year," said Saunders, who appeared before council discussing the fireworks once before, a discussion that was publicized in the Tribune.

The matter was postponed for council discussion so all members could be present. Since the local newspaper publicity, Saunders said he heard even more troubling stories from residents.

Saunders official report about this past July 4 described a night of chaos. A night where police were run ragged trying to track down illegal fireworks shooters who took refuge in the cover of darkness, smoke or neighborhood spotters who warned them when cops were on the way. [what did we just say about enforcement?; laag editor] In a few areas it got so bad officers had to be taken off the street to stand watch over unruly neighborhoods where drunk residents got into fights.

"Being on a Friday could be good or bad. People could leave town or even more folks could pile in. We're going to hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Saunders said, nothing the problem doesn't seem to be going away despite years of public education programs. He said added patrols at beaches focused on out-of-town violators seems to have just driven the problem into the neighborhoods.

Which means the enemy is us.

"Pacifica is out of control," agreed Deborah Jones of Montezuma Avenue in Linda Mar, among the citizens who spoke before Council Sept. 10 urging further sanctions be taken. "Many residents are both distraught over the pyrotechnic barrage and resigned that nothing can be done. But we must not allow others to hold us hostage to reckless and unlawful behavior. Other cities have this problem but it is not on the same scale." [wrong; laag editor]

Because Pacifica has such a liberal stance on fireworks, many Pacifica residents think they have implicit permission to shoot off illegal fireworks, she said.

Council listened both to speakers who are unhappy about illegal fireworks and many others who do not want to see "bad apples" force the council ban safe and sane fireworks which, admittedly, funnels thousands of dollars into the coffers of well-deserved youth and booster organizations benefiting literally thousands of children. [ahh the children; hey if they burn their fingers off at least the get new uniforms; laag editor]

To demonstrate just how much money is earned in just one short week of parental involvement in staffing the booths, one fireworks booth representative presented the council with a check for $33,000 to cover the city's police and fire overtime costs for this past July holiday sales. [well not in Lakewood., we'd like to see how long this lasts; conflict of interest? cops making OT of fireworks?; laag editor] That money is collected as the result of an 8 percent surcharge the city imposed on the 15 permitted booths.

Several speakers spoke about the numerous benefits of the safe and sane sales and even pointed out research involving the city of Fremont they say demonstrates that banning them not only had no effect on the illegal fireworks problem, [back that up with statistics please; laag editor] but also meant no fee income to the municipality for dealing with the problem.

"I am confident that if there wasn't so much good that comes of the sale of safe and sane fireworks we wouldn't have them. We're not considering a ban on the legal fireworks at this time," said Councilmember Cal Hinton, himself a former Pacifica fire chief and licensed pyrotechnics expert. [again is this not a conflict?; laag editor]

He and other council members agreed that the real solution to curtailing illegal fireworks is to stop them from being sold in the state in the first place, which would require both state and federal legislative intervention. [heresy; laag editor]

Hinton said he reread the Senate bill several times and believes it has real promise of helping solve the problem. [dream on; facts please? statistics?; laag editor]

"If a person is convicted, the judge cannot impose just probation or suspend a sentence" under terms of the bill, Hinton said. "That means if you're found guilty, you're had. The best way to stop illegal fireworks is at the state level. [with the smoke and fire peddlers army of lobbyist fat chance; laag editor] And we also need the support of the federal government. We need to stop the sales at the source," he said.

Pacifica and San Bruno are the only two remaining cities in San Mateo County that allow the sale of safe and sane fireworks. The California cities of Palmdale and Chino dealt with their problem of illegal fireworks violators by imposing strict fines, up to $10,000.

Other potential solutions that came up were appointing citizen monitors at block parties and letting police into neighbors backyards to help view and single out the offenders who normally hide in the dark away from scrutiny.

Several safe and sane proponents said they'd be more than happy to invite police officers into their homes and backyards to get a better on-view look at violators.

Outspoken Linda Mar resident Deborah Jones, who said flying pyrotechnics shot into her yard narrowly missed her children, said she'd go so far as to videotape violators in her neighborhood, post signs warning people that neighbors were cooperating with the police or form citizen "evidence gathering" coalitions. It was also suggested the city put stricter regulations into block parties, requiring a "monitor" for illegal fireworks who would be held accountable, for example.

"A lot of money may be made, but was is the cost of the loss of an eye or a limb," Jones and others said.

Bernie Sifry suggested a compromise. He suggested the city of Pacifica ban fireworks in residential neighborhoods and confine the use of safe and sane to the city owned portion of Pacifica State Beach in Linda Mar.

