Thursday, July 26, 2012

Please Help Monica Lea Roberts Gul at this Weekends Blood Drive


Monica Lea Roberts Gul

Many have you probably know me from my work in the Paseo Nuevo Santa Barbara where I did hair and makeup and worked there for nearly 5 years at the hair and makeup kiosk. I've worked with your mothers, wives, and your daughters. I loved every minute of it.

Last year I found out thatI have a genetic blood disorder called hemochromatosis. I lived my entire life with it and never knew until May of 2011. It started by causing esophageal verisces. It then attacked my liver rendering it non-functional. At this time I had the TIPS procedure done which is essentially a shunt in my liver. As my disease progressed it then caused pancreatic failure and because of this disease I will be a diabetic for the rest of my life. It is now causing an added problem with my heart.

I get regular blood transfusions, I go through many procedures to keep me alive, and I am traveling back and forth to UCLA for additional treatment. God only knows where it will end. I have been told to prepare that my end is near but I refuse to go without a fight.

I am getting involved with the blood bank because without blood I know I would not be here right now and there are many others that are in such great need of transfusions and blood every day. We really need to be sure that our blood bank is able to support the demand for blood.
The blood bank, Citibank bank services, La Cumbre Plaza, Office Max, Denny’s as well as many other local businesses will be sponsoring a blood drive and benefit fundraiser for me Saturday July 28th from 11 to 3 pm at the Santa Barbara La Cumbre Plaza parking area between Vons and the shopping plaza. Please join us, you can leave a charitable contribution to help offset travel and treatment expenses on site, at any Citibank location or online, but please join us most importantly to donate your much needed and very valuable blood. Be a hero and keep life going for so many of us. The ABA routing number is 322271724-checking account number 42002433292. All donations will go to medical and travel expenses. Thank you for the support.





S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Factual Santa Barbara Gang Crime Data Shows that a Gang Injunction is not Warranted and the Public Concurs


Are you aware of this recent article that reviews the need for a Santa Barbara "Gang Injunction"? Finally a reporter willing to use true crime data, to bad he blew it with a racial epithet in his article.

Dazed Dogs of Summer

Injunction Conjunction, What’s Your Function?

Thursday, July 19, 2012


Actually this is my response to Mr. Welsh's article, but his story and a link as well as the public comments appear right after my venting. Finally someone in the media is willing to be some what honest about the need for a "Gang Injunction". Sadly though Nick Welsh turned out to be just as racist as the rest of them. Madame Mayor and City Council no more back door meetings claiming the "Gang Injunction is a done deal, as I heard several weeks ago. Its bad enough that in both the City and District Attorney's most recent budgets both make a point to state it is their goal to getting the 'Gang Injunction"done. As Mr. welsh pointed out  "​astonishingly, without the City Council holding a single public hearing." Now why do you think that was? Maybe so that all the people who left public comments after Mr. Welsh's story would never be given a public forum.  Mr Welsh you missed the boat here with this part of your article. "In one, popular Mesa rat “Bobby I” was stabbed to death at Hendry’s Beach, but only after beating the crap out of a gang punk who called him a “Spenser,” an epithet denoting extreme geeky whiteness. "
First off I am almost 52 years old and I didn't have a clue what a Spenser was. Really Mr. Welsh this is what you want to put out in your article, SHAME on you. Am I mistaken or is "gang punk" also an epithet denoting racism? If I am following your thinking here I can now confront you PHYSICALLY and you will be ok with it because your use of "gang punk" insulted me. NONE OF IT IS OK. You used the words "gang punk" to describe someone and I am insulted by that. The truth is the indecent was over leaving cigarette butts on the ground. And the man that got his butt kicked got up and shook the hand of the man that bettered him. Sadly though there was a coward present and he is allegedly the person who caused the death of what I have been told was a great guy.
To add insult to the beat down the person took that day, he was falsely arrested for the crime and dragged the the media just like you did in this article. Everyone knew he was not the responsible party how was the arrest possible.
I will give you credit for taking on the gang injunction but don't stop now with just that tease. Include the recent comments by Judge Eskin during the Vargas sentencing." At Benjamin Vargas’s sentencing hearing, the judge again called out the authorities, taking the time to note his disappointment with the probation officer’s report ​ ​usually done in preparation for sentencing to help inform the judge’s decision ​ ​calling it “so biased against the defendant that the Court could not rely on the information, the analysis or the recommendation presented.” Eskin said the bias of the report, wherein the officer recommended the upper term of 11 years, was palpable."
Share how he was brave enough to call out the District Attorneys office for not proving the charge of Murder one."At the end of the trial, the judge had concluded the jury would not be able to consider first-degree murder in its deliberations, finding that no rational trier of fact could find Vargas guilty of first-degree murder, which requires premeditation and deliberation." He then called them out again for the Grand Jury indictment of two females."It was another hiccup for Almgren in what proved to be a complicated and emotional case. In October, a Grand Jury indicted Maria Vargas and Karen Medina as accessories to the homicide, as authorities accused Medina of assaulting Velasquez during the attack, and Vargas was accused of driving the car away from the crime scene. They spent eight days in jail before posting bail.

