mikeh

Bad Cops Get Caught -- But Not All of Them Do

Michael Hemmingson, May 12, 2011

Yesterday, San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne was not a happy camper, facing the local and national press about another problem with a SDPD officer allegedly committing a crime.

The cop's name is Daniel Edward Dana of Escondido, a three year member of the San Diego Police Department and former Marine. An El Cajon Blvd prostitute claims he raped her -- threatened her with arrest if she did not give him sexual favors -- in Presidio Park.

There was enough evidence for Dana to be arrested and to summarily be discharged from the SDPD. Between the lines, this tells us that the SDPD had other complaints about him and were already investigating him through Internal Affairs. The Police Officers Union would throw a hissy fit about a firing that fast, tossing out the "innocent until proven guilty" -- a civil right most cops do not like to believe, except maybe when it comes to their crimes...

Or Dana confessed to his guilt. Either way, there are things the public has not been told.

Chief Lansdowne is also under the microscope because lately there have been a large number of investigations and arrests for criminal conduct among police officers, from rape to stalking to hit and run and DUI. What should concern the San Diego public is that if it is that bad within the SDPD, it is worse, and also going on in the Sheriff's Department, the Highway Patrol (anyone remember Craig Peyer and his murdering Cara Knott?), Escondido and Carlsbad and La Mesa Police Departments, Harbor Patrol, SDSU and UCSD Police, etc.

So far, the dumb ones have been caught; the smart ones know to cover their criminal behavior. Sound like something out of a James Ellroy novel or the days of Prohibition? Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me comes to mind. Cops are human beings, they are not perfect upholders of the law: they commit crimes as well, to varying degrees, and some get caught and some do not.

I was the crime reporter here at the Reader for five years (see the blogs "It's a Crime" and "Murder San Diego") and I can tell you I have looked into stories on bad cops, and know that it is not only an embarrassment to the SDPD bosses upstairs, but to all officers on the force from the hot shot homicide detective to the lowly meter maid. For instance, after Crag Peyer was arrested for murder in 1987, many people (mostly women) refused to stop on the street or until thet were home when pulled over by a cop, fearful they might be murdered by another psycho cop.

Lately, I have been investigating the criminal conduct of Tijuana cops for a book I am writing. Every sixth months or so, the mayor of Tijuana, at the behest of the federal government, gets rid of most of the entire police force and puts new officers on the streets, arising from TJ cops robbing and beating up Americans to the TJ cops working with the drug cartel, and the overall usual practice of these cops to ask for money from citizens and tourists alike. This comes from the cops making less than $100 a week, and they need money like anyone else.

One problem with the SDPD could very well found in the fact that the officers are some of the lowest paid in the country -- often, an SDPD officer will seek employment in another city offering better pay. With low wages, the SDPD is not going to get the best, morally sound individuals applying for jobs; and the nefarious kind, after working a while, will see the loopholes and deficits within the system that allows criminals to go unscathed about their business, and it is inevitable such a nefarious person, cop or not, will exploit this.

jerrytucker May 12, 8:50 a.m.

Interesting article, I know many SDPD officers, 99% great citizens, great police officers, truly dedicated to 'protect and serve' the community; the other 1%, truly despicable people.

mikeh May 12, 8:59 a.m.

Jerry -- Thanks for the eye. Fixed.

Visduh May 12, 9:37 a.m.

The only surprising thing about all this publicity is that the SDPD is making all this public. I wonder if the U-T is now refusing to cooperate and keep all this dirt out of the public eye. For as long as I've lived in greater SD, I've thought the SDPD was the worst. During the Kolender period (70's and into the 80's) that department was just worthless. Or worse than worthless.

No, this rash of wrongdoing by SD cops is not some anomaly. They've just been careful to hide most of it from the public. If it results in real reform it will be welcome, but don't expect anything like that. The power brokers in SD prefer to have a weak and compliant department.

DianaGeorgina May 12, 9:56 a.m.

I would like to address the issue of law enforcement, in general from the perspective of a woman, now in her fifties, who was pretty hot at one time. When I was younger, I felt like Forrest Gump and his box of chocolates. I never knew what kind of Officer of the Law I was going to meet.

I've had some bizarre experiences.

Men in authority, men in uniform, historically have been a mixed bag when it comes to vulnerable women.

That this Officer has been dismissed, speaks volumes about his pattern of abuse.

mikeh May 12, 9:58 a.m.