He said that way police could control fireworks use and confiscate illegal pyrotechnics.

"How do you control it? Take it out of residential neighborhoods where it's impossible to enforce. [not a bad idea; laag editor] It s dark and officers get fireworks thrown at them. It's a dangerous situation," he said.

"This would mean better control, less litter and noise. And residents could make citizen arrests with officers making out the complaints. This would be a civic duty. Residents would know who the violators were and testify against their neighbors," Sifry said. [that is not going to happen folks; sort of like a do it yourself police force? Then what do we need the cops on OT for?; laag editor]

Lynn Adams, president of the Pacifica Beach Coalition, politely noted that fireworks debris is not healthy for the marine environment. However, even as it stands, legal fireworks are already allowed to be set off at the local state beach. And in fact, although police post officers at all local beaches, Linda Mar is the most preferred so much so it has often been referred to as a "war zone."

Nonprofit groups not only pay the city a surcharge for overtime costs, [Hey Lakewood city council are you reading this?; laag editor] but are also commissioned to provide volunteer cleanup crews the next day, most particularly the popular beach in Linda Mar.

"I want to thank the public for all their suggestions. People are thinking about this and trying to solve this dilemma," said Councilmember Julie Lancelle. "I think we should consider as many of these ideas as possible in some kind of combination so we can begin to work on this problem."

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Vreeland noted that just as community groups came together last year to find an equitable annual distribution of the limited number of permits which was an issue at the time, they are now trying to find a solution to the illegal fireworks problem which he commended.

He suggested that the council set up a task force that include the city's two North County Fire Authority liaisons, Hinton and Sue Digre, as well as citizens to study the potential solutions and make recommendations to the council by Jan. 1 -- a good six months before the next July 4 holiday.

"I'm hoping that the passion we saw here tonight could be channeled into the task force to find solutions. We're certainly starting early enough," Vreeland said.

The council voted unanimously for a future agenda item, perhaps Oct. 10, for formation of a task force. Council also directed staff to write letters of support for increased sanctions for illegal fireworks to state and federal legislators immediately in support of pending legislation, and to send further correspondence later, taking into account the local task force's recommendations.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

The slobs will now cost you...

Well thanks to cities not street sweeping the streets as they should (cleared of parked vehicles) and ticketing cars that leak oil on the street and driveways and failing to take care of rampant litter problems the rest of us will have to pay for the slobs. Typical.

A parcel fee for clean water?
County may charge property owners to raise $30B to clear runoff
By Alison Hewitt Staff Writer
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_7019912

County officials are considering a plan to raise money for clean water by adding a fee to the tax bills sent to property owners.

Almost every aspect of the proposal is still being developed - whether or not to go forward with a campaign, how much money county residents might be assessed, or what form an assessment would take.

Approximately $30 billion is needed over the next 20 years to clean up the county's storm water runoff, which regularly pollutes rivers and the coastline, said Donald Wolfe, the head of Public Works.

If the county fails to act, it could face expensive lawsuits from environmental groups for failing to comply with state and federal clean water acts, warned William Fujioka, the county's CEO.

The supervisors put $3.5 million aside for a study and campaign, and other uses. The study would explore whether voters might approve a ballot measure asking for the tax money.

A portion of the funds would go to support a possible campaign in favor of the initiative.

Another portion of the money could go toward engineering studies and consultant fees.

Supervisors Michael Antonovich and Don Knabe opposed the move.

"We've asked for a lot of information,and we've yet to receive any," Knabe said.

Antonovich said the county shouldn't be picking up the bill for clean-water requirements mandated by the federal government.

"Let's not let our (congressional) delegation off the hook," Antonovich said. "The county of Los Angeles, like other counties, does not have the ability to implement all of the mandates from the federal government. When the federal government imposes these types of mandates ... they have a responsibility of funding those."

Although only three votes were required to set aside the $3.5 million and give the go-ahead to Fujioka, four votes will be required if the supervisors decide to put the issue to voters in a countywide election, noted Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

However, there is a way to do it with three votes, said Judith Fries, principal deputy county counsel.

Fujioka's office is considering a mail ballot to property owners instead of a countywide vote. Mail ballots must be authorized under a specific statute, Fries said.

The flood-control act and the health and safety code are two avenues being explored as linchpins for such a ballot, Fries said. Using flood-control statutes would require three supervisor votes for a mail ballot, while health and safety would require four votes, according to Fries.

