The San Francisco Police Department recently announced that it would be taking applications for the position of police officer . . . We now move to the offices of the SF Police Officers’ Association to eavesdrop on a call that may/may not have taken place . . .
Union guy: “POA may I help you?”
Optimistic Police Candidate: “Yes, I was thinking about taking the test to join your Department, can you tell me something about the job?”
Union guy: “Sure - you’ll be working with some of the brightest and the best people in law enforcement and every day presents a new challenge.”
Inquisitive Candidate: “Sounds good. Is there any downside to the job?”
Union guy: “Well, you will be evaluated.”
Candidate: “That’s ok, happens at my job now.”
Union guy: “Yes, but this is a little different. You will be judged by an agency known as the OCC (Office of Citizen Complaints) which is staffed with people who have never done your job but who hold your career in their hands. For example, we had one officer who arrested an individual and, simply because the suspect said he shouldn’t have been arrested, the OCC charged the officer with unwarranted action for making the arrest.”
Candidate: “Why would they do that?”
Union guy: “For the same reason that they charge police supervisors with ‘failing to supervise’ without telling them what they allegedly failed to do.”
Candidate (incredulous): “No.”
Union guy: “Yep. and then we had the driver who, after receiving a citation for going through a red light, filed a complaint against the officer who wrote the citation claiming that she (the driver) worked for “the CIA”, that she was sure the officer in question had been “stalking her for years“, and, finally, that the officer had ‘burned her brain and wasted her energy.’ And the OCC actually took the complaint.”
Candidate (thinking he got punked): “Yeah, well, thanks for your time.”
Later in the day the Candidate confides in a co-worker:
“I wanted to learn more about the job with the SFPD so I called their POA union - y’know someone ought to check into that place. I was on the phone with a guy who was talking crazy. Something about these mysterious people from a place called the OCC who investigate police officers for making arrests when the person they arrested said they shouldn’t have. He also said that the same ‘OCC’ is famous for interrogating police supervisors for failing to do things when they weren’t told what they failed to do, and something about stalking drivers who work for the CIA. “
“Funny, the SFPD recruitment brochure never mentioned anything like that . . . “
San Francisco Police Officers are faced with more than enough close encounters on a daily basis, they don’t need any additional stress brought on by the standing oversight process. We are more than willing to work with the OCC in regards to making their job a more meaningful part of the disciplinary equation, just the way it should be.
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The suspect with the outstanding felony warrant from San Mateo County was visiting the Ingleside 6-car sector when Officer Matthew Dudley and Officer Tigran Antonian interrupted his socializing. The suspect, predictably, ran. The officers split up and tracked him down after a 4-block foot chase. The officers only thought he was running to avoid incarceration based on the outstanding warrant - little did they know that he also had a loaded gun concealed on his person.
It was a busy Saturday afternoon at Union Square and Officer Patrick Butherus, Officer Damon Williams, and Officer Paul Guinasso had their hands full with the many tourists in the area. The officers were also assigned to monitor a nearby demonstration when they suddenly observed an individual running through the crowd, knocking people down while in a full-blown sprint. The officers were then informed by a Walgreen’s clerk that the subject had stolen several items. A brief chase ensued which resulted in the capture of the individual which, in and of itself wouldn’t be too noteworthy, except for the fact that this subject was carrying a fully-loaded, .380 semi-automatic weapon.
It’s in the early morning hours of the Ingleside District when a woman hears someone breaking into her house. Terrified, she locks herself in her bedroom and calls 9-1-1. Officer Steven Uang, Officer Shawn Phillips, Officer Michael Peregoy, and Officer Brian Hopkins respond and manage to capture the suspect who was still in possession of the tools he used to break in.
Officer Tiara DeBernardi and Officer Joan Cronin were working the Northern when they happened to check on the vehicle with the expired registration tab. The driver and his friend seemed to be fine with the way thing were going until Tiara and Joan found a fully-loaded, .45 caliber Glock semi-automatic weapon in the car along with a quantity of narcotics and over fifteen thousand dollars . . . Enter Sgt Will Scott, Inspector John Tursi, Officer Scott Biggs, and Officer Kirk Edison of the Narcotics Division and now we’re talking search warrants which resulted in a huge recovery of a very large haul of narcotics, 8 handguns, an AR-15 assault rifle with an extended magazine, and 3 shotguns . . . We will probably sponsor a Criminal Recognition Award Program in the near future allowing our members the opportunity to nominate certain candidates they have arrested for categories to be identified later . . . for example, the preceding episode involving Northern Station Officers DeBernardi and Cronin would, no doubt, qualify under, “How much trouble did I really save myself by not paying my Vehicle Registration”. . .
Four armed robberies took place in the Ingleside District within the Miraloma neighborhood over the month of June. Victims were pistol-whipped and the suspects threatened to shoot them. Captain Dan Mahoney initiated an all-out effort to curtail the violence. It started with a vehicle chase initiated after one of the robberies occurred. Officer Jennifer Marino, Officer Christina Johnson, and Officer Nathan Bernard pursued the suspects and, even though they couldn’t capture them during the chase without endangering the public, the officers did manage to get a good look at the people in the car. The investigation continued to evolve when Officer Jim Trail identified one of the suspects after reviewing a video of him trying to use the credit cards that were taken in one of the robberies. And the final nail was driven home when Officer Amy Hurwitz, Officer Ariana Daggett, and Officer Shawn Phillips put the whole thing together by reviewing reports, contacting the many victims, showing photo-spreads, and preparing search and arrest warrants. Several of the suspects are now in custody along with one of the guns that was used in the felony assault.
The individual who agreed, as part of his probation, to a search condition, probably didn’t read the fine print. Otherwise why else would he have left a fully-loaded, .380 semi-automatic along with a substantial stash of marijuana in the laundry basket that Officer Thomas Hasucarriague, Officer David Almaguer, and Officer Brian Burke could find. Sad part of this story is that the laundry basket with loaded gun was within reach of the small children at the residence . . .
It’s 2:00 a.m. in the Mission District and a woman walking home from work was suddenly pulled into a recessed driveway by a man who had all the wrong intentions. Fortunately, the victim’s screams caused the neighbors to call 9-1-1 and Officer Ryan Daugherty, Officer Brent Dittmer, Officer Nicholas Buckley, and Officer Milen Benegas responded and arrested the felony assault suspect.
The suspect was attacking people at 21st and South VanNess when Sergeant John Burke and Officer Vic Hui came upon the scene. The officers had to chase the suspect for several blocks before cornering him in an alley at which time he came right at the officers and fought with them until they finally were able to take him into custody. The subject detained was a dangerous convicted felon already on probation for carrying a firearm and, sure enough, he turned out to be a creature of habit because, once again, he was armed with a fully-loaded, 9mm semi-automatic.
Stay safe.
