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Hermosa Beach News
for 2006
Top Stories on This Webpage: Starting August 10, 2006:
New chief calls for cooperation
-
Amid the pomp and circumstance of a full-dress ceremony, the
citys new police chief called for a strong spirit of
cooperation between officers and residents of the city they
patrol. Greg Savellis remarks came during the swearing-in
ceremony on Saturday attended by top city officials, and by
officers in dress uniform who stood in formation outside City
Hall, chins up and arms straight at their sides. In a
ceremony of unusual formality for Hermosa Beach, a police color
guard raised the U.S. and California flags while Sgt. Raul
Saldana, once a professional horn player, served as bugler. Then
Savelli raised his right hand and promised to uphold the laws of
the land. Savellis father Richard pinned