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I did... and it looks like more of the same... a revolving door at OPD
It does not appear Whent was personally involved and maybe this is his downfall.
Most departments have an independent ethics and review board... Whent ran OPD ethics with distinction from every account... this was before he was Chief.
My question is at what point do the actions of subordinates take out the new guy on top?
I realize the buck stops with him...
Are there allegations he was a facilitator/complicant or is it he should have known or was slow to act?
Imagine the president and governors being fired when someone on their watch is a bad apple? How many times have we heard our elected leaders say they inherited the problems... I never heard Whent say this as so many elected officials have.
Maybe I just have this feeling of here we go again?
Musical Chairs at the highest levels is what the office of Chief has become or so it appears.
As an aside... I really don't know how much the wife of Whent is or should be involved with the workings of her husband's job... she is not appointed, elected or even a resident of Oakland... many have casual social connections via Internet so it would seem to be a weak link using the spouse angle.
Again... this begs the question of what about the top brass at the other law enforcement agencies... are they too facing dismissal for the actions of their subordinates?
As an aside... I really don't know how much the wife of Whent is or should be involved with the workings of her husband's job... she is not appointed, elected or even a resident of Oakland... many have casual social connections via Internet so it would seem to be a weak link using the spouse angle.
Seriously, you believe that?
Guap says she told multiple officers and sergeants, plus Chief Whent’s wife, that she had sex with OPD officers while she was underage. (that was in June of 2015)
Officer Brendan O'Brien committed suicide in September 2015, 3 months after Guap had the FB discussion with Julia Whent. Chief Whent claims that the first he learned of OPD Officers having sex with an underage minor was when he read O'Brien's suicide note.
And you think that Whent's wife didn't bother to tell him about the conversations she had with Guap, that she just sort of 'sat on that' or forgot to tell her husband?
Can't answer that... there would be no way for me to know.
I do know people are often less thant truthful... managing rental property for 30 years and have seen this a lot...
There is still a thing called Due Process... and this is even more so when Public Employee Unions are involved... how many officers have been disciplined or dismissed only later to be reinstated with back pay or get a huge settlement? Oakland is known for police payouts... just ask John Burris...
I have had residents openly deal drugs... in a perfect world I could just give them notice to move and follow through with an eviction.
In Oakland, we have Just Cause Eviction which requires I prove my allegation... it is not about what I think, what I hear or what I see... it is all about what can I PROVE.
Back to OPD... several officers are on Administrative leave... the District Attorney brings charges... not the chief of police... DA already said there are no grounds for charges against one of the officers... Sheriff Ahern has also said there is no evidence of anyone paying for sex...
Personally... I would never take/want a job where my career hangs on the actions of others...
The way some of the reporting is going one would think the Chief was her pimp... or a customer.
I'm not making excuses and don't have all the facts... I did hear our mayor say Whent's departure had NOTHING to do with the ongoing investigation about law enforcement possible involvement with a minor... is the mayor lying or not?
How to put this... you need consider the source... seems the woman's mother knew all about her daughter and said she has been turning tricks since age 12...
What kind of sicko mother stands by while her daughter does this... maybe the DA needs to bring her up on charges?
For all I know, maybe the mother is the pimp... her daughter was sleeping around with colleagues and she is career OPD... she is a part of the Oakland Police Department.
Think about it... how hard would it have been for HER to make a complaint as the parent of the minor? No one can say she didn't have access... she spends 40+ hours a week at OPD.
On the face of it... the story is simply hard to believe and maybe it was simply too unbelievable to be believed?
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 06-14-2016 at 11:26 AM..
There is still a thing called Due Process... and this is even more so when Public Employee Unions are involved... how many officers have been disciplined or dismissed only later to be reinstated with back pay or get a huge settlement? Oakland is known for police payouts... just ask John Burris...
Police Chief is NOT a union job, nor is it a "civil service" position, the chief serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and City Council. There are no criminal charges pending against Whent, so "due process" does not enter into this at all.
If Whent felt he was treated so unfairly he had every opportunity to take his case to the media when he was terminated, his decision not to do so speaks volumes about his complicity in this. No City can afford to keep a chief around with this hanging over his head, I don't care how wonderful he was or how much the Citizens like him... And one more thing about that, all the schmoozing that Police administrators do in these community meetings, it's just BS, there is almost nothing that a Police Chief can do to reduce the crime rate. Policing is largely a reactive activity, cops don't prevent crime, they respond when a crime has been committed and attempt to mitigate the damage and apprehend the person(s) responsible.
Police Chief is NOT a union job, nor is it a "civil service" position, the chief serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and City Council. There are no criminal charges pending against Whent, so "due process" does not enter into this at all.
