BP Police Chief on the outs?
There's a story in today's paper about Baldwin Park Police Chief Edward Lopez. The word is he may be fired tonight if he doesn't comply with budget cuts. A crowd of officers are expected at tonight's City Council meeting to contest the issue.
The full story did not run in today's paper because of space constraints, so I've pasted it here. It gives a little more perspective in its entirety:
The police officers assocation said city officials are courting an El Monte lieutenant to replace the current police chief amid a budget dispute.
According to Baldwin Park Police Association President Joshua Hendricks, council members have given police Chief Edward Lopez until his evaluation tonight to decide whether he will comply with further budget cuts to the department.
If not, the council plans to terminate him, Hendricks said.
Mayor Manuel Lozano would not comment on the matter.
“We, right now, haven’t made anything public of that nature,” Lozano said. “I’m not going to speculate with anything or get into the rumors or innuendos when it comes to us assessing or evaluating an employee.”
Lopez did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.
According to Hendricks, the city has been in talks with El Monte police Lt. Ken Alva for the department’s top spot.
Alva — who has been with the El Monte Police Department since he started out as a cadet in 1979 — would not comment on whether he had been contacted by Baldwin Park officials about the position.
“You’re going to have to ask Baldwin Park about that,” he said.
According to the council’s agenda, a closed session item for a “public employee performance evaluation” is scheduled for tonight for the police chief, as well as the city’s chief executive officer, recreation and community services director, public works director and human resources manager.
“All I can say is we are doing the evaluations,” said Chief Executive Officer Vijay Singhal. He added that the city is not currently undergoing the process to hire for the police chief’s position.
“This is no hidden secret,” Hendricks said. “People in El Monte know about this. I’ve called (Alva) himself and he’s not denying this.
According to Hendricks, in recent months, Lopez and the city have been in a attle over budget cuts to the department — cuts that Lopez is unwilling to make.
“The city has already eliminated or frozen eight positions and they still need to cut more money from the budget,” Hendricks said. “They have asked the chief to make more cuts, but he has resisted. It’s one of those things where they’re like, “If you can’t make more cuts, we’ll find someone who will.’”
Hendricks said he had no problem with Alva personally, but was upset that the city was looking outside the department.
“I think they want somebody who is not going to be as close to the officers and that way they can control us better,” BPPA Vice President Chris Kuberry said.
Because Lopez is unwilling to make the cuts to the department, an outside candidate with no loyalties to Baldwin Park’s officers will make it easier for the council to demand more cuts, Kuberry said.
“It’s just ridiculous because (the city is) trying to balance the budget by cutting the police department,” Kuberry said. “They are trying to cover their tracks on their mismanagement of city funds.”
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CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
Not only are the council trying to cover their tracks over their misuse of public funds, they have a bigger agenda, just like the city of Maywood.
Maywood newest controversial and police chief says that he immediately wanted to let everyone go, and contract with the Sheriffs. This is what the city of Hawaiin Gardens did, right before they allowed gaming. HG contracted with the Sheriff's for a year, while they did their corruption, and then got back their own police.
What do you expect from racists council members against their own people.
Gentrification has obviously reered it's ugly head.
As a result of the city's proposed redevelopment, a few members have been quoted to say things such as"If they don't like it, they can go to TJ(Mexico)" or when asked where would people go,it was responded by another "They can go to E.L.A".
And these are supposed to be the pillars of the community?
"Si Se Puede"
nice. i'd like to hear more about the supposed racists on bp's city council, as well as how development has negatively effected the community.
speak on.
No, I didn't mean to imply that us.
"that way they can control us better"? wtf? it seems like the police chief has a problem with authority. will someone please explain to him that the city does CONTROL the police department.
When the city wants to cut officers, and control the chief in how he keeps the city safe is only asking for trouble. This will sure to backfire on Baldwin Park, I used to live there when it was dirty and full of crime. The chopper was up ever night. Driving through, I see a new city, with plenty of police presence. Good for the chief, he though will probably lose his job, hopefully financially he can handle, But wow the respect he will gain, and the mayor will lose. The mayor is the one who will be asking to be liked next election time.
Something is going in Monrovia. On Mayflower between Duarte and Camino Real. Does anyone know ????
