Hats off to KGTV-10. They have done FIFTY stories on this department’s corruption since just the first of the year (and indeed other stations and the U-T have been active in reporting this (literal) travesty of justice.
Now KGTV has put together a 27 minute TV show summarizing what they found. The show IS viewable online (in four segments total):
http://www.10news.com/news/investigations/team-10-investigative-show-focuses-on-san-diego-police-department
Recently retired Police Chief Bill Lansdowne has been inferring over the years that he was the SGT Schultz of the SDPD — “I know nothing, NOTHSING!” Or at least he didn’t think any such transgressions merited more rigorous investigation — “boys will be boys.” (NO, Lansdowne did not say that, but that could be one interpretation of his studied disinterest in these police crimes and coverups.)
The department is SO corrupt, it should NOT have picked as the new police chief Shelley Zimmerman, a 33 year SDPD veteran who HAD to know some or most of what was going on. As far as I know, nothing has come to light indicating she has been anything more than part of the “wall.” Maybe she was just clueless (after 33 years including senior positions??). Moreover, picking her just ONE DAY after Lansdowne retired with no job search smells to high heaven.
As far as I can tell, in those 33 years she did nothing to combat this corruption even while serving in top positions — though she blusters about fixing things now that she is chief. In the quote in the story, she firmly announces that such criminal activity won’t be tolerated on her watch — but there’s no mention of the many more officers involved in covering up these crimes.
Don’t bet on her following through (except to shift the department’s organization chart around). But maybe she WILL deliver, now that the reform pressure is now too big to ignore. We shall see.
We should have hired as police chief an outside asshole who would NOT be interested in making friends (or having existing friends) in the department. It’s sad that we didn’t make the effort to find such a prick to be our police chief.
The coverup seems to be an SDPD “club” thing — IF you’re in the club (nepotism is rather common in the department), you’re protected. If not, as a cop you may indeed be prosecuted and/or fired. And it appears that Chief Zimmerman was VERY close to departing Chief Lansdowne — bad sign.
There is some good news. The feds are actively investigating the SDPD corruption. I think they smell blood — they should.
Even more important, some honorable SDPD police officers have had enough — they are coming forward to tell their experiences and expose the depth of corruption in “America’s Finest City” — at considerable personal and professional risk. THESE are our police heroes — though sadly too many in the SDPD probably view them as traitors and pariahs.
Most SDPD officers will do neither — they won’t coverup, and they won’t take point on ending the corruption. These officers will just keep their heads down, plugging along, working towards their pensions.
Stay tuned.
P.S. This story makes a strong case for requiring just about ALL police officers to wear AND KEEP TURNED ON a lapel camera during their shift. It’s the best possible deterrent to these crimes, and a deterrent to cops who want to cover up such crimes. Such cameras protect the public, the police and us taxpayers.