But in March, the charges against both women were dismissed after Eskin concluded there wasn't enough evidence to support the indictments. He said that “a properly informed grand jury would have declined to find probable cause to indict”
You have no idea what our youth go through here in Santa Barbara. Let me ask you something Mr. Welsh just imagine that our city was creating a D.U.I. injunction and in the paper work the asked for 300 John Doe's who could be named later at law enforcement's discretion. Let's be honest Mr. Welsh there is no way in hell anyone in Santa Barbara would go along with that. That is unless it is against our youth and included in a "Gang Injunction" add that bit of information to your follow up article please. I am available to meet with you any time you want to go over the framing of a 14 year old boy named Ricardo Juarez for a murder everyone knew he did not commit.
Respectfully


Dazed Dogs of Summer

Injunction Conjunction, What’s Your Function?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

TALK VS. ACTION: When no quick-and-easy solution is available, it’s tempting ​— ​irresistible, actually ​— ​for elected officials to look like they’re taking action. So long as their gyrations are confined to blue-ribbon committees that crank out white papers on matters of civic consternation, no real injury is inflicted. But when their grand gestures ​— ​however well-intentioned ​— ​threaten to encroach on the civil liberties of target populations who happen to be brown-skinned ​— ​as Santa Barbara’s proposed gang injunction would ​— ​even middle-aged whiteys like myself have cause for alarm. The good news is that for the third summer since the gang injunction was first proposed ​— ​astonishingly, without the City Council holding a single public hearing ​— ​City Hall’s effort to target the “baddest of the bad” has been caught up in the quicksand of litigation. But better yet is how the Westside Boys & Girls Club —which has been quietly doing the nuts-and-bolts work of providing fun alternatives to young kids most demographically susceptible to the gang scene ​— ​is kicking serious ass.

Angry Poodle
Given that the Westside club ​— ​shoe-horned in next to Bohnett Park ​— ​has been on financial life support for most of this year, that’s cause for celebration. Earlier this year, it appeared all the member clubs of the United Boys & Girls Club organization were looking at turning out the lights. An emergency fundraising freak-out scared up the $300,000 needed to reactivate lines of credit, but did little to alleviate the structural problems afflicting the Westside club ​— ​which serves Santa Barbara’s poorest and most densely packed neighborhoods. Stepping up to help eliminate the Westside’s $100,000 operating deficit is the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, which just announced it would dedicate the proceeds of its annual golf tournament fundraiser that takes place later this summer to the Westside club. Last year’s tournament raised $90,000. The year before that it raised $113,000. I don’t pretend to know how this came to pass, but when Westside director Magda Arroyo’s involved, things have a habit of happening.
That extra $100,000 should allow Arroyo to work miracles, sending more kids camping in the Sierras, on field trips, or to the beach. With daily enrollment jumping from 130 a day to 200, costs have increased. The Chumash money might pay off a $15,000 sewage-repair bill that just popped up, or buy a much-needed new basketball floor. Mindful of the gang-tinged reputation Bohnett Park has in the public mind, Arroyo has already made changes to allay the concerns of some parents and administrators at nearby schools. There’s now a check-in area at the front desk so that club personnel can keep better track of who’s coming and going. There’s a new phone system that makes it easier to page kids and their parents. And there are more structured activities; kids don’t just show up and hang out. Some of it’s serious stuff. The Teen Talk program allows kids to drop written questions ​— ​safely and anonymously ​— ​into a wooden box (and discuss them in a group setting) that if asked about out loud would require Arroyo to call county social workers. But it’s also about having a good time. There are teen dances: massively successful, routinely attended by hundreds of kids, and thus far with conspicuous lack of incident. Later this summer, there will be a tamale cook-off that promises to pack the club with parents and kids alike. Increasingly, Arroyo is targeting programs for the parents, like Zumba lessons for moms. The strategy is simple: The more parents are involved, the better they’ll get to know each other’s kids, and ultimately, the safer the neighborhood will be. “It’s better than Neighborhood Watch,” Arroyo said. “It’s the neighborhood.”
With the Chumash cash, Arroyo is hoping to get away from traditional “fire-drill” financing. For Arroyo and the Westside Boys & Girls Club, $100,000 is make-or-break money. By contrast, the City of Santa Barbara spent at least half a million bucks just getting the gang injunction to court. And that’s chump change compared the cost of legal hours spent since then sparring with attorneys representing some of the 30 designated baddest apples. Right now, the lawyers are slogging through the quagmire of confidential juvenile records to determine what evidence of past delinquent behavior can be used to make the case against those named. I’d bet $100,000 they won’t be done by September when the case is scheduled for trial. And given that half are already behind bars, why bother? I’m not opposed to gang injunctions as a matter of political theology; Santa Barbara just doesn’t need one. Last month, Police Chief Cam Sanchez announced gang incidents were down 11 percent from the year before. In April, he stated the number of year-to-date gang-on-gang encounters had dropped to 18. That’s compared to 64 the previous year. In the past two years, there have been no gang-related killings. More cops have been assigned to work gang patrol; the number of hours gang cops are in the field has increased, as well; bread-and-butter police work, it appears, has paid off.
The gang injunction emerged after three non–gang members were killed in three separate altercations with gang members. By then, the out-of-town gang czar City Hall had hired with great fanfare and great expense had flopped. Politically, something had to be done, the populace assuaged, sabers rattled. In two of those three killings, however, gang involvement appears to have been coincidental. In one, popular Mesa rat “Bobby I” was stabbed to death at Hendry’s Beach, but only after beating the crap out of a gang punk who called him a “Spenser,” an epithet denoting extreme geeky whiteness. While tragically stupid, Bobby I’s death was caused by the lethal mix of testosterone and alcohol. If the folks at City Hall need to take symbolic action, I’d suggest they ban people from calling one another “Spenser.” It would be as effective as an injunction, but at less cost to the taxpayer and less violence to civil rights. Better yet, the City Council should declare victory, drop the gang injunction, and invest the savings in programs like the Westside Boys & Girls Club.