Whatever form the ballot takes, Yaroslavsky said the fee could help clean up county beaches that are frequently closed due to pollution after a rainstorm.

After last weekend's showers, he had to explain to visiting relatives that it wasn't safe to go in the water, he said. "We're not the Third World," Yaroslavsky said.

Fujioka was careful to point out that the supervisors' vote does not mean the county will move forward with a parcel fee.

"A decision has not been made to do it," Fujioka said. "It will take a significant effort to even determine - if we do a parcel tax - what one person's share would be, and it will take a huge amount of support from the community."

The $3.5 million will give his office a chance to "explore an appropriate funding method," he said.

"I don't want to say property tax ... the primary focus right now is a parcel fee."

A parcel fee would show up on property tax bills and be based on how much each parcel contributed to the region's pollution, said Wolfe. The fee would be calculated based on the size of the parcel, how the property is used (residential or industrial, for example), and runoff amounts.

Runoff would be determined based on whether the property had large amounts of open ground where water could seep in, or large amounts of paved surfaces that water would rush off, Wolfe said.

"The beaches get closed every time there's a storm because of the pollution ... the urban slobber ... that we as citizens are continually dumping into the storm drain," Wolfe said.

Early polls indicate that people would be willing to pay $20-$40 per parcel, enough to raise $100 million annually but still far short of what is needed, Wolfe said.

"The board would have to make a decision," he added, "as to whether or not they are going to give the voters an option to say yes or no."

alison.hewitt@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2730

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

The LAAG banned word/phrase list

Well we had to do it. We have just gotten to the point where we cant take the government "BS Speak" any more. There must be classes on how to speak like this. Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Director is a grand master at BS speak. Everything he says sounds good until you get the text and read it. Then you realize that he really said nothing in 10 minutes of speaking. But it sure does sound impressive at first. The key is to sound authoritative and knowledgeable and to convey you have a handle on the situation while at the same time not giving any time tables, deadlines, specifics or any real information that could later come back to bite you. Its CYA language.

The list is alphabetical order. This list is a work in progress.

Bi-partisan. That term ceased to have meaning after Obama was elected in 2008. At the "local" city or county level its not used much as offices are all [supposed to be] "non partisan" thank God. The one thing right with local politics. Of course local politicians still try to throw it is. In the 2014 LASD primary I heard two of the candidates tell the audience their political party. Woops just sorta slipped in... Once you get into "labeling" people Dems or Repubs all the discussion of issues is out the window.

Challenges- Everything is a challenge. Its a good meaningless way of saying "hey we will likely not get anything done as its a challenge"...but we like challenges as they are like excuses.

Cut- We often hear of "job cuts" or "spending cuts" leading to massive layoffs of teachers and firefighters. But remember that in California public employee union and liberal legislator parlance a "cut" really means "less of an increase this year than expected". Its not a "real decrease" from current spending levels. This is further complicated by the fact that no one really knows what the last three years worth of actual outlays was on a particular budget getting "cut" as "they" mix up projected and actual outlays all the time to confuse taxpayers that try to pay attention to such budget double speak.

Empowerment/empowered/empowering etc. Enough said. Usually used to mean we give you less money and you can do more on your own without our help.

Grant Money. Lets just call this what it really is: tax dollars. Usually its tax dollars from a larger government agency given to a smaller one. The the smaller one likes to sell it to local taxpayers as free or "found" money. There is the implication that it comes from some private benefactor when in reality its just tax dollars paid by the same taxpayers to some other entity.

grass roots. Lets just retire this word permanently and replace it with "astro turfing" [the act of creating a small organization and making it appear to represent something popular for the purpose of promoting a particular entity, cause, etc...a play on grassroots in the sense of a popular movement originating among the common people, ultimately from AstroTurf, a brand of artificial grass] There really are no more grass roots movements. Just deviously named 501c political organizations which then go out and get people to "join in" and "voice their opinion" under the organizations falsified banner. Sad.

Hardscape- What ever happened to landscape? This word was dreamed up by high priced consultants and started using the words in their costly reports to cities and since it looked and sounded good (define it as you want) everyone started using it like in a Dilbert cartoon.

I take full responsibility- This means nothing unless your pay gets docked or you loose your job and in civil service land we know that aint gonna happen anytime soon no matter how big the screw up. This term is also related to "holding people accountable" or "accountability"

Moving Forward/Looking forward. This is just feel good gap filler for politicians. Basically we never want to look back at mistakes as then we would have to hold someone accountable. And someone would then have to "take full responsibility"

Not taking anything off the Table. This phrase is often used in negotiations with other governments (National, State or Local) or other branches of government (i.e. The President vs Congress) and basically means we are not ruling anything out. It is a poor negotiation strategy as it is a sure way of never moving ahead. It implies negotiation but without any real compromise or ability to back out. Brilliant.