You know that Chief Lopez still goes out on patrol from time to time? Jacks gangsters, handles calls and does everything else a street cop does. Roger Johnson does the same at Monrovia. They deserve credit for that.
I'm under the impression Lopez and his men are probably better suited to understand what they need to get the job done than idiot council members or the mayor.
They've cut or froze eight positions and are looking at possibly more? At what point do you take a stand when you're the top dog trying to keep crime under control. Let's not forget that Baldwin Park still has a very serious gang problem.
I wonder who Alva knows that's tooting his horn? You don't usually replace a chief with a Lt. Nothing against Alva but Chiefs usually come from the captain's ranks.
Local Boy
Any Chief worth their salt is going to do what is best for their department and the community that they serve. And if that means standing up to political pressure, so be it. They are hired to run a department and it can not be done with diminishing resources.
The activity off Mayflower yesterday was in Arcadia. It was a call of a possible residential burglary where one subject was detained and another fled on foot. The activity you saw was about a 2 hour containment of the neighborhood.
[Gentrification] Baldwin Park Homeowners and Residents to Protest Bisno Developer
by Baldwin Park Citizens Against Eminent Domain Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 at 11:32 AM
[Gentrification] Bisno Developer offers ‘Last Supper’ to Baldwin Park Homeowners and Senior Citizens on plans to use eminent domain to take their homes. Councilwoman Marlen Garcia stated at a the Council meeting of September 19, 2007 that anyone who was not in agreement could go to TJ (Tijuana). Councilman Anthony Bejarano at the same meeting when asked were will the current occupants of the area would go? Bejarano stated “they can go to East Los Angeles”. At the September 19, 2007 meeting Councilman Bejarano stated that the police department was a luxury.
Media Advisory For Immediate Release:
Baldwin Park Citizens Against Eminent Domain November 14, 2007
“Bisno Developer offers ‘Last Supper’ to Baldwin Park Homeowners and Senior Citizens on plans to use eminent domain to take their homes.”
“Bisno Development will sponsor turkey dinner to sell project to Senior Citizens without warning of Eminent Domain dangers”
Baldwin Park, CA – Home owners and concerned residents will protest the meeting
WHAT: Home owners and concerned residents will protest Bisno Development sponsored turkey dinner to sell Senior Citizens on a 125 acre development project; without warning of Eminent Domain dangers. The 125 acre development located in the heart of Baldwin Park has identified the demolition of over 600 homes and businesses. The demolition will make way for a mixed use project proposed by Century City based Bisno Development.
WHEN: 5:00p.m., Tuesday, November 14, 2007
WHERE: Clark Terrace, 14315 Clark Street, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Corner of Maine Street)
BACKGROUND:
Home owners and concerned BP residents have united against the proposed demolition of 125 acres which will make way for a mixed use development proposed by Century City based Bisno Development.
Bisno Developer outreach efforts to Senior Citizens include sponsoring a ‘Last Supper’ Turkey dinner to promote 125 acre project. The Century City based developer has launched a campaign to gain support from Senior Citizens and community organizations such as the Women’s Club and others.
Bisno Development has hired political strategist Ricardo Monroy as the Vice President of Public Affairs. Mr. Monroy has been aggressively selling the residents of Baldwin Park empty dreams and promises of prosperity.
The developer has showcased several renderings of his proposed project and highlighting the amenities and services that will be offered by the new project. What Mr. Monroy and Bisno leave out is the hidden costs to the current homeowners and residents of Baldwin Park. The threat of eminent domain is clear the developer has targeted hundreds of homes and businesses for demolition. Once the project is completed the developer hopes the demographic of the community will change and entice wealthier young professionals to move into the New Baldwin Park.
Councilwoman Marlen Garcia stated at a the Council meeting of September 19, 2007 that anyone who was not in agreement could go to TJ (Tijuana).
Councilman Anthony Bejarano at the same meeting when asked were will the current occupants of the area would go? Bejarano stated “they can go to East Los Angeles”.
At the September 19, 2007 meeting Councilman Bejarano stated that the police department At the September 19, 2007 meeting Councilman Bejarano stated that the police department was a luxury, as he referred his comments to the Police Officers Association.
thats my dad kuberry