Related Links

Comments

The gang injunction was/is racist in motivation. This community like most has the ability to scapegoat without reflection. We do have systemic racial problems resulting phobic reactions. We elected council members, like Randy Rowse who while addressing another mesa gang, of really an all anglo crowd before him, praised them and actually flashed a 3-fingers down gang sign while saying "Go Mesa!" The flashing of Rowses peoples gang sign was not just an insensitivity but a provocation that no one seems to care about because they are part of the problem. Otherwise we should have been aghast. We've got a major malfunction going on here. The problem starts with our chamber of commerce type club members who use people, chews them up and then spits them out when they find they are of little use to them.
DonMcDermott (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 6:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, good job Chumash, Westside Boys and Girls club, but I disagree with the Poodle on this one. I think they should proceed with the injunction, and go after this gang thing on all fronts. There are white gangs too. Gang guys grow up and it gets into a more organized crime situation, which I think needs to be addressed now rather than later. Ok, only 18 gang on gang encounters, but how many other BS bullying events do these punks portray on the youth in the area just to establish their alpha gansta crap that go unreported out of fear? Go injunction, COPS stay on em, and the efforts of the Boys and Girls Club combined with philanthropy are the way to go.
bimboteskie (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Next thing, Don will be accusing Cam Sanchez of racism in his enforcement of the injunction.
Botany (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The last name of Sanchez doesn't necessarily equate with brown skin (i.e. Native American ancestry.) Spanish surnames came from.. Spain!
That said, I'm not prepared to call Sanchez a racist unless facts prove that to be the case. I just think equating a last name with a race or ethnicity is a slippery slope.
Kudos to the Chumash as well.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 2:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
billclausen (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"The gang injunction was/is racist in motivation."
I can't say for sure whether it is or isn't, but based on overall political trends, I would say it's just another case of society passing yet another law to control people as opposed to dealing with the cause of the problem.
Drug laws, the Patriot Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, and anti-gun laws are a reflection of a culture that would rather put band-aids on our problems as opposed to digging to find the root causes, as well as that societies' refusal to realize that the proposed solution to a problem sometimes makes the problem worse.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 3:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
if someone calls you a "Frank Spencer" in the UK, they're saying you're inept:
Example:
"Wayne Scoles is a bit of a Frank Spencer when it comes to interpersonal communications skills"
EastBeach (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
there will be a public informational forum on the gang injunction held august 16th sponsored by the neighborhood advisory council.
cesartrujillo (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 9:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As this boondoggle was started to put on an appearance that the city council is doing something, anything to fight crime, we can only wonder why then the five city council members who support this would not want more exposure and attention by discussing their good ideas in a public meeting.
John_Adams (anonymous profile)
July 19, 2012 at 10:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Supporters of this gang injunction don't realize it could also apply to them.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2012 at 1:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just in case the vegetative botany doesn't get it John_Adams explains the Cheif Sanchez conversion to support this wasteful, ineffective and racist inspired injunction. It was political.
DonMcDermott (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2012 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's good to know that Don condones chief Sanchez's support for "racist" policies if it is for "political" purposes only.
Botany (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2012 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To be clear; It is terrible. We need representation not politics.
I don't recall hearing this detail before >>> In one, popular Mesa rat “Bobby I” was stabbed to death at Hendry’s Beach, but only after beating the crap out of a gang punk who called him a “Spenser,” <<< Is that really how it went down? Really makes council member Randy Rowse actions even more deplorable.
DonMcDermott (anonymous profile)
July 20, 2012 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I adore the constitutionally vetted gang injunction.
I also like the Westside Boys and Girls Club.
Both are necessary.
italiansurg (anonymous profile)
July 22, 2012 at 6 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr Welsh you missed the boat here with this part of your article. "In one, popular Mesa rat “Bobby I” was stabbed to death at Hendry’s Beach, but only after beating the crap out of a gang punk who called him a “Spenser,” an epithet denoting extreme geeky whiteness. "
First off I am almost 52 years old and I didn't have a clue what a Spenser was. Really Mr. Welsh this is what you want to put out in your article, SHAME on you. Am I mistaken or is "gang punk" also an epithet denoting racism? If I am following your thinking here I can now confront you PHYSICALLY and you will be ok with it because your use of "gang punk" insulted me. NONE OF IT IS OK. You used the words "gang punk" to describe someone and I am insulted by that. The truth is the indecent was over leaving cigarette butts on the ground. And the man that got his butt kicked got up and shook the hand of the man that bettered him. Sadly though there was a coward present and he is allegedly the person who caused the death of what I have been told was a great guy.
To add insult to the beat down the person took that day, he was falsely arrested for the crime and dragged the the media just like you did in this article. Everyone knew he was not the responsible party how was the arrest possible.
I will give you credit for taking on the gang injunction but don't stop now with just that tease. Include the recent comments by Judge Eskin during the Vargas sentencing." At Benjamin Vargas’s sentencing hearing, the judge again called out the authorities, taking the time to note his disappointment with the probation officer’s report ​— ​usually done in preparation for sentencing to help inform the judge’s decision ​— ​calling it “so biased against the defendant that the Court could not rely on the information, the analysis or the recommendation presented.” Eskin said the bias of the report, wherein the officer recommended the upper term of 11 years, was palpable."
Share how he was brave enough to call out the District Attorneys office for not proving the charge of Murder one."At the end of the trial, the judge had concluded the jury would not be able to consider first-degree murder in its deliberations, finding that no rational trier of fact could find Vargas guilty of first-degree murder, which requires premeditation and deliberation." He then called them out again for the Grand Jury indictment of two females."It was another hiccup for Almgren in what proved to be a complicated and emotional case. In October, a Grand Jury indicted Maria Vargas and Karen Medina as accessories to the homicide, as authorities accused Medina of assaulting Velasquez during the attack, and Vargas was accused of driving the car away from the crime scene. They spent eight days in jail before posting bail.
pazzingtime (anonymous profile)
July 24, 2012 at 6:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
But in March, the charges against both women were dismissed after Eskin concluded there wasn't enough evidence to support the indictments. He said that “a properly informed grand jury would have declined to find probable cause to indict”
You have no idea what our youth go through here in Santa Barbara. Let me ask you something Mr. Welsh just imagine that our city was creating a D.U.I. injunction and in the paper work the asked for 300 John Doe's who could be named later at law enforcement's discretion. Let's be honest Mr. Welsh there is no way in hell anyone in Santa Barbara would go along with that. That is unless it is against our youth and included in a "Gang Injunction" add that bit of information to your follow up article please. I am available to meet with you any time you want to go over the framing of a 14 year old boy named Ricardo Juarez for a murder everyone knew he did not commit.
Respectfully
pazzingtime (anonymous profile)
July 24, 2012 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

