Friday, August 25, 2006

Hawthorne officials called by criminal grand jury

Mayor Larry Guidi is among those who testify. The investigation's focus hasn't been revealed, and some witnesses said they had no idea why they were being called.

By Doug Irving - Daily Breeze

Hawthorne's mayor and other top officials have been called to testify before a criminal grand jury as part of a secret investigation by the District Attorney's Office.

Mayor Larry Guidi spent more than an hour Thursday answering questions under oath in a closed meeting of the grand jury. He was to be followed by the rest of the City Council and some current and former city staffers -- including a recently retired city manager who was ordered back from Utah.

Attorneys with the District Attorney's Office would not discuss the scope or focus of their investigation. The Hawthorne officials called before the grand jury were instructed not to discuss their testimony with anyone.

The hearings lasted through the day Thursday and were scheduled to resume this morning. The district attorney's Public Integrity Division, which investigates criminal misconduct by public officials, was in charge of the questioning.

The division's acting head deputy, Jennifer Snyder, told the Hawthorne officials they were going before an investigative grand jury called to gather facts. It was not the kind of grand jury that weighs evidence and decides whether to issue criminal indictments.

An investigative grand jury has "no target; you're just seeking information," said David Demerjian, the head deputy of the Public Integrity Division. "You're normally investigating some crime. You may not necessarily have a target."

Guidi and Councilman Louis Velez were the first to arrive outside the grand jury room in the Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. They were pacing the hallway more than an hour before the hearings got under way at 9 a.m.

They were soon joined by Richard Prentice, the former city manager who stepped down in June and moved to Utah. State regulators accused Prentice earlier this year of collecting illegal pension benefits and ordered him to pay back nearly $90,000.

The city attorney, Glen Shishido, followed a few minutes later and told the others to sit apart from each other and stop talking. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize," Prentice said. "We're just reminiscing. We're not talking about this."

Guidi sat by himself on a hard bench. "It's like being in detention," he said.

A bailiff called them into the grand jury room one by one. He opened the door and shouted, "Larry!" at 9:23 a.m., and Guidi disappeared inside.

Guidi testified for about an hour and a half, with a break for the jurors in the middle. Then the bailiff motioned for Prentice to come in; Velez was scheduled to testify later in the day.

City Councilwoman Ginny Lambert arrived later in the morning, then the city's former director of human resources, Douglas Gates. Both were told they could leave and come back to testify today.

They'll join the current city manager, Jag Pathirana, and Councilman Gary Parsons, both of whom confirmed they had been called to testify this morning. "I really have no idea" what it's about, Parsons said.

The only other member of the City Council, Pablo Catano, said several weeks ago that he had been called to appear before the grand jury.

On Thursday, the Hawthorne officials waiting to testify held hushed conversations throughout the day with an outside attorney named Anthony Pacheco. He identified himself and another attorney, who would not give his name, as attorneys hired to represent the city and its officials.

A third attorney was representing Prentice, Pacheco said.

It was not clear whether the city or individual city officials were paying for the attorneys. Pathirana said he didn't think the city had paid for them and there was no contract with them "as far as I know."

It's also not clear whether the grand hearings will continue beyond this week or involve more city officials. Demerjian, of the District Attorney's Office, said he could not comment on any specific investigations by the grand jury.

But he said information obtained under oath before a grand jury can convince the District Attorney's Office to file charges or convene an indicting grand jury -- or to close a case.

The city officials waiting Thursday for their turn to testify had little to say about the grand jury or its investigation. "I don't know anything about it," Prentice said before he testified. Shishido merely held up one hand and said, "Not saying."

"I'm not allowed to talk to anyone," Guidi said during the break in his testimony. "Sorry. Can't even say hello to my mom."

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Hawthorne police chief steps down amid controversy

Stephen Port accepts deal after 17 years in command. City offered severance package to avoid unspecified legal disputes.

By Doug Irving -DAILY BREEZE

Hawthorne's police chief has accepted a $175,000 buyout offer from the city and will step down this week, ending a 17-year command widely credited with turning around the once-troubled department.

Chief Stephen Port worked his way up the ranks over the course of more than 30 years with the Hawthorne Police Department. He announced his retirement Monday, days after city officials agreed to offer him a severance package to avoid any legal disputes.

Port could not be reached for comment, but he issued a statement through the Police Department in which he touted a sharp drop in serious crime in recent years. He also pointed to a new police station and communication center as some of his top accomplishments.

