Crazy in Suburbia: Police Managers and Officers Mad as Hell--or Very Frustrated--by State of Public Safety Funding in Walnut Creek

This column is also posted on Walnut Creek Patch: On Tueday, the Walnut Creek City Council Wednesday unanimously approved a two-year agreement with police managers that calls for a freeze on their salaries and asks sergeants, lieutenants and captains to increase their employee contributions into the CalPERS retirement system from 0 percent to 7 percent.

In adopting this agreement with the Police Management Association, council members were effusive in their praise and gratitude. Council member Kish Rajan said: "This is a tremendous showing of leadership on the part of the police management association. The police have emblazoned on their patrol cars, "Working together to benefit our community." Their contribution to the financial health of the city is an example of them working together to benefit the community."

Some in the police department believe the city is taking advantage of their "contribution" and is sacrificing the welfare of public safety to projects such as the new library and refurbishing the city's pools.

Those in the PD not satisfied with the current state of affairs are airing their concerns on online message boards and on a new website, purportedly established by Walnut Creek police managers and officers. These statements come as the city council race gets underway.

In a response to the Walnut Creek Pach article on the council adopting the agreement, someone commenting noted that the department has lost nine positions due to budget cuts. The city says it has avoided laying anyone off in the department by not filling those positions.

On Friday, the Contra Costa Times reported the existence of a new website, "backed by police officers and managers" that criticizes public safety funding in Walnut Creek, and blasts the city council for cuts to police.

The website, The Future of Public Safety in Walnut Creek, says it offers information about cuts to public safety funding that is either under reported or not reported at all. On the home page, the publishers of the site say: "We find ourselves facing increases in the demand for police services with fewer officers, equipment and resources."

"City leaders are also imposing significant cuts to police salaries and benefits that will impact the current and future face of public safety in our community," it continues. "These cuts are being forced on employees as city leaders try to convince both employees and the public that we are in a budget crisis. The truth is current and former council members created this crisis. At the same time city leaders are blaming the police department for budget woes they are spending freely on new projects, buildings and programs. They also continue to subsidize numerous groups and organizations while making only token cuts."

The site takes particular aim at the new Walnut Creek library--an ongoing sore point for some in town. The site resurrects questions about the wisdom of building the library in the first place, pointing out that Walnut Creek resident twice rejected tax measures supporting it. "It is now clear the millions invested in the library have played a large role in the declining budget dollars for police funding," the site says.

The site also responds to questions about whether Walnut Creek already spends too much on police services and can make do with fewer officers, and whether the retirement deal officers receive is fair or in line with what police officers in other cities receive.

Councilman Bob Simmons told the Times he "disagrees" with the site's premise that the council has any disregard for public safety, while Assistant City Manager Lorie Tinfow "said some things stated on the site as fact are inaccurate -- for example, the claim that the department has fewer police officers than it did 20 years ago."

Three Oakland residents arrested in gas station robbery

Walnut Creek police arrested three people from Oakland early Sunday, including a 17-year-old boy, on suspicion of strong-arming a clerk at the Shell Gas station on North Main Street.


Lt. Bryan Hill said that at about 1:55 a.m. an officer on patrol saw the clerk involved in a struggle with two people inside the station's food mart. The officer broke up the struggle and arrested those two people, and detained two others who were with them.


Police subsequently learned that the two had just stolen several cartons of cigarettes and had returned to steal more when the clerk tried to stop them. As the clerk was dealing with those two, a third went ahead and stole the cigarettes. That's when the officer intervened.


The clerk was not injured, and police determined that the fourth person in the group was not involved in the thefts. 


The two adults arrested were Ivan Nesby, 32, and Ethel Hands, 25. They were booked into County Jail in Martinez. The 17-year-old boy was booked into Juvenile Hall. 

Burglar hits Diablo magazine offices again and for the fifth time

A burglar tried to break into the offices of Diablo magazine Thursday night--the fifth time, employees say, this robber has struck. 

So went the report on ABC-7. I just heard about the crime this evening from some friends at Diablo. As some readers know, I used to work at Diablo. I was  employed there when then the four prior break-ins, or attempted break-ins, occurred. Three times, the burglar made off with thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment.  

Diablo's IT guy Alex Ackerman says the company, which publishes Diablo magazine, Diablo Arts and other publications, has upped its security system after each break-in.  This time, the thief couldn't get past the door, though he caused pretty heavy damage to it. 