I Really Think the Santa Barbara Police Union and Chief Cam Sanchez Need to Get a Clue. There are Currently to Many Trust Issues on the Table and Fashion is Not One of Them!


Fashion Police or Police Fashion? The Santa Barbara Independent
It’s Not Who Wears the Pants at the PD, but What Pants Are Worn
Covering one’s Butt’s  By Loertta Redd PHD in her Column July 10th
Are any of you aware of these two recent articles (titles above) that deal with fashion issues within our Police department? Really this is what it has all come down too here in Santa Barbarawith our police, fashion? Not D.U.I. allegations of fraud by a highly decorated officer, or physical abuse by another or the constant illegal actions of a Superior Court Judge, fashion. I am just flabbergasted that with all the other areas of law enforcement that are currently being questioned, the POA feels the priority should be on fashion. So I was glad to find out through the 25 public comments after the Independent story, others are just as disappointed as me. The second story is a well written commentary to the whole Police fashion drama as it has been portrayed in the media. My main issue with our law enforcement (police, judges and d.a.’s) has been that it is their job is to uphold the law, not to abuse or take advantage of it through their positions! Once again I feel the City Council should be embarrassed, first with all the D.U.I. drama and now the pettiness between Chief Sanchez and the Police Union Association being fought publicly through the media.
Earlier this spring, the POA suggested that the city’s charter be amended to empower the city council to hire and fire the chief rather than the city administrator, of course this act would require voters approval. As I have mentioned time and time again some issues just never seem to go away, which is why I have such a large amount of material to reference here today. You see for the last three years the POA and I have both been vocal with our criticism of City Administrator Jim Armstrong. Below I share three links to previous articles; two are from April 09 that dealt with serious conduct and trust issues with Police Chief Cam Sanchez. This first article “Clouds gathering over Police Chief” is outstanding in it’s coverage of the issues with Cam Sanchez, his relationship with the Police Officers Association (P.O.A.), and how that relates to City Administrator James Armstrong.
I often reference “Clouds gathering” article because to date it contains the most factual crime data when it comes to Gangs here in Santa Barbara. In fact based on these numbers I cannot see how any one can claim a “Gang Injunction” is warranted in Santa Barbara. Sadly though I heard that recently a current sitting City Council member was reported to have said”the Gang Injunction is a done deal.” I wonder why they made that comment now when the exact opposite view was voiced during their campaign. The second (The Sanchez and Lance Show) and third (City Hires Ventura Investigators for Scoles Case) articles both deal with the City Administrator James Armstrong’s alleged hiring of the Sintra Group to investigate issues with the Peter Lance and Wayne Scoles arrest. Unfortunately three years have passed and James Armstrong has yet to make public the first Cam Sanchez investigation much less anything to due with Peter Lance.
I really feel that the older articles I have referenced here showing that show a history of unresolved issues between Chief Sanchez and the POA are just as important as the fashion excuse being used today. The public does not need me to always give my opinion on an issue or event. Some times all that is needed from me is to let you read the same material and data that I have including the ever-growing public comment section. So real quickly here this is what I have assembled for you and the order it follows. Now because I have included most of the public comments in this posting it is rather lengthy. I count on the fact that you are all much smarter than I, regardless I have faith after it’s all said and done our views and concerns are not as different as you might have first thought.
1-     A small portion of the S.B. Independent “Clouds Gathering over Police Chief” article including the crime data and a link to the 25 public comments I did not include in this posting.
2-      The entire SB Independent article including public comments to” The Sanchez and Lance Show.”
3-     Again small portions of the S.B Independent article “City Hires an Investigator for the Scoles Case”, including all the public comments.
Now after you get through the past issues in those articles I close this posting with the current SB Independent story dealing with our “Police Fashion” including the entire public comments section. .Which is finally followed by the well written commentary on the current SBPD fashion issues by Loertta Redd PHD. I am always interested in how you feel about my efforts.  If you find worth in them I ask that you please share them with as many people as possible. You can find my blog @  http://santabarbaracriminalcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/
S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!
Thank You
Larry Mendoza
Here you go;