If Whent felt he was treated so unfairly he had every opportunity to take his case to the media when he was terminated, his decision not to do so speaks volumes about his complicity in this. No City can afford to keep a chief around with this hanging over his head, I don't care how wonderful he was or how much the Citizens like him... And one more thing about that, all the schmoozing that Police administrators do in these community meetings, it's just BS, there is almost nothing that a Police Chief can do to reduce the crime rate. Policing is largely a reactive activity, cops don't prevent crime, they respond when a crime has been committed and attempt to mitigate the damage and apprehend the person(s) responsible.
You miss my point... it is not the Chief that is protected by the Unions... it is the officers in his department... the very same ones accused.
It can take years to properly prepare a case... just ask the District Attorney.
Ever hear the phrase "Nice Guys Finish Last"?
It could be the Chief has concluded the Department and the City are lost causes... he does not need to work... he does not need the grief and his pension is good anywhere in the world.
Oakland and San Jose are two Bay Area departments where officers often can't wait to leave... one has to wonder why?
Maybe he will write a book???
As to concrete things he has done one that has really helped is putting out bulletins and making it much easier to report crimes and issues to assigned liaison officers.
I now get e-mail alerts of crime in progress or be on the lookout since Chief Whent initiated the program... crime is down in Oakland... that is fact... this is neighborhood specific.
We have set up cameras paid for by taking up a collection from every home on the block and make the video feed available to OPD... since this happened... not a single incident has happened... before it was one break in after another...
As to concrete things he has done one that has really helped is putting out bulletins and making it much easier to report crimes and issues to assigned liaison officers. I now get e-mail alerts of crime in progress or be on the lookout since Chief Whent initiated the program... crime is down in Oakland... that is fact... this is neighborhood specific. We have set up cameras paid for by taking up a collection from every home on the block and make the video feed available to OPD... since this happened... not a single incident has happened... before it was one break in after another...
I'm happy to hear that and I mean that in all sincerity, keep the pressure on with the liaison officers and request a neighborhood meeting with the new chief. What you and your neighbors are doing is commendable, keep up the good work!
he does not need to work... he does not need the grief and his pension is good anywhere in the world.
A member of my family is a fairly recently retired (within the last 5 years) Deputy Chief of a major agency/department in California, and his attitude/perspective right before he retired was as you mention above.
The new hand picked interim Chief tapped replace Chief Whent lasted 6 days on the job before being fired.
This is exactly the kind of incompetence I was alluding to but failed to properly articulate.
Unless proven otherwise... the Mayor sent a good man packing last week and we are worse for it.
Members of council are infuriated according to the newspaper as to how this is being handled all around and the Mayor's secrecy was specifically mentioned.
I experienced the revolving door of top management in the corporate world and it takes a toll on morale with many that had been dedicated just going through the motions to get paid/retire.
The new hand picked interim Chief tapped replace Chief Whent lasted 6 days on the job before being fired.
This is exactly the kind of incompetence I was alluding to but failed to properly articulate.
Unless proven otherwise... the Mayor sent a good man packing last week and we are worse for it.
Members of council are infuriated according to the newspaper as to how this is being handled all around and the Mayor's secrecy was specifically mentioned.
I experienced the revolving door of top management in the corporate world and it takes a toll on morale with many that had been dedicated just going through the motions to get paid/retire.
How do you keep him on when it's become known that Guap told Whent's wife that she was 'dating' OPD Officers when she was 17? If Whent feels he was fired without cause, where's the press release from him denying all of this?
Having sex with a 17 year old girl is a felony in California, cops are supposed to protect citizens, not victimize them,
Anything said via social media to a third party in passing is Hear Say... generally not admissible for criminal prosecution...
Again... doesn't the woman's own mother, a member of the Department, have the same duty or even a higher duty?
I wish someone would explain to me why the mom gets a pass... there was a time when parents were held responsible for the actions minors...
There comes a point where a personal decision is made... stay and fight or leave.
As has been pointed out many times... the Chief serves at the pleasure so even if he 100% was committed to fight to the last person standing... he would still be gone.
I'm on the outside... that said, my uncle died in the line of duty and do have some insight to how things work.
Never before have so many I know reached the point where they can't wait to get out and when they do, they seldom stick around.
Makes me wonder why any person dedicated to public service would even want the job in today's climate.
In high school... a 17 year old student was "Dating" a 23 year old teacher... it was a scandal and the teacher resigned... the principal, school board and the head of Oakland Unified were not held responsible. The couple married and now have kids in college.
One of my best friends has a Father on the Sex Offender registry... he was getting shipped off to Vietnam at age 18 and married his 17 year old High School Sweetheart... they went to Nevada and lied on the marriage papers... her parents were livid and filed charges... by the time he came back from his tour they had a son... my friend who is now 50... It was rough go for starting out but eventually the parents came around and he still gets visits from law enforcement for something 50 years ago...
In no way would I shield the officers involved... those found guilty with a minor should be registered as sex offenders, lose their careers and whatever else the court so deems...
I still believe Whent's departure is a loss for my city.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 06-16-2016 at 11:54 AM..
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