Sorry for the delay, there has been BIG news on Phoenix
It's been a while ... sorry to my readers.
My excuse is twofold: 1) Got to do a lot of fact checking when you're hearing as many outrageous accusations as I am, and 2) Don't want to tip my hand to the competition ...
Anyway, major news on the Phoenix front, including revelations that employees and managers at community centers engaged in an ongoing BB gun battle that may have put children at risk.
Here is tomorrow's story today ...
By Robert Rogers and Andrew Edwards
Staff Writers
SAN BERNARDINO -- Already reeling from the arrest of its center manager on charges of child molestation, Operation Phoenix is mired in investigations and accusations that staff members have engaged in dangerous misconduct.
Phoenix staffers, led by a center manager, waged BB gun battles with employees from another city community center.
In interviews Friday and Monday, former city recreational staffers, city officials and a child who frequents the center reported that center manager Mike Miller - who was arrested last week on charges of child molestation - and city employees at both the Operation Phoenix Center on Sierra Way and the Rudy C. Hernandez community center engaged in dangerous BB gun battles.
At least two employees involved in the running BB gun battles, which occurred in view of children, are currently on leave, according to City Attorney James F. Penman, who declined to reveal names, citing confidential personnel matters.
Penman confirmed that the city became aware of BB gun battles in May, and that the people involved went to "great lengths" to conceal the activity from their supervisors.
In addition, other allegations are being sorted, he said.
The broader picture emerging Monday is one of a once ballyhooed program increasingly mired in lax oversight, mismanagement and routine flouting of child safety rules, according to sources ranging from former center employees to officials at City Hall.
The Phoenix program began as a multifaceted approach to local crime that Mayor Pat Morris rode into office in 2006. It won early acclaim from residents and authorities for drastically reducing crime in some spots, but derision from others who considered it costly and prone to displacing crime, not stamping it out.
On Monday, a noticably lighter turnout of local children played at the center in the 1600 block of Sierra Way. Interim manager Curtis Brown, sitting at Miller's former desk, said county counselors were on hand to speak with children. Two detectives paced the center, conducting an investigation.
Now, new questions are emerging, including who should be held accountable for misdeeds by center managers.
A bifurcated management structure, sources say, that seated overall leadership in the hands of Code Enforcement Director and Operation Phoenix Director Glenn Baude, has muddled lines of authority and responsibility between staff and superiors.
Miller, for instance, is a parks and recreation employee, but as Phoenix Center manager reported not only to Parks Chief Hawkins, but also Phoenix Director Baude.
Hawkins said he's improving operations.
"We're looking at ways we can increase oversight," he said.
But the dual lines of authority may have trickled down to lower ranking parks employees, fueling resent, rivalry and dangerous conditions.
"The rivalry has been a factor for some time" in conditions at Operation Phoenix and traditional community centers, Penman said. "Mr. Hawkins has addressed that and tried to fix it."
Jacob Martinez, a former Phoenix Center employee who said Miller fired him because of his knowledge of the BB gun battles, said the surprise "drive-by's" resulted in one Phoenix Center employee suffering a chipped tooth late last year.
That employee, who has since been fired, acknowledged his injury, but would not comment further.
"There was a war," Martinez said. "That's what they called it, a war."
Martinez said the leaders were Miller and a former manager at the Hernandez Community Center who has since been placed on paid leave. Other employees at both locations also participated, Martinez said.
Martinez' account is supported by two other former employees and one child, a 13-year-old girl who said she saw Miller and other employees firing BB guns at one another outside the Phoenix Center on Sierra Way.
In addition to discussing the BB gun battles, sources described an atmosphere of lax supervision within Phoenix center, and reported that staffers regularly provided rides, one staffer and one child, to various locations.
Hawkins would acknowledged that unspecified incidents involving employees at the center were under review.
What took place, Hawkins said, is a separate matter from Miller's arrest last Thursday.
Miller has not been formally charged, and must be either charged and arraigned in San Bernardino Superior Court today or released.
Miller kept his office at the central area Operation Phoenix center which is located at the First Church of the Nazarene on North Sierra Way. The facility is the flagship of the city's three Phoenix centers.
Morris has promoted the trio of Operation Phoenix centers as a wholesome place to study and play for children in high crime neighborhoods.
News of the alleged molestation and other questionable practices could jeopardize Operation Phoenix's future. The City Council is struggling with a multi-million-dollar budget crisis and 7th Ward Councilwoman Wendy McCammack has called for the centers to be closed pending a safety review.
4th Ward Councilman Neil Derry said he may have to reevaluate his original position that the centers should stay open while investigations proceed.
"It's clear there is a lack of management oversight," Derry said. "It's Romper Room."