Clouds Gathering Over Police Chief

Budget Showdown, Mayoral Face-Off Confront Cam Sanchez
Thursday, April 23, 2009 by NICK WELSH (CONTACT)

It’s a little premature to declare that the proverbial perfect storm is brewing over the head of Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez, now entering his eighth year at the helm of the city police department. But the clouds definitely are gathering, and they show only few signs of blowing away.
Two months ago, for example, a Santa Barbarajury concluded it simply did not believe the chief of police when Sanchez accused Wayne Scoles, a burly, hot-tempered Mesaactivist, of calling him “a Mexican motherfucker” last June before Scoles allegedly threatened to “kick his [Sanchez’s] ass.” Scoles, who was arrested and prosecuted on misdemeanor charges, denied threatening the chief or making racist remarks; Sanchez was the key witness against him. As courtroom melodramas go, the Scoles hearing was inconsequential in the extreme. But for the chief, it clearly was an embarrassment. Here is a link to the rather lengthy article in its original formathttp://www.independent.com/news/2009/apr/23/clouds-gathering-over-police-chief/#commenttoggle

Santa BarbaraCitywide Crime Stats

1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2008
HOMICIDE
7
6
6
3
0
3
RAPE
24
26
33
38
34
26
ROBBERY
75
132
107
58
76
117
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT*
139
467
436
371
399
347
AUTO THEFT
225
350
247
122
207
114
LARCENY/THEFT
1,740
3,052
2,614
1,953
2,125
1,912
ARSON
19
8
18
14
43
32

Gang-Related Offenses

200520062007
MURDER
0
0
2
ATTEMPTED MURDER
1
0
0
ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON
16
25
26
BRANDISHING
1
3
4
ROBBERY
5
3
6
BURGLARY
3
5
1
VANDALISM
30
37
37
BATTERY
5
12
13
KNIFE IN PUBLIC
3
7
8
TOTAL GANG RELATED OFFENSES102163177
TOTAL CITYWIDE NUMBER OF OFFENSES26,13724,34623,002
PERCENTAGE OF CRIME GANG-RELATED00.39%00.70%00.77%
There are 25 public comments at the end of this story, once again here is a link @ http://www.independent.com/news/2009/apr/23/clouds-gathering-over-police-chief/#commenttoggle
Next

The Sanchez and Lance Show

Police Chief Called Out by Freelance Reporter
Thursday, December 8, 2011 by NICK WELSH (CONTACT)
When Mayor Helene Schneider suggested that Police Chief Cam Sanchez (right) begin showing up at council meetings to answer questions swirling about the department, Peter Lance (left) took the opportunity to demand if and when Sanchez or City Hall would ever investigate his charge that he’d been framed by a “rogue cop” for driving under the influence.
City Attorney Steve Wiley announced that Sintra Group investigators had already looked into the matter and that a report will be issued to the council soon. While the meeting featured frequent verbal collisions between Lance and the mayor, Schneider and Sanchez both said it went well. Sanchez’s next council appearance, Schneider said, should take place next month.

