Update on Mike Miller saga
I am told, by multiple sources, that police were searching for Operation Phoenix supervisor Mike Miller by 10 a.m. the morning of July 3.
Miller, who is accused of child molestation, was presumptively wandering somewhere in the community for some three hours or so before police claim to have arrested him at a Redlands restaurant at 1:20 p.m.
If the timeline is correct, this would mean police were on the hunt for a suspected child predator behind the scenes for hours while a police spokesman and officials at City Hall stonewalled the press and did not alert the public. Even City Councilmembers learned of the unfolding drama from the press or other backchannel sources.
At 1 p.m., about 20 minutes before Miller's arrest, Lt. Scott Paterson said, "We're looking into some issues of concern and that's all we have right now, period."
Approximately 30 minutes later, Jim Morris told me in a telephone interview Miller had been investigated and arrested.
At 3:33 p.m., Paterson sent reporters a press release on Miller's arrest.
This could get dicey. I called Jim Morris at 8:28 a.m. Thursday morning to ask about this situation, which I became aware of Wednesday night. Morris said he had no knowledge of the situation.
I called Lt. Scott Paterson at 9:27 p.m. Wednesday night after learning from a tipster that police cars had converged on the Phoenix Center, which I now know was to search the premises for evidence against Miller. I called the watch commander on duty, who said nothing had happened at the Phoenix Center. I then called Paterson, who told me there was an investigation (after I said I knew police were at the center) but wouldn't confirm it had anything to do with the Phoenix Center.
Political and police officials will have to explain why they thought it prudent to hide from the public that they were investigating - and later searching for - a publicly servant accused of molesting children.
If ever there was something the public needs to be aware of, it would seem to be a potential threat to their children. Police clearly think Miller is a threat to people's children - that's why they arrested him. So why did they think the people didn't need this information?
Comments
I highly doubt that Jim Morris (or even Pat Morris) was unaware of the fact that the police were hunting for Mike Miller. We all know that Mayor’s office was contacted the minute that the police department knew about the accusation. The lack of information provided to the public, City Council included, was to protect the Mayor’s office. Obviously this sad incident is “egg on their face”. Their priority was not protecting the innocent – minors, which if approached by the accused predator would welcome his presence because they knew him – their priority was to protect themselves from the “bad press” that this would generate.
It is a known fact that Chief Billdt has previously provided “misinformation” in order to facilitate the Mayor’s agenda – on televised City Council meetings no less. It is no wonder that a police spokesman would not provide important information to the public – he hadn’t been cleared to do so by his boss who reports to the Mayor.
Now that the ugly accusation is public knowledge the Mayor’s office seeks to separate itself from Mike Miller, thus the deletion of his name from the Center website because this is expedient to protect them.
A temporary closure of ALL Phoenix Centers should be done while all employees and volunteers at these centers go through background checks. According to the Mayor's office Mike Miller had gone through one of these checks, yet stands accused of this heinous act. This will not happen because this would impede the Mayor’s agenda – forget about protecting the innocent.
Posted by: An eye on the big, shiny building downtown | July 5, 2008 10:03 PM
Having been on the "inside" in the past, I know that the way this all went down was absolutely "business as usual" for City Hall. It's just sad that the ones who will suffer for it are the kids in those centers. Thos kids really NEED those centers!
Posted by: Shan Merey | July 7, 2008 1:10 PM