Visduh -- Good remark. There is a media room in the Division station downtown and there are always two UT reporters at desks, one for major stories and one for crime briefs -- whether the UT pays for this room or it is a public facility I am not sure, members of other media outlets have access (as I did for the Reader here) but the UT guys let you know, less words than looks and nonverbal communication, that the room is there kingdom and you're just a guest...and the UT guys are friendly with some cops...but if they report on bad cops, will the other cops still be friendly with nods down the hallway, at the commissary (many times have I eaten lunch there and given looks by detectives and other admin types: "Who the hell are you?") and during a breaking story...?

smithrach May 12, 11:18 a.m.

Not making "enough" won't cause someone to commit crimes. Not having character will. I know a lot of people working as cops, teachers and other "low" paying civil service jobs that would never commit crimes like these.

Visduh May 12, 11:49 a.m.

I'm in full agreement. Cops on the whole are very well paid in California. How one department stacks up with another is interesting, but none are keeping their sworn personnel in poverty or near poverty. If a PD isn't getting the best recruits, it is because it just doesn't know how, or doesn't care.

villageram May 12, 12:23 p.m.

Chief Standown let the bad cops in the SDPD run wild. The day after his press conference to assure us alls well a cop is terminated for coercing fellatio from a prostitute? Then Standown expresses surprise at another cop popped but says in the Union Trib “Two weeks ago, their captain talked to this officer and to the whole team about integrity, professionalism and the importance of not sullying the badge.”? Well hell hell, why was there a need to talk to the officer and “the whole team” about “integrity, professionalism and the importance of not sullying the badge.”? Why?Did Standown know about the captains speech to the team two weeks ago? If so then he knew there was a problem (and is pretending to be surprised...lying to us). If he didn’t know of a problem with the team then the captain was keeping him in the dark. Shouldn’t that head roll too? And if Standown doesn’t have high on his priority list hearing from captains who have problems with their teams, that is a mismanagement of the force. Stand down Landsdown. You might have good intentions but you have people out of control. Out. Of. Control.

mikeh May 12, 12:48 p.m.

Diana -- Yes, I have been told by female friends that cops will pull them over to flirt or get their phone number. That was the issue with Craig Peyer -- at his trial, a number of young women came forward and testified he came onto them, and he semed to have a fixation with blonds in VW bugs (which Cara Knott, his victim, was).

Cops have their groupies, the "badge bunnies," and some think all women should be that way, their uniforms and power a seduction method.

Smithrach -- there is also the unequal power syndrome...cops are trained to always be in power and in control when dealing with citizens, and that power can get to their heads, as it can with any human, cop or not. The power over others can be a high and then an addiction. How many people have been physically abused when they claim their civil rights? The cops tend to not like people who know their rights, they want everyone to cower down to them and OBEY...and if they can get away with it, no witnesses, they will enter houses with no permission or warrant, they will beat up citizens who mouth off...if you are walking down the street and a cop stops and says, "Can I talk to you?" you have the right to say no, "I do not wish to have consentual contact"; if the cop blocks your path you have the right to ask if you are being detained or arrested and why, and if not, stopping your free movement is false imprisonment. You have a right to say, loudly, so it gets recorded on their dashcam, "I do not consent to a search of my person or property." Yes, you "have" these rights, but nine times out of ten, if you assert your rights, you may find your head slammed down on the hood of the police car and a few punches in your kidney. I speak of this "in the know."

mikeh May 12, 1:48 p.m.

I believe it happens over time with the power they experience, and it becomes an addiction, and they change. When they were rookies, they passed psychological testing and it was true...but over time..."power corrupts."

I am well aware of the Coronado PD's practice of "escorting" the homeless over the bridge, thus the city can boast they have no homeless problems.

Back in 1997, before the Republican convention in San Diego, the SDPD claimed they were not rousting up the homeless out of downtown and East Village (before it was named that)and violating their civil rights...yet I and others caught the SDPD on video tape, these big white vans carting off people by the dozen, to another part of the city or detention.

SurfPuppy619 May 12, 1:49 p.m.

One problem with the SDPD could very well found in the fact that the officers are some of the lowest paid in the country -- often, an SDPD officer will seek employment in another city offering better pay. With low wages, the SDPD is not going to get the best, morally sound individuals applying for jobs;

Total BS.

There are tons of good, ethical and qualified applicants applying to SDPD, and every other GED PD job in this state. Quality applicants are intentionally screened out at the bogus 5 minute "oral interview". These jobs are not hired on merit or qualififcations, that is why they have the 100% subjective "oral interview" instead of objective merit based written testing they had decades ago.