Comments

Who is Sintra group? Are they local? Why are they especially trustworthy?
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
December 8, 2011 at 4:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Lance is saying "C'mon man, what about it" and Sanchez is saying "I already told you, I don't want to discuss this".
billclausen (anonymous profile)
December 8, 2011 at 6:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like Sintra Investigations is located inVenturaCounty. But, although it appears they are licensed, no Private Investigator License number(s) are identified as required on their advertising.
whatsinsb (anonymous profile)
December 8, 2011 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Lance do not hold your breath Sintra is where the City sends investigations to die.This is the second time that the City of Santa Barbara has hired the Sintra Group of Ventura to investigate law enforcement in Santa Barbara. The first time was nearly 3 years ago with the Wayne Scoles indecent. However we still have the same problem, will city administrator Jim Armstrong release the findings to us the public?To date I cannot find where the findings from the Cam Sanchez investigation caused by the Wayne scoles arrest have ever been made public. Even though public funds were used to obtain the investigation. I have requested via email the report from Jim Armstrong but he has never shown me the common courtesy of a reply. Mr. Armstrong may be reached @ JArmstrong@santabarbaraca.gov
City HiresVentura Investigators for Scoles Case
Mesa Resident Claims Police Chief Improperly Detained Him
Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Nick Welsh (Contact)
"Santa Barbara City Administrator Jim Armstrong has hired a Ventura-based private investigation firm to look into allegations that Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez violated the civil rights of Mesa resident Wayne Scoles, whom the chief had arrested after a verbal altercation on the Mesa last June."
pazzingtime (anonymous profile)
December 10, 2011 at 4:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally

City HiresVenturaInvestigators for Scoles Case

Mesa Resident Claims Police Chief Improperly Detained Him
Thursday, April 30, 2009 by NICK WELSH (CONTACT)
Santa Barbara City Administrator Jim Armstrong has hired a Ventura-based private investigation firm to look into allegations that Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez violated the civil rights of Mesaresident Wayne Scoles, whom the chief had arrested after a verbal altercation on the Mesalast June. Below are the public comments that followed the story.

Comments

I'm pleased to read that the City Administrator is apparently taking this whole Scoles thing seriously. The pile of dogsh-t at the Chief's doorstep just keeps getting deeper.
I wonder if this will be a real investigation or a white-wash, and I wonder what will be found under the next rock to be turned over.
TheStraightScoop (anonymous profile)
April 30, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While there seems little doubt Sanchez conducted himself improperly in this case , Scoles is not without blame . I have witnessed Scoles in action and he definitely likes to bully and intimidate those with whom he has issues - a perfect storm .
geeber (anonymous profile)
April 30, 2009 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I couldn't care less whether or not Scoles is a loud-mouth or a bully. He doesn't hold public office, Sanchez does. It is high time the City Administrator looks into Sanchez's conduct including not just this incident (and Sanchez's possible perjury at trial), but also his lamentable performance in office and his questionable financial dealings with the city.
Justice (anonymous profile)
May 2, 2009 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Fashion Police or Police Fashion? The Santa Barbara Independent

By Nick Welsh (Contact)



It’s Not Who Wears the Pants at the PD, but What Pants Are Worn

Thursday, July 5, 2012
In a first-of-its-kind legal showdown over what kind of pants and bootsSanta Barbaramotorcycle cops should wear, the Police Officers Association (POA) has sued Chief Cam Sanchez, charging Sanchez exceeded his contractual authority when he ordered motorcycle officers to resume wearing traditional breech pants with knee-high boots as of July 1.
Last October, Sanchez had agreed to the union’s request that motorcycle officers be allowed to wear looser, straight-legged, Kevlar reinforced pants that have light-reflective piping, ample padding, and built-in body armor designed to better protect the knees and hips in the event of a fall. But this May, Sanchez changed his mind, arguing that the new pants  which critics likened to snowboard pants  did not adequately project the “command presence” he contends a police uniform is supposed to convey. The POA cried foul and sued.
By acting unilaterally, they objected, Sanchez failed to live up to the meet-and-confer requirements called for by the union contract. Sanchez countered that as chief, he wears the pants and has the authority to make such calls about police uniforms. But the POA responded, in court filings, that meet-and-confers are required when “safety equipment” not uniforms  is involved. It falls to Judge Thomas Anderle to determine whether pants and boots constitute a fashion statement or safety gear.
Union leader Sgt. Mike McGrew argued the looser-fitting pants allow officers to wear boots offering greater ankle support. He claimed one officer involved in a motorcycle accident was back on the job much faster because of the protective knee armor offered by the new pants and another survived a fall without any abrasions. And studies, he said, show a significant reduction in permanent ailments caused by motorcycle accidents. McGrew noted that the traditional motorcycle-cop look dates back to 1873 with the formation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “Right now, with the new pants, we look like Euro cops,” McGrew said, “instead of Dudley Do-Right.”
Otherwise, Mannix suggested officers could show up for work dressed like baseball catchers and could pull motorists over at routine traffic stops with their guns drawn. “But we don’t do that,” he said.
Assistant Chief Frank Mannix insisted that it’s too soon to say whether the new pants are factually safer. He also insisted that the department’s operating standard was “reasonably safe,” not the “most safe.” Otherwise, Mannix suggested officers could show up for work dressed like baseball catchers and could pull motorists over at routine traffic stops with their guns drawn. “But we don’t do that,” he said. Last week, it appeared Judge Anderle was prepared to side with the POA but deferred his ruling at the request of City Attorney Steve Wiley, who wanted to weigh in on behalf of Chief Sanchez.
Ironically, even if Anderle rules in favor of the union later this week, the POA has made it clear it has no intention of meeting and conferring with Sanchez. And contractually, it has no obligation to do so. Without any other issues on the table, the union has expressed concern it wouldn’t have any negotiating leverage. Should the union prevail in court, Sanchez will find himself in a Catch-22 scenario where he’s effectively barred from taking action no matter which approach he tries, at least until negotiations begin next year on a new contract.
The apparent pettiness of this dispute illustrates the depths to which relations between Chief Sanchez and the police union have sunk. Earlier this spring, the union went public with plans to amend the city’s charter to empower the city council to hire and fire the chief rather than the city administrator, who currently wields that authority. The union has been vocal in its criticism of City Administrator Jim Armstrong  charging he’s cut the police force at the expense of public safety  and nearly as critical of Sanchez for not bucking Armstrong’s budgetary restraint. The POA was forced to back off this campaign  at least for the time being  when it became clear there weren’t two councilmember’s, the minimum number required, willing to put the matter on the agenda for a council meeting, let alone vote for it.
Whatever the rank-and-file of the Police Department think about the latest dust-up over boots and pants is hard to determine. Only six full-time officers  and another six part-timers  will be immediately affected. McGrew acknowledged there’s some split among the ranks, stating that the officer who has most benefited by the new pants is against them. “But then, he thinks we should bring the bow tie back,” McGrew said.