"There is no perfect time to retire," he said in the statement. "The community has been great and I've had the opportunity to do things that not many chiefs of police get to do. ... I believe the city, as well as I, have benefited from my tenure."

Port was given the chief's badge in 1989, making him the longest-serving police chief in the South Bay. His last day will be Thursday, according to the terms of his severance agreement.

That agreement guarantees him an immediate payment of $175,000 -- several thousand dollars more than his annual salary of about $158,000. It also pledges the city to pay for his wife's medical insurance for the rest of her life.

In return, Port agreed to give up any legal claim "relating to (his) employment ... and the termination of that employment." He also promised not to "make any disparaging statements" about the city or its employees.

The City Council, meeting behind closed doors, decided Friday evening to approach Port with the severance offer. Before they did, City Attorney Glen Shishido advised them that the city "had received a statement from an attorney threatening litigation" in the matter.

Shishido and the three council members present for the meeting initially described the severance package offered to Port as a settlement to stave off any legal action. The meeting's agenda noted that the city faced "significant exposure to litigation."

City officials have declined to speak in any detail about Port's retirement. City Manager Jag Pathirana and Mayor Larry Guidi did not return phone calls Monday afternoon; Guidi was not at the closed-door meeting.

Port becomes the latest of Hawthorne's top managers to step down after the city offered a sweetened retirement deal.

Late last year, the directors of recreation and community services, human resources, cable television and the airport agreed to retire in exchange for pension bonuses.

At the time, city leaders described their retirements as cost-saving measures.

Hawthorne's youngest chief

Port, 55, was the youngest chief in Hawthorne history when he took over at the age of 38. He inherited an understaffed department where morale was low and officers had come under fire for racism and brutality.

One of his first acts as chief was to draw up a new mission statement for the department. It emphasized "a high degree of professionalism and respect for human dignity."

A department history, "Policing Hawthorne," described Port as one of a "new breed of police officers" -- well educated and savvy. An unnamed officer quoted in the book described him as "young with lots of ideas."

Port led the department through the turbulence of the 1990s, fighting Hawthorne's high crime rate with a tight budget and fewer officers than neighboring cities. At one point, the FBI ranked Hawthorne the 43rd deadliest city in America.

In 1992, the Los Angeles riots spilled across the city borders, and Hawthorne officers found themselves surrounded by angry crowds. The city's jail filled with suspected looters in a few hours.

Port later said that he hoped his legacy as chief would be: "He got us through the '90s -- we came out on top, still a solid police agency and we were even better."

In recent years, the department under Port launched the first police helicopter stationed full time in the South Bay; the program was grounded by budget cuts this year. The department also moved into a new glass-and-steel headquarters that cost more than $30 million to build.

Port once joked that his legacy might also be: "Boy, is that a nice, new building."

Local career began in 1974

Port joined the Hawthorne Police Department in 1974 and had worked his way up to captain by 1985. He led an effort in the 1980s to bring computers into the fight against crime, establishing Hawthorne as a trendsetter in police technology.

During Port's time as captain, an officer serving under him accidentally shot himself in the leg. Port volunteered to work some of the officer's graveyard shifts as he recovered; afterward, Port accompanied him to the obstacle course so he could re-qualify for duty, and ran the entire course at his side.

Port's retirement statement said that he has no immediate plans "but to enjoy retirement and spend time with his family."

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Hawthorne expected to ask sheriff's department to provide interim leaders

After paying chief to retire, the city now seeks to hire outside its municipal police department.

By Larry Altman and Doug Irving - DAILY BREEZE

Fresh from paying $175,000 to their chief to retire, Hawthorne city leaders want to hire Sheriff's Department brass to run the Police Department until they find a replacement, angering officers and fueling rumors of a takeover.

The Hawthorne City Council scheduled a special meeting tonight to "enter into a contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services."

City Manager Jag Pathirana said the council will be asked to consider a six-month contract to pay a Sheriff's Department captain and a lieutenant $35,000 a month to run the agency.

The amount is nearly three times more than Chief Stephen Port earned to lead the department alone. Port, who made about $13,000 a month, abruptly announced his retirement Monday after 17 years in charge. His last official day on the job is Friday.

Port agreed to give up legal claims and promised not to make any disparaging statements about the city for $175,000 and medical insurance for his wife for the rest of her life, according to his severance package settlement.

Pathirana refused to disclose why the city was going outside for an interim leader instead of using one of its own high-ranking officers to fill in.

"I'm not going to address that one," he said.