Morris' chief of staff, Jim Morris, disagreed, acknowledging the query into the BB gunplay at the centers but maintaining that officials have moved swiftly to address the problem.
He said the problems surrounding Miller and others reflect issues with a individual employees, not broader flaws with the program or its director. Morris put the problems firmly in the purview of Hawkins, not Baude, who he said deals with Phoenix's "macro" issues, not personnel.
"We have a relatively new parks director who is having to deal with some personnel issues in his department," Jim Morris said. "We believe he is doing his job appropriately, and he is swiftly taking appropriate steps to address the problem."
Although Hawkins did not specifically confirm that BB guns were fired by and at San Bernardino employees, he did say that Hernandez Center employee Tyrone Traylor had been placed on paid administrative leave more than one month ago.
Penman said his office was also aware of reports that Phoenix staffers had used personal vehicles to take children around town.
"Mr. Hawkins inherited a difficult situation," Penman said. "(Problems) didn't start in the last couple weeks, and they won't get fixed in a couple weeks."
But Hawkins cautioned that the programs should not be painted with too broad a brush.
"Even with a police shooting, you don't lump all the police officers with one shooting," Hawkins said.
Miller remained in custody Monday at West Valley Detention Center on $1 million bail, booked on one count of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.
Comments
Well the S.B.City Council should take action now! and quit playing politics with our children's safety. They should once and for all clip the wings of this big ugly bird(Phoenix) Put it to rest, Now, if they really want to make a difference hire the people that know and live in these neighborhoods let them work the programs that really work in there existing community centers, lets support them instead.
When you bring in people from the outside this is what you will allways get, problems. I hear that most if not all Phoenix Operation senior staff, and partners don't live in the area's the centers are located in, so they probably don't care about the kids. It's just a pay check for them.
Councilwoman Wendy is right, close these centers down now! lets see what other problems exist. Maybe alot more have been swept under the rug than we know! I hope that the Phoenix Operation isn't also hiring and funding programs that are being run and worked by Perverts, Drug Users, Drug Pushers, Felons, Because if they are, is our city going to be held liable when they commit a crime with our children. Can we (City) get sued. You know if Operation Phoenix continues with the same excuses and lack of oversite it surely will happen again (A Crime) Maybe by even one of the partners? since they are City/Phoenix Operation partners can we (City) get sued too..
How much is this incident, going to cost us residents, Theres a real good chance the parents of this child will be suing the city.
Oh! and don't forget to throw the book at him if he did do it. Mayor i'm sure you have friends on the bench still, use your influence. To put him away for a long time.
One more thing. Who's going to get fired! What top offical From the Phoenix Operation Do it now! clean up the mess.
Posted by: joehern | July 7, 2008 10:33 PM
This is nothing but a politically motivated stab at the Mayor by Pennman who is still upset he lost. The fact that Miller has yet to be charged is a prime example. You do not arrest someone and not file immediately. I would not doubt that this was pushed by Pennman while the Mayor was away to make him look bad. Getting these kids off the streets and providing a place to be kids will help reduce street crime. So many of these kids have parents too busy with themselves and not their kids. But we do need proper personel at the centers. And from the sounds of it we are hiring either current or prior gang members at the Parks and Recs (Doing drive-by BB gun shootings). You get what you pay for.
Posted by: wkenddad | July 8, 2008 10:25 AM
Okay – where did Penman get drug into this?
He told reporters that he has PRIVATELY given his recommendation to Fred Wilson and Pat Morris. And whatever the imagined offense (a “politically motivated stab”?) is due to his “being upset” over the past mayoral race? Get a clue! The Morris administration needs to get over the mayoral race (and the City Attorney’s race) and SUPERVISE their employees. They have one employee (in management) up on twenty-three counts of child molestation…..two of the victims are the children that the Mayor and his Operation Phoenix program were trying to “help”. Then we find out this same employee has been being investigated since MAY for incidents that can be considered CHILD ENDANGERMENT, and another management employee was active in this child endangerment activity. Now consider this……the rest of the employees at these centers that are SUPPOSED to be responsible for the welfare of the children in their care were working for these managers – the same managers that had no thought for the well-being of this children while they carried out activities that either endangered or harmed innocent children. Don’t you think it might be prudent to double-check these people for the SAFETY of these innocent children – and if that argument doesn’t work how about the cost to the city for the lawsuits that will follow if the city government allowed these centers to remain open and another incident occurs. What is that saying? Better safe than sorry……
And Miller had already allegedly molested a child PRIOR to his background check by the city……
Now – lets get back to the supervision part of this…….the accused child molester was supervised by not one but two of Mayor Morris’ Directors – Glenn Baude and Kevin Hawkins. And under this supervision (or lack of) this hand-picked prodigy allegedly molested two young girls who came to the Operation Phoenix Center to avail themselves of the “quality youth development program” offered there.