Comments

Gee, the pants on the right just make him look sloppy. Like he weighs another 30lbs. I say get knee pads for the ones on the left. So I wonder how the tall angry a$$ SBcop that rides around on the motorcycle feels about this? The one who slammed his clipboard against my window to "get my attention".
This POS, I mean POA thing is getting out of hand. Now they are suing at any decision that their boss makes. Isn't the Police force supposed to behave a bit like the military when it comes to command structure? I mean they refer to us as civilians. Can you imagine some private in the army suing his general because he doesn't like the pants he is forced to wear?
Finally how much I all this petty squabbling going to cost me when city attorneys have to represent each party, and a judge has to hear the case while the rest of us are just waiting for a court date. This is absolutely ridiculous.
Follow directions and do your jobs cops. This isn't the X games.
bimboteskie (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here is a link to European police uniforms. They are very nice and clean, not like the ones the POA claims will make them look like Euro cops.
http://www.designdenhaag.eu/police-un...
sbs124 (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I found the same pant's that are indispute at;http://www.police-equipment-worldwide...
From the pictures and discription on the site, these pants are not cut like a pair of BDU but the line-officers could "blouse" them over their duty boots be they are Military style or Motorcycle style but in the article, the pants do appear to be 'slouched' and do make the officer appear sloppy. At least if the pants were bloused, there would be a more professional appearance while keeping the with department safety standards.
dou4now (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
But do we really want the "command presence" those tall boots evoke from history?
Personally, I am way, WAY more offended the cops ride Bimmer motorcycles instead of Harleys.
But who wears the pants never would be about a ploy to pry open something else to negotiate in the POA contract outside the usual schedule.
John_Adams (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, I don't have a dog in this fight, but I'm old-fashioned. I like the "Mountie" look better.
I also agree with John_Adams - I think the POA has an agenda that goes beyond arguing for the right of six motor guys to wear "snowboarder" pants.
LegendaryYeti (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The old costumes were better.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow thank you everyone for your vane superficial opinions on how jack boots command respect. This isn’t about how LEOs look this is about how well protected they are when they are doing their jobs. This may be hard for some of you cagers (car driving folk) to wrap your head around but these guys don’t have a steel cage around them protecting them from inattentive drivers, high speed chases and other risks involved with being a motorcycle cop. When these guys low side and hit the asphalt (and THEY WILL HIT THE ASPHAULT at some point) they need to be armored up for it. They need abrasion resistance and impact protection. Your knees and ankles are usually the first parts of your body to hit the ground in a lowside and if that large BMW touring bike lands on your ankle, onloy covered by a pretty little jack boot, it could end up being a career ending incident. So give these guys the protection they deserve, get LEO motorcycle gear up with the times and start worrying about how these guys do their job not what kind of pants they wear as they do it.
cmetzenberg (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 1:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When you ride a motorcycle it is not an issue of "if" but "when" you will go down.
Wearing the most protective clothing is operative when motorcycle riding. I had a relative that wiped out in a freak low speed accident, car cut him off, after he slid on the asphalt in leathers and helmet, his hair was just tufting out of the hole worn in the helmet, his leathers protected the rest of his body.
I vote Kevlar over Wool.
howgreenwasmyvalley (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 3:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Speaking as a dual-sport rider ... if you can get knee/shin guards and hip pads under a baggier pant, you will get more protection.
Maybe the manufacturers ought to look into incorporating a little stretch material along with the ballistic material to minimize wrinkles & bagginess ... just like the newer (and pricier) hiking pants.
Welsh is right though, there does seem to be an element of petty politics behind this. Too bad.
EastBeach (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
just get ride of the bikes altogether.
GluteousMaximus (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sbs124, the link that you provided is very misleading. The last time I was inParis(about 5 years ago), I saw lots of police officers. They wore medium blue (not navy blue) uniforms which appeared to be cotton or cotton blend, like military BDUs. The shirts were open collar and most wore baseball style caps. They walked around in gangs of three or four and at least one of them always had a miltary style carbine automatic rifle. They all wore military style boots. The picture of a French police officer in the link must be a dress uniform of some type. I never saw that kepi hat anywhere inPariswhen I was there. While police uniforms are supposed to display authority and professionalism, the military look does this as well as the old fashion calvary look. I vote for safety first, style second.
Eckermann (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Aren't a couple of these motorcyle cops under investigation by the sbpd? I wonder if that has anything to do with the this lawsuit.