They don't hire the best and never have. The PD jobs go out to a select few who fall into very specific catagories-like the idiot mentioned in this article from the Marines.

1-Family 2- Friends 3- Military (HUGE,50%-90% of all hires) 4- Lawsuit coinsent decrees for doing 1 and 2 above.

If you don't fall into one of those 4 your catagories your chances of getting hired are about 1,000 to 1.

So stop the spin that a GED clown at SDPD comping $150K-$200K per year BEFORE any OT is added on is NOT getting paid enough.

sandiegohoney May 17, 7:25 p.m.

hey, give me their job, I would love to make their little salaries, especially when your territory is white collar workers, rancho bernardo, sabre springs, has lots of crimininals. boo hoo, what a good gig.

JohnnyJ May 14, 3:14 p.m.

mikeh May 14, 3:38 p.m.

Johnny -- It's news, it's true...are you saying it should be ignored because cops shouldn't be publicly "bashed"?

sandiegohoney May 17, 10:39 a.m.

Rogue cops run amuck in San Diego. I'm a grown woman with a grown child away at college, and a little one at home. These two rogue cops showed up at my home 2 times in the same day a few months ago. I have never had a problem with the law and have been a successfull business woman all my life. All my life I was married to hononorable military men as well. Apparently, some removed disgruntled family members from my child's paternal side called the cops twice on me in retaliation because they stole money from me and I confronted them on it. There is more to the story on the family, but that is the jist of it. Anyway they stormed my home, threw me on the ground and arrested me, bruised me up. Of course my child was fine. I am 100 lbs by the way. Then they hog tied me etc. Well I have hired a well known attorney reqarding these bogus charges of resisting arrest. Arrest for what? Anyway, 10 NEWS wants the story and it will be released when the time is right.

mikeh May 17, 11:39 a.m.

I agree, now is the time to release your story when it is fresh, unless your attorney is planning litigation and wants to wait.

But there seems to be more, isn't there? I don't believe the cops would storm in your home without a warrant based on mere allegation...usually a detective is assigned to something like that and looks into it. If this is not the case, then it is pretty darn weird -- no warrant, no investigation, roughing up a citizen...the "resisting arrest" is something they always tack on because they want to have as long a list of count charges (higher bail, make you more prone to deal) and generally the DA will drop it.

Please tell more, details...such as, does your accuser know someone who is a cop, perhaps?

sandiegohoney May 17, 1:21 p.m.

Mikeh, there was never a warrrant. The cops came to my home on a sunday afternoon around 3:30, I was in the back yard on the phone, complaining to my son's dad about his mother who I allowed to live here for 6 months. Typical roommate stuff. I was also complaining about his sister who took money from me. Its a long story. Anyway my son's grandmother called the cops apparently cause she didn't like my complaining about her and her daughter. Then the daughter came over and tried to take my son without permission. Anyway she called the cops again. The sister had been threating me etc for the past month because she was angry that I confronted her on the money issue. Anyway, that is the basis of the story, it was ridiculous, The case is under review. It was crazy. No warrant, no investigation, no nothing. It was crazy. Two other cops at the station told me they never would have handled it this way had they been there first. Email me directly for more info. sandiegohoney@gmail.com

sandiegohoney May 17, 7:15 p.m.

mikeh, yes very strange that cops would storm in. I live in an upscale neighborhood, and these officers, I can't mention their names at this point were overzealous. Family members made up a story and didn't even give me a minute to come outside and talk, they went above their authority, and the police report is written by a 6th grader. There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol either. My son was safe and sound and CPS never got involved. These were arrogant rogue cops with nothing else to do except exert their power. I believe the people need to realize what they are up against in this one horse town. I grew up in a big city and this is ridiculous. Arrest for what?? I didn't even have a chance to resist arrest. I am not done with this yet.

mikeh May 17, 11:49 a.m.

Do you remember our former mayor, Dick Murphy? A former corrupt judge, word among hush hush (on the QT) lawyers was, "Murphy never saw a bribe he didn't like." Among local politics, it was alleged that Murphy was not only bribeable as a judge, but as a city council member and certainly mayor...now, that is ALLEGED.

And then, not long after he started his second term, he mysteriously resigned. Some say it was partially due to the 2005 TIME Magazine article naming him one of the top three worst mayors in the nation, see:

http://www.10news.com/politics/4388991/detail.html

Others contend Murphy was given a choice to resign or be indicted over the pension fund scandal, that already sent a number of local "officials" off to prison.

Now Murphy's long time "foe," Jerry Saunders, is mayor...who happened to once be the Chief of Police.

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