Police to honor citizens for going above and beyond

The Walnut Creek Police Department will honor several citizens today for helping out with criminal investigations, neighborhood watch, disaster preparedness and saving others lives. They are Lisa Jones, Lynn Bak, Dick Dubey and Nick Ghiorso. Also to recognized: 7-year-old Alexandria Corbeil for her abilities during a 911 call.

The ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The public is invited to attend. In addition, the police department will recognizing 22 of its own, officers who have joined the department or who are retiring.

Vested interest alert... and more on arts and cops in these tough budget times

Vested interests.

I've written about this concept before: whether it's right or wrong for people to have "vested interests" when it comes to how they position themselves on public issues. Readers used this term in debates about the Neiman Marcus controversy. Now, it’s popping up again in debates about the city budget and in discussions about the decision to go forward with building the library. Actually, the term “conflict of interest” is also showing up in comments.

To me,  “conflict of interest” applies to very specific, legal circumstances, and it suggests a public official who is doing something illegal. He or she is voting on a project, for instance, that would lead to direct personal financial gain.  

Just so you know, I checked in with City Attorney Paul Valle-Riestra in regards to one city council member, Cindy Silva. Someone in the comments raised the question: When she voted to approve funding for construction of the library in January 2007, did she have a conflict of interest? 

Given that she had been a paid, part-time consultant for the Walnut Creek Library Foundation and a volunteer campaigner for a library bond measure in 2005?

Valle-Riestra says no. He says she resigned from her consulting job with the foundation as soon as she was elected to the City Council in November 2006. She didn’t stand to gain financially from her yes vote on the library a few months later, and personal financial gain is the standard for a conflict-of-interest allegation, Valle-Riestra said.

As for her voting when she had a history of advocacy for this project, Valle-Riestra said that politicians vote on issues all the time in which they have a personal interest or bias.  We might be uncomfortable with that sometimes, but there is nothing illegal about it. 

“People have sued politicians for voting in favor of projects for which they campaign during elections, and show a strong bias,” he said. “The courts have said that politicians are supposed to have strongly held views of issues during campaigns. If they kept silent about their biases, we wouldn’t have much of a democracy.”

Now that we’re talking about this council person’s bias and work and volunteer history with regard to this major downtown project, I might as well reveal a potential bias of my own as I continue to blog about the city budget.

Up until recently, I edited Diablo Arts, the magazine that is distributed to patrons at the Lesher Center. As that magazine's editor, I talked regularly to Lesher Center and Diablo Regional Arts Association staff, and to people involved with local performing arts groups.

And, just so you know,I was a big drama geek in high school. So, I like the theater, and I like artsy people.

The talent, creativity and drive of some of Walnut Creek's arts folks added to my sense that it is really cool to live and work in this town. Maybe you could say I drank the arts Kool-Aid, but I do see arts and culture as an asset to the city. Now, and in the long term. 

For example, the city made a huge investment back in the 1980s to build the Lesher Center, which opened in 1990. It transformed the downtown, for good or for bad, depending on your position.

Walnut Creek’s happening night life sure keeps the police busy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. I witnessed that first hand when I went out with the police on a ride along last weekend. And, I didn't even go out on the very busy shift last Saturday night/Sunday morning when the officers rounded up 10 drunks and three drunk drivers and carted them off to County Jail in their new special van for just this purpose. 

Through this blog, and more recently, I've had the pleasure of meeting officers and administrators in the police department. As it is with those artsy people, I have come away from my contacts with Walnut Creek police with the sense that it is really cool to live and work in this town. 

Oh, some more disclosure in terms of my background. Besides being an arts geek, I am also a cop/crime geek. For much of my career as a daily newspaper reporter, I had the police beat, including in Richmond--at a time when there were up to three murders in a single week. (I might still have a trashy crime novel or a few true-crime exposes in my future.) As a police reporter, I came to respect the job that everyone in a police department--from patrol officers to the detectives to the chief--does. 

I understand the position of some people that when times get tough, public entities have to make difficult choices about programs to eliminate. I agree that public safety is one of those investments that shouldn’t be shortchanged.  I also believe, though, that Walnut Creek needs to keep up its investment in arts and culture.  These programs are crucial to the town’s identity and, ultimately, to its economic vitality.