Opportunities Sort of like challenges. Can be used in the same sentence. A challenge presents an opportunity but opportunities present challenges. See now you're catching on.

Resources If they would just say taxpayers hard earned money perhaps they would start treating it better than lumps of coal which are also a "resource".

Situation on the Ground-As opposed to the situation in the air. This started with the Iraq spin meisters and has now been adopted by silly local government managers as a throw away word to add some sort of additional explanation where its not needed. Again just more "busy words" that sound good in soundbites but once you read them you realize that they have not said anything. Just used up a bunch of words.

Stakeholders. This is getting annoying. No definitions. Just another vague "government speak" word that sounds good but is meaningless or has too many meanings. I think it is a take off on"shareholders" like they have in companies. Only problem is that unlike shareholders, stakeholders have no say in how things work just like taxpayers. Stake holders have a "stake" in the process, which is their tax dollars. I also think it is govt-speak for "customers". People in government HATE using the word taxpayers as it only reminds them that they feed from the public trough, sucking up tax dollars with every overly costly ineffectual step they take. So it just sounds better to use cutesy terms like stakeholders that the taxpayers don't understand.

Tools in the Toolbox-Again this is related to "Resources". It just means that government likes to have lots of costly taxpayer funded "tools" in its arsenal of spending. It needs lots of tools as it can never hope to fix problems so it just buys more tools in a futile attempt to fix them. The Pentagon is a big tool purchaser.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

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Administrative tickets for Fireworks violations?

Here is a way for Lakewood to accelerate the fireworks citation process. You avoid citizen arrest issues and hiring a bunch of highly overpaid sheriffs. Just use administrative citations and administrative ticket writers" like the parking staff to write 4th of July tickets. Sure some may get beaten (like in the story below) but if you compare this success rate to the track record of Sheriff "infraction" citations in the municipal court I am sure that the administrative success rate would be even better than the success rate in court as there are relaxed rules of evidence etc. Why does Lakewood not initiate this? Who knows. Maybe they never even thought of it Or its due to the fact that the city council favors fireworks. It can blame failures in prosecutions (and the lack of deterrent effect) on the court system and not its own process. Of course if the Lakewood administrative citation program was a dismal as its administrative parking citation system we would be in big trouble.


Seven Beat 4th Fines
http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=225887
Sep 25, 2007
By Christopher Quirk

Gilroy - The city reversed seven of 41 administrative citations for illegal fireworks that police and firefighters doled out July 4 after residents appealed the citations.

The city of Gilroy heard appeals Aug. 20 from eight residents, many of whom were outraged when, two to three days after Independence Day, a letter showed up in their mailbox informing them they had violated the city's fireworks ban and had to pay $250. For these seven residents - some of whom were not home July 4 - the appeal was the end to a messy and infuriating administrative citation process.

"I'm glad they gave us the chance to do this," Imperial Drive resident Desiree Vaca said. "There's a lot of innocent people."

Vaca was inside her house July 4 when an illegal firework went off at the end of her street, she said. A police officer, who had been parked at the opposite end of Imperial Drive, saw the explosion and accused a boy who was in front of her house, but who did not live with her, of setting off the fireworks. The officer then asked for the owner of the property and Vaca came forward. A few days later, she received a citation.

As rattling as the citation process was, the appeal process was smooth, Vaca said. She scheduled an appointment for an appeal, spoke during her 15-minute slot and the citation was reversed.

However, the letter that accompanied the citation did not encourage an appeal.

"There are very limited situations that provide for a successful appeal," the letter read.

At least three residents felt their citations were unfair, but did not appeal because they thought they would not be believed.

"It's stupid to contest the fine," Snowberry Court resident Robert Bischoff said in a July interview. "You're going to go to a hearing when the officer will be called in, and it's your word against his. What am I going to prove? How can I prove anything?"

Bischoff claimed he was wrongfully cited for fireworks that one of his neighbors set off.

However, seven of the eight people who challenged the citations were successful, city Fire Marshall Jackie Bretschneider said. An additional appeal has been held over because the appellant cannot appear in court because of illness. The city stands to collect about $8,000 if the remaining 33 residents pay their fines.

Six of the seven successfully challenged citations were given out by firefighters, who were not as experienced in law enforcement as police officers, she said. This means six of 24 firefighter-issued citations were reversed, while only one of the 17 police-issued citations was reversed.

