Council to query San Bernardino police chief

Past chiefs in San Bernardino have survived similar political flare-ups. But more recently, chiefs in Colton and Rialto were fired or quit after their officers cast no confidence votes.

Billdt says he wants to stay on the job and is "committed to working through these issues." 

The chief has the support of the Mayor's Office. San Bernardino law gives the mayor the prerogative to make the first move in hiring or firing any chief in most circumstances.

The council can dismiss a chief for continued neglect of duty, law-breaking, or violating the City Charter.

Sixth Ward Councilman Rikke Van Johnson didn't want to predict how this police story will conclude.

"I can't give you that information, because I don't know," Johnson said.

Asked if he thought Billdt has been a successful police chief, Johnson was diplomatic.

"Crime is down in the 6th Ward. But that's a reflection not only on leadership but the people on the street," he said.

Many officers who work on San Bernardino's streets have already had their say -- and they're not happy.

On Thursday, 76 percent of 178 San Bernardino officers who cast ballots in a no confidence vote showed their disapproval of Billdt's performance as police chief.

Police Department spokesman Lt. Scott Paterson said Billdt can recover from the union's vote.

"It's a disagreement. More often than not, they end up settling," Paterson said of times when police union members voted against previous chiefs.

"It's part of the politics around here," Paterson added.

And San Bernardino's not the only place where Police Department politics are played for high-stakes. In Rialto, former chief Michael Meyers chose to resign in Dec. 2005 in the wake of a no-confidence vote.

Glen Anderson, a Rialto police officer who also oversees his union's Political Action Committee, said it's an unfortunate reality that police unions and chiefs occasionally battle.

Rialto's situation was so severe that city officials came close to disbanding the city's police department and putting the Sheriff's Department in charge of law enforcement there.

With that controversy over, Anderson said Rialto officers' spirits are much higher now. He said police administrators serving under current Rialto Chief Mark Kling often venture into the field and keep in touch with the concerns of police who endure the daily grind of street patrols.

That doesn't mean Rialto never has disagreements between police administrators and the officers' union, Anderson said, but major fissures don't develop "as long as the lines of communication are open and they're willing to talk to us."

Anderson suggested that San Bernardino's police commanders could help ease tensions if they worked in the field more often.

Asked about Anderson's idea, Billdt said he didn't want to comment on Rialto-related matters.

Police Union President Rich Lawhead said San Bernardino's police commanders "aren't out in the field at all."

Paterson described things differently. He said lieutenants are often out and about in San Bernardino and that captains and higher ranking leaders are busy, but occasionally spend time in the field.

Police union members have gone public with complaints that Billdt plays favorites within the department and created a workplace atmosphere where cops worry about retaliation if they end up the chief's bad side.

In terms of policy, San Bernardino officers want internal affairs investigations to be completed more rapidly. They also want all allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of officers to be handled internally.

Some of those probes are handled by outside agencies, which union members view as a sign of unequal treatment.

With today's meeting on the horizon, mayoral chief of staff Jim Morris said Mayor Pat Morris also wants to schedule a talk with police union representatives about their specific concerns.

Jim Morris said the no-confidence vote isn't the final statement on labor relations within SBPD.

"It has become a method by which they convey their sense of frustration," he said.

The police union's Lawhead said he's willing to talk, but doesn't know of any way to end the dispute without Billdt stepping down.

"I've met with them in the past, but I don't know what good it's going to do me," Lawhead said.

Fourth Ward Councilman Neil Derry said the union's vote can't be ignored, but Billdt and other administrators also deserve fair consideration.

Derry proposed that the city's elected officials step back from the Police Department and hire a consultant to do a broad examination of the department's issues.

"I think it would be extremely dangerous to have the council do an investigation (on its own)," Derry said.

"The mayor and the council are not neutral parties," he added.