Yeah – this is ALL Penman’s fault – he didn’t win the mayoral race.
Posted by: Keeping an eye on the black, shiny building downtown | July 8, 2008 4:40 PM
With more misconduct surfacing about the Operation Phoenix Centers it is only prudent that the Mayor and the City Council shutter these centers until the investigations are complete and the policy and procedures have been reviewed with the center staff. The children of this city are its future and we can not continue to treat them in the careless manner that seems to permeate the management at these places.
The staff at these centers, current management included, obviously do not have any idea what appropriate conduct is. It was reported in your newspaper "Interim manager Curtis Brown, sitting at Miller's former desk, said county counselors were on hand to speak with children. Two detectives paced the center, conducting an investigation". Has it occurred to anyone that counselor (from any agency) should not be speaking to any minor without their parent or guardian present? This would be the same for those two detectives "conducting an investigation".
You state that we wouldn't shut down schools and churches for these types of incidents however it is clear that the mangement that is running these centers are either incapable or uninterested in controlling the staff that is responsible for these children that are placed into their care. If such gross conduct was occuring at a school or church there would be massive changes - - and this is a child care center not an educational facilty or a place of worship.
Err on the side of caution - close the centers!
Posted by: Juana Martinez | July 9, 2008 2:01 PM
Are you kidding me, PENMAN???? Let's hope Penman is there fighting for the taxpayers in defense of the lawsuits piling up in defense of Morris's botched program. It is Penman who Morris will need desperately before this is all over. Obviously no politics there. The only one playing politics is the Morris clan hoping to keep away ANY bad press from Baude's mismanagement so he and his son can go on their nationwide speaking tour on the taxpayer dime. Close the centers before any one else gets hurt.
Posted by: open minded | July 9, 2008 6:34 PM
Jim Penman is the best thing going for San Bernardino, California – Period! The sixth floor doesn’t have a clue as to what is happening on the ground. Congratulations Mr. Penman for honestly caring about this city, ‘cause I would have call it a day a long time ago.
September 24, 2007 SBNOW – Quote: What a city we live in. I realize other cities have problems too, but nothing even remotely close to what's happening here in San Bernardino. White collar crime happens all the time, hey folks, It's dirty from Here to the Hill. As citizens of San Bernardino, I highly suggest we be more demanding and because someone gives you a pepsodent smile, does not mean they are your friend!
October 25, 2007 SBNOW - Quote: Someone out there has the power to investigate ALL departments at City Hall, I'll bet (if I were a gambler) the population of our local detention center would increase significantly - WATCH! - Mark My Words.
The City Attorney's Office should present the Mayor and selected City Council Members with a copy of "Stuck In The Middle With You" (clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am) and should be played at all council meetings.
Keep up the great print, use the ink to be honest and fair, as I know you will! Mr. Rogers, I was referring to you as having “THE POWER TO INVESTIGATE.” I agree with Wendy Mc Cammack, close Phoenix Operation Community Centers until the people on the sixth floor can get it together and know, really know what their doing, after all “It’s for the children” – ISN’T IT?
JRD2U
Recall – who said that?
Posted by: JRD2U | July 14, 2008 2:16 PM
Jim Penman is the best thing going for San Bernardino, California – Period! The sixth floor doesn’t have a clue as to what is happening on the ground. Congratulations Mr. Penman for honestly caring about this city, ‘cause I would have call it a day a long time ago.
September 24, 2007 SBNOW – Quote: What a city we live in. I realize other cities have problems too, but nothing even remotely close to what's happening here in San Bernardino. White collar crime happens all the time, hey folks, It's dirty from Here to the Hill. As citizens of San Bernardino, I highly suggest we be more demanding and because someone gives you a pepsodent smile, does not mean they are your friend!
October 25, 2007 SBNOW - Quote: Someone out there has the power to investigate ALL departments at City Hall, I'll bet (if I were a gambler) the population of our local detention center would increase significantly - WATCH! - Mark My Words.
The City Attorney's Office should present the Mayor and selected City Council Members with a copy of "Stuck In The Middle With You" (clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am) and should be played at all council meetings.
Keep up the great print, use the ink to be honest and fair, as I know you will! Mr. Rogers, I was referring to you as having “THE POWER TO INVESTIGATE.” I agree with Wendy Mc Cammack, close Phoenix Operation Community Centers until the people on the sixth floor can get it together and know, really know what their doing, after all “It’s for the children” – ISN’T IT?
JRD2U
Recall – who said that?
Posted by: JRD2U | July 14, 2008 2:24 PM