Maybe, as these very difficult budget negotiations continue, I will need to become a parks and recreation geek and a public services geek. 

Walnut Creek police raise $32,000 from head-shaving fundraiser

In all, 61 people made the big sacrifice of having their heads shaved last week to show solidarity with and to raise money for children with cancer. Their sacrifice paid off, as Walnut Creek Police Sgt. Lanny Edwards explains. Here is his update regarding last week's event, organized by the Walnut Creek Police Department on behalf of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Take it away, Sergeant: 

"The Walnut Creek Police Department (WCPD) would like to thank the many men, women and children who came out in support of our first St Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser.  A total of sixty one heads were shaved on May 4th and over $32,000 raised for children’s cancer research.  St Baldrick’s personnel told us that for being a first time event, the size and amount raised was unbelievable.  WCPD is especially proud that ALL monies raised were a result of family and friends donating to a good cause.  There were no large corporate sponsorships and all items donated and services offered were from local businesses here in town and our surrounding cities.  Lastly, a huge thank you to the nine hair stylists that donated their time and efforts to make 61 people bald and countless other participants realize how fortunate we are to have our health."

Police chief believes public safety is city's No. 1 priority

Should the city support arts and culture? Or the police department? Does it have to be either or?

Not according to Walnut Creek Police Chief Joel Bryden.

I spoke with him Monday morning, and I mentioned one of the debates raging on this blog with regard to the city’s proposed budget for 2010-12, which the City Council will begin working on Tuesday night. The debate has to do with the impression that city staff is not making the police department and public safety more of a priority in these very tough economic times. Some readers believe that funding for the Arts, Recreation and Community Services should take more of a hit. The thinking here is that when times are tough arts and recreation programs are expendable. 

“Stick to the basics that cities have to proivde like cops, streets, keeping the parks clean etc.,” wrote one reader. “Let private groups step up for the arts and recreation stuff. Since so few people use those services regularly they should be willing to volunteer or pay extra.”

Bryden believes that public safety is the No. 1 priority in the city.

He acknowledges that yes, the department could always use more money and more officers. Any police department could. But he said he and the police department participated in discussions that took place with regard to the budget, and the department came up with its own list of programs that could be restructured or frozen positions that would not be filled. He added what City Manager Gary Pokorny emphasized last week: none of the 33 possible layoffs taking place in other city departments would affect the police department.

In budget documents prepared for Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the police department proposes that two police officer positions be changed to a per diem basis starting in 2011 and that one position for watch commander/lieutenant and one for a police officer be unfunded. The department could also save money by reducing overtime and retire one police car, and that the city earn additional revenues by operating a tow yard.

“We told them what we could afford to lose while keeping the city safe and maintain the level of service that we have now,” Bryden said.

Here are some more specifics of what budget documents say about spending on police, as well as on and arts, recreation and community programs and on other departments.

--The police department budget could be cut by 2 percent in the coming fiscal year,  public services by 2 percent, and arts, recreation and community services by 6 percent. The biggest hit—of 24 percent—is to general government. In 2011-12, expenditures for police and public services could increase slightly, funding for arts and recreation will go down 2 percent. Again, the biggest hit (47 percent) would be to general government.

--In terms of which department in Walnut Creek will likely get the biggest piece of the budget pie in 2010-12, that would be the police department: 35 percent. Arts, Recreation and Community Services would get 20 percent. 

Walnut Creek sixth grader gets ready to lose his hair--to raise money for kids with cancer

If Brendan Miller is going to volunteer to have his blond locks shorn for a very good cause, he figures he might as well do it in style. 

First of all, the Walnut Creek Intermediate student has so far raised $1,000. He's donating this money towards efforts by Walnut Creek police officers to pull together $100,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization that hosts head-shaving parties to raise money and to show solidarity for kids diagnosed with cancer. 


Brendan will be at a WCPD-sponsored head-shaving party in Civic Park next Tuesday afternoon.  And, yes, Brendan will be saying good bye to the hair on his head. 

However, the hair he'll be losing Tuesday won't be blond. Not anymore. That's because Brendan, with the help of his grandmother Paula Miller, has been having fun making a fashion statement with the hair he will soon lose--while also learning valuable lessons about himself and helping others.

Says Paula Miller about the photos shown here: "First is the 'natural'  Brendan, then he dyed his hair black, and the third photo shows him after almost two hours at Raymond Marc Salon where Robert added a more exciting color combination that will last until next Tuesday."


