The Operation Phoenix biopsy

This reporter can't help but continue to think about the ways Mayor Pat Morris has used the word "cancer" when discussing the Operation Phoenix.

Here's an excerpt from the July 22 article headlined "Delayed reaction" that Robert Rogers and I wrote:

During an interview at The Sun last week, Mayor Morris complained that his office asked parks staffers for policies outlining responses to suspected molestation and was told no such policy could be unearthed.

"We said it was totally unacceptable," Pat Morris said.

"We've found major cancers," he added.

Morris' statement showed a clear shift in outlook. On July 3, the day of Miller's arrest, the mayor said there was "no cancer" afflicting Operation Phoenix.

When the Mayor disclosed his judgment that "major cancers' have been found, he was referring specifically to his reaction to Parks and Recreation managers being unable to produce any policy that outlined what actions staffers need to take when confronted with the possibility that someone inside Parks and Recreation may be abusing children.

We know that some city employees, including former Operation Phoenix director Glenn Baude and parks chief Kevin Hawkins were aware of rumors that community center director Mike Miller was sexually involved with a minor about four days before July 1, when a county worker alerted San Bernardino Police to Miller's alleged crimes.

Police and District Attorney's officials have launched an investigation to determine if state law that requires officials to notify police of suspected child molestation was broken. We should emphasize here that we do not know if the minor who was referred to in the June 27 emails that refer to Miller's rumored activity is one of the alleged victims who prosecutors identified (by birthdate only) in their criminal complaint against Miller.

Back to the parks issue, a July 16 memo from Hawkins to the Mayor and City Council lays out revised community center policies that were written to address the safety of children who use San Bernardino's recreational facilities.

Here are some excerpts:

Policy #1: Staff shall not be alone with individual minors. If intervention with a minor is necessaruy, the intervention shall not occur out-of-sight of a second staff member. Individual staff/child interaction shall not occur behind closed doors.

Policy #2: Staff shall not maintain a personal relationship with a minor attending the community services center or its programs, outside of the community services center or its programs.

Policy #5: All applicants for employment shall continue to be fingerprinted and have a criminal background check prior to being hired.

Policy #6: All staff shall have child abuse mandated reporter and sexual harrassment training. Staff shall have an annual refresher course on both trainings and a post-test following training.