"There was a lot of stuff going on in the neighborhood," Bretschneider said. "It is difficult to identify really where something is coming from."

This past Independence Day was the second year that city law enforcement handed out administrative and misdemeanor citations and the first year that firefighters helped with enforcement. Previously, police officers issued only misdemeanor illegal fireworks citations, which require officers to prove that the suspect owns the fireworks and, if convicted, would go on the suspect's record. As with all new practices, there are still kinks to work out in the system, Bretschneider said.

"I would say making the citation process work better for all parties would serve us well," she said.

When the fire and police departments go on their annual public safety retreat [retreat...what?!] , the administrative citation process will be a topic of discussion, Bretschneider said. However, the experience of patrolling July 4 has already taught firefighters lessons, she said.

"They learned a little bit more about how to identify exactly where things were coming from," she said. "That will be a lesson that hopefully will be learned at that end."


Christopher Quirk
Christopher Quirk covers education for the Dispatch. Contact him at 847-7240 or cquirk@gilroydispatch.com.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

This is why we have no parking on street sweeping days

For those of you that have not yet seen the connection between parked cars blocking effective weekly street sweeping and the effects of this county wide run off problem read below. If I lived in a beach city in So. Calif I would be very mad at cities that did not have an effective weekly street sweeping program. Lakewood claims to be getting their act together in Fall 07 by weeping the northern quarter of the city. Well see. What is most funny is that all the glossy costly car window fliers we are paying for (to alert parking violators of the news laws) will likely end up in the gutter and in the ocean as well! Lakewood residents for the most part seem to be interested in two things: the right to shoot of fireworks whenever and where ever they want and the right to park 12 vehicles near their home whenever and wherever they want. Pollution is not important. Find one trait and the other is likely to be there as well. Hey its not my beach or my ocean. That's Long Beach's problem!




http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/surfwire.cfm?id=11255
First Rain Brings Pollution, Toxins to Los Angeles Waters
September 21, 2007
PRESS RELEASE

Heal the Bay today issued a health advisory to Southland residents and visitors to avoid water contact at Los Angeles County beaches for 72 hours, following the area's first significant rainfall after a record drought period.

The county's 5,000-mile storm drain system is designed to channel rainwater to the ocean to prevent local flooding. But it also has the unintended function of moving pollution directly into the Santa Monica and San Pedro bays. After heavy rains, more than 70 major outfalls spew manmade debris, animal waste, pesticides, automotive fluids and human-gastrointestinal viruses into the marine ecosystem.

This pollution poses human health risks, kills marine life and dampens the tourist economy. The so-called first flush is especially worrisome this year, which is the driest in 130 years. Debris and toxins have been accumulating for months on sidewalks, roadways and riverbeds and are now being washed into the storm drains. Exposure to this runoff can cause a variety of illnesses, most frequently stomach flu.

During dry months, Heal the Bay and county health officials urge swimmers to stay 100 yards from flowing storm drains, which have been shown to have elevated levels of known carcinogens and pathogens. Experts agree after a major rainfall that local beachgoers should stay out of the water entirely for at least 72 hours.

"The first heavy rain of the season is a real eye opener about the extent of marine-bound debris in our storm drains," said Karin Hall, executive director of Heal the Bay. "That's why we're working so hard to address the root causes of this kind of pollution."

County storm drains typically handle 100 million gallons of contaminated water and debris each day, but one rainstorm in Los Angeles County can generate nearly 10 billion gallons of water. Sewage treatment plants, which process storm-drain runoff from major pipes in dry months, simply can't handle the excess load during major storms.

Local residents contribute to debris buildup by dropping nearly 1 million cigarette butts on the ground each month, according to L.A. County Department of Public Works estimates. Citizens walk a dog without picking up the droppings more than 82,000 times per month, and they hose off driveways and sidewalks into storm drains more than 415,000 times each month.

During the rainy season, Heal the Bay reminds residents that they can take steps in their own home to take pressure off an already taxed storm drain system. Among them: keep trash out of gutters and storm drains, dispose of animal waste and automotive fluids properly, and avoid overwatering lawns and plants. (Visit www.healthebay.org/waystoheal for more tips.)

Heal the Bay is a non-profit environmental group dedicated to making California coastal waters, including the Santa Monica Bay, safe and healthy for people and marine life. On Sept. 15, the organization last week mobilized 11,000 volunteers who removed 80,000 pounds of ocean-bound debris from county waterways as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™