Brendan, a graduate of Murwood Elementary, doesn't know any kids who have had cancer, but has become excited about helping with this cause, Paula Miller says.

"More than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year," explains Sgt. Lanny Edwards, the Walnut Creek police officer who is organizing Tuesday's head-shaving fundraiser. "Despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of children in the United States and Canada." Adds Edwards: "We're out to help change that."

St. Baldrick's has raised more than $83 million since 2000 with its unique head-shaving events. Brendan Miller will be doing his part to add to that pot of money to help kids with cancer. 

"We are having a lot of fun with this project," Paula Miller says. "It certainly has helped to build [Brendan's] self-confidence when dealing with adults and other kids his age." She adds that Brendan is not embarrassed "one bit" about going to school with dyed black hair--and now orange and black striped hair.

The Walnut Creek-sponsored event will be held Tuesday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center, 1375 Civic Drive. The police department is coordinating this fundraiser and encouraging other law enforcement organizations, firefighters, businessmen, clubs, teams, groups, etc to come participate.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors.

For more information, visit the event website, or contact Sgt. Edwards with the Walnut Creek Police at (925) 256-3596. 

Community reminder: Walnut Creek police offer free 911 cell phones to those in need

There are people out there who can't afford to buy a new cell phone, much less upgrade one. But we all need a cell phone these days--just in case.

For those who can't afford a cell phone, the Walnut Creek police is making them available. The department is working with the Cell Phone Bank to distribute free Motorola Cell phones. 

This cell phone will provide a link to emergency services via 911 in people's time of need, says Sean Conley, community police officer. 

The service is free. If you need a 911 cell phone phone or more information, or you know someone who needs a 911 cell phone, contact Coney at (925) 256-3519.

The Florida-based Cell Phone bank was founded in 2004 to provide an ongoing and readily available source of 911 emergency cell phones "to meet the unexpected and urgent needs of participating law enforcement and affiliated victims' service agencies" The people who benefit from this service can include victims of domestic violence, victims of other violent crimes, or the elderly. 

Shave your head for a good cause: to help kids with cancer

The Walnut Creek Police Department is coordinating a special fundraising event on May 4 to help a special group of kids: those diagnosed with cancer. Members of the department are  asking people to shave their heads to show solidarity with kids who are in treatment, or to sponsor someone--man or woman--who is willing to do so.

The police department is holding this event at Civic Community Park to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which has raised more than $83 million since 2000 with this unique head-shaving testimonial.  The police department has a goal of raising $100,000.

"More than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year. Despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of children in the United States and Canada," says Sgt. Lanny Edwards. "We're out to help change that."

Just the other day, as Claycord.com reported, Chloe, a 7-year-old girl in our community died on April 3 after being diagnosed just six months ago with a brain tumor.


Edwards says that participants find that shaving their head is a small sacrifice in comparison to what these children endure, and want to raise money to help find a cure for children with cancer now and in the future.


The Walnut Creek-sponsored event will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center, 1375 Civic Drive . The head-shavings will commence from 4:30-8:30 PM. The police department is coordinating this fundraiser and encouraging other law enforcement organizations, firefighters, businessmen, clubs, teams, groups, etc to come participate.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors.

The foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child.

For more information, visit the event website, or contact Sergeant Lanny Edwards with the Walnut Creek Police at (925) 256-3596.

Home burglaries worry residents in and around Walnut Creek’s Lakewood neighborhood; police say they’ve made an arrest

Over the past week, I’ve received e-mails from residents saying that there has been a rash of home burglaries in the Lakewood area.

I went through a month’s worth of the Walnut Creek police department’s Daily Bulletin and found eight incidents between February 8 and March 8 that might fall into the kind of home break-ins that readers were talking about.

Here's one such example from the Daily Bulletin involving a March 3 burglary on Stallion Court: The call came in just after 5 p.m. when someone arrived home to find the back sliding glass door shattered and opened. The break-in occurred sometimes between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m..The master bedroom had been ransacked, and the thief had stolen jewelry.

These burglaries took place both in Lakewood but also in nearby neighborhoods southeast of downtown, including n the Walnut Heights area and close to the Walnut Creek Open Space. Like the above example, the crimes all involved a resident arriving home, usually late in the afternoon, to find a back glass door open or smashed. In almost all the cases, the thief went through the house, tearing through drawers and closets. Items stolen mostly included jewelry, but also cameras, TVs, a laptop, and a double-barrel shotgun.