John Dixon, president of the Hawthorne Police Officers Association, said officers would have welcomed the selection of a retired chief for the interim, just as Hermosa Beach did earlier this year when it named former La Palma Police Chief Dave Barr to replace retired Chief Michael Lavin.

Contracting for sheriff's deputies to oversee the city police department "surprised and disappointed" officers, the HPOA said in a statement.

The association said it recognized the need to hire an interim chief, but said it was concerned about "contracting with active members of an outside law enforcement agency that may have ulterior motives and/or constitute a conflict of interest."

"We believe that by them coming in that their ulterior motive is to evaluate us for a takeover," Dixon said in an interview.

The association said it was disheartened that the city disregarded the department's "superior and capable command staff" and is planning to pay more than $200,000 for outside managers at a time when city employees have worked without a contract for 14 months.

"We can assure the people of Hawthorne that this offensive proposal will not dissuade nor detract from the high level of service that they have come to know from our Police Department and its association members," the statement said.

Officers met Tuesday evening to settle nerves. They plan to attend tonight's council meeting, but Dixon said there likely is little they can do to stop the deal.

"My understanding is that's already in place," Dixon said. "We are looking at avenues of 'Why is it two people?' One we can understand. What is the second person for?"

Officers heard rumors in recent days about the Sheriff's Department. Dixon called it a "slap in the face" to learn the information from reporters instead of city officials.

Assistant Sheriff Paul Tanaka said it was rare for a municipal law enforcement agency to contract with the Sheriff's Department for an interim department head.

Tanaka, who also is mayor of Gardena, said Hawthorne approached the Sheriff's Department for personnel. No action will be taken until the Hawthorne City Council requests the agency's services.

"Then we have to evaluate whether or not we are able to provide it," Tanaka said.

The county Board of Supervisors would also have to approve the contract.

Tanaka said contracts with the Sheriff's Department can be completed quickly, depending on the magnitude of the deal.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Hawthorne mayor cancels vote on police leadership

Council was to decide whether the Sheriff's Department should temporarily take over command after departure of longtime chief. The union leaders say that their members are feeling much better after Larry Guidi says he isn't ready to explore the issue.

By Doug Irving DAILY BREEZE

The mayor of Hawthorne abruptly canceled a vote Wednesday on whether to hand over temporary command of the city police to the Sheriff's Department, saying he was "not ready to dig into this."

The move by Mayor Larry Guidi eased some of the tension among the city's rank-and-file officers, who had mobilized in force against the idea of bringing in an outside agency. But it could leave them in leadership limbo when their longtime chief, Stephen Port, steps aside today with no official successor.

Port agreed to retire earlier this week, accepting a $175,000 payout from the city to go quietly. He had been told last month that he had 30 days to step down, Councilman Gary Parsons said Wednesday.

The city moved quickly at first to find a temporary replacement, setting up a special meeting Wednesday to authorize a contract for command staff from the Sheriff's Department. But Guidi called off that meeting a few hours before it was scheduled to start, saying he was not prepared to make a decision.

"We're very optimistic and enthusiastic about the fact that the city (leaders) maybe re-thought what they're doing," said John Dixon, president of the Hawthorne Police Officers Association. "We're feeling a lot better today, I'll tell you."

The idea of inking a contract with the Sheriff's Department took the union by surprise and raised fears among its officers of a full takeover. Union leaders said they were disappointed the city had overlooked well-qualified officers within the ranks who could lead the department.

Parsons said the proposal caught him by surprise as well; the city manager, he said, had assured him last week that there were no plans to bring in the Sheriff's Department.

"I feel I've been lied to," he said.

The city manager, Jag Pathirana, did not return several phone calls Wednesday. He has said the city was considering a six-month contract that would pay the Sheriff's Department about $35,000 a month for a captain and lieutenant.

"I don't know what we're going to do," Guidi said. But he added: "We have to now consider what's best for the city, not continue passing the baton to the next guy."

Port has led the Hawthorne Police Department since 1989, making him the longest-serving current chief in the South Bay. He announced his retirement Monday -- days after council members, acknowledging that he might sue, offered him a severance package as a settlement.

Neither Guidi nor Parsons attended that meeting. Guidi was traveling out of the country; Parsons said he refused to participate, in part because he thought the city was wrong to "terminate a longtime employee without cause."

Port's severance package includes an immediate payment of $175,000 and health coverage for life for his wife. City officials and council members have refused to speak in any detail about any legal claims Port could have brought against the city. A resident asked the council at a meeting this week to explain why the city needed to pay a settlement to the chief. Guidi listened to her comments, thanked her, and then moved on to the next item of business.