sbs124 (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 6:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, only inSanta Barbaradoes style trump substance to such an insane point! I don't give a rat's behind what the officer looks like. Safety and functionality should be paramount. It's not a fashion show, people, it's public safety. What next, a requirement thatSanta Barbarapolice ride Spanish style motorcycles while wearing matador uniforms?? Pardon me, but what a load of bull!
blackpoodles (anonymous profile)
July 5, 2012 at 9:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shove that "command presence" up your CamSanchez. You work for me. You're paid by my tax dollars to "protect and serve", not intimidate as a matter of training and practice, with uniforms designed to evoke fear. Reminds me of an old NWA song I live my life by. It rhymes with "tuck the folice".
3domfighter (anonymous profile)
July 6, 2012 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The POA (police public employees labor union) always is about the money for them but amazingly keeps it making it personal with Chief Camerino Sanchez. Why they think this pissing match helps them get better pay and pensions is absolutely flabbergasting and such lame political theater. They are looking quite silly in a distant attempt or hope for the city administration to offer up something else as an enticement to keep the traditional pants and boots.
John_Adams (anonymous profile)
July 6, 2012 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, I think Blackpoodles has a great idea there. Charro customes and jingley, jangley things hanging off the motorcycles would go great with theSanta Barbarared tiled roofs. Maybe they can learn a few Spanish dance numbers too, and entertain the tourists for money down onState St.instead of giving tickets.
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
July 6, 2012 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
July 6, 2012 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Bells on their toes.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
July 6, 2012 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow. Now that post 9/11 conservative sympathies have waned and we would want to roll back compensation, benefits and collective bargaining rights, can't we at least agree that the PD at least deserves the best and latest safety gear possible.
This whipped up self-serving emotional roller coaster, 'love'm when we're down, kick'em when they're down' conservative and irrational ideology needs to be checked.
Covering one’s Butt’s @
By Loertta Redd PHD in her Column July 10th 2012
The dust-up between Mike McGrew of the Santa Barbara Police Officers Association and Chief Cam Sanchez over what motorcycle pants should be worn reminds me of a petulant child stomping his foot at having to don his Sunday best for church service.
CHP Pants
Giving the term, “fashion police” a whole new meaning, I researched not only styles and materials covering the bottoms of our sworn officers, but also the origin of the term: too big for your britches.
Historically speaking, it was Davy Crockett who wrote An Account of Col. Crockett’s Tour to the North and Down East in 1835: “I myself was one of the first to fire a gun under Andrew Jackson. I helped give him all his glory. I liked him well once: but when a man gets too big for his breeches, I say Good bye.”
If only we all could “say Good bye” to the exaggerated sense of importance that the POA seems to have acquired recently, the city would certainly benefit. I never thought we would have to create an anti-bullying campaign to protect our police Chief from own officers’ union, but that’s what it sounds like.
Snowboard Pants
The most recent example of POA versus management comes in a material form; literally. There was a time when the city motorcycle police wore wool pants; then they began wearing looser, “snowboarder” type britches with shorter ankle boots rather than the tall riding boots of old.
I won’t belabor that neither alternative look particularly good on overweight officers, but I will point out that the California Highway Patrol– the most revered motorcycle enforcement team around– so appreciates its 100% wool or wool/poly tighter breech pants, that it is illegal to try and mimic their uniform.
And we can’t forget the 1898 hero of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, Teddy Roosevelt, and his band of Rough Riders. This motley collection of native Americans, college athletes, cowboys and ranchers didn’t seem to have a problem takingSan Juan Hilldressed in Mounties-style britches and tall boots.
Whereas POA union leader McGrew contests that the “armor” afforded by the new, baggy padded pants offers more protection from accidents, no one seems concerned for those poor suckers on bicycle patrol. I’ll bet their bike shorts don’t cost $150 or more. And what about the rest of the patrol force, riding in those hot, stuffy patrol cars?
Maybe we could commission a new uniform consisting of Hawaiian shirts and board shorts, with a smart reflective stripe down the side. Come to think of it, our cops might catch even more of the local criminals if they blended in.
I’ve got a better way to keep the POA’s tushes safe and their ankles strong… get off of your fancy motorcycles and start walking a beat for a change. I mean, really, what can a motorcycle do that can’t be done either by car or bicycle?
The real issue, it seems, is not so much what McGrew and the POA gets to wear on the fashion runway, as it is their beef with the Chief.
You don’t like your boss, boys? Well, work it out like they do in every other business, or leave the force. You want new uniforms? Learn to dance “cheek to cheek” and resolve it like adults. But enough with the “Waa Waa Waa” and “We’re gonna sue you” childishness. Chief Cam Sanchez is the one who sits in front of the Council and the City Administrator and tells them that crime is down because of your efforts, defends your staffing positions, and tries to inspire the citizens of this City to believe that you have their interests at heart, before your own.
You do, don’t you?
Finally The End!!!!

S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!