Captain Timothy Schultz in early March the department began noticing “a trend in that area, took steps to deal with it, and arrested someone they believe was responsible for events” related to that trend.

He added that the department had compared crime statistics for the first two months of 2010 to those of the first two months of 2009 and “found no significant increase” in home burglaries.

Schultz added: “We encourage residents to become aware of what is going on in their neighborhood. One way they can increase their awareness is by becoming an active member of our Neighborhood Watch Program. Those wishing to join an existing group, or start a new group can call our Community Policing Team at (925) 943-5844. We also strongly encourage residents to call the police when they see something they believe is suspicious.” He also said residents can check out the home security tips on the department’s website.

Walnut Creek police looking for two men who robbed two banks on Tuesday and Wednesday

Two lone men, armed with guns, robbed two Walnut Creek banks of undisclosed amounts of cash in separate incidents. No one was injured in either incident.

The first happened Tuesday at about 10:52 a.m. at the Chase Bank in the Palos Verde Mall, located at the corner of Pleasant Hill Road and Geary Boulevard.

According to Lt. Brian Hill, the robber displayed a gun, demanded and received cash and left the bank. He was last seen climbing into a light-colored vehicle. The robber was described as a white male adult.

On Wednesday, about 9:10 a.m., a man (pictured above) robbed the Bank of the West at 2050 North California Blvd.

Says Sgt. Roman Martinez, the robber, armed with a handgun, entered the bank, showed his gun, and demanded money. After receiving the cash, the robber fled the bank.

He is described as a black male adult in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, with a medium build. He was last seen wearing an olive green parka with a fur lined hood, black ski mask, black shirt, black gloves, dark pants, and dark sneakers.

In both cases, the police searched the surrounding area, but couldn’t find the robbers.


Anyone with information on either robbery should call the Walnut Creek Police Department at (925) 943-5844.

Another WCI student caught with pot--may be related to earlier case

An eighth-grader at Walnut Creek Intermediate was caught bringing a small amount of marijuana and a pipe to school, Principal Kevin Collins advised parents Friday. That student was also arrested by the Walnut Creek Police Department and "is no longer enrolled in the Walnut Creek School District."

Collins adds that "while we were unable to confirm, this situation may have been related to the marijuana possession case that occurred before break." Collins says in his e-mail to parents:

"We remain committed to providing a safe and drug free school environment. In light of this, WCI administrators will be visiting classes to reiterate school rules regarding drugs and alcohol. We are again asking parents to talk with students regarding the negative effects of drugs and alcohol. Our school and parents need to work together to address these issues at WCI."

As for the earlier marijuana case to which Collins refers? I reported, back on December 19, that before the winter holiday break, a student was caught in possession of a lighter, pipe, and small amount of marijuana. Collins said back in December:

"Our disciplinary code also calls for a five-day suspension for any drug or paraphernalia possession or use, and also calls for police contact. The Walnut Creek Police Department typically places a student who is caught with drugs on a school campus into custody and transports them to the police station."

In that December e-mail, Collins assured parents that alcohol and drug possession cases are "rare" at Walnut Creek Intermediate. I noted that it is true that suspensions for drug and alcohol possession are "rare," according to reports the district makes to the state Department of Education. During the 2008-09 school year, a total of 100 Walnut Creek school district students were suspended, but only one was caught in possession or was involved in sales of alcohol or drugs.

No students in the district were expelled last school year. However, the district has already expelled one student, and the above language about the eighth-grader disciplined this week--that the student "is no longer enrolled" in the district--suggests another expulsion might be in the works. It is the same language Collins used about one of two students involved in two separate incidents back in November, when these students were caught with knives on campus. 

Walnut Creek police sponsor holiday toy drive

Starting this week, the Walnut Creek Police Department began accepting new, unwrapped toys for the U.S. Marine Corp Reserve's Toys for Tots program.

The mission of the program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The program wants to help fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas.

The toys, collected by the Walnut Creek police department, will be distributed to local organizations or individuals in need. They can be dropped off in the lobby of City Hall, 1666 N. Main Street. For more information, call Officer David Rangel of the Community Policing Team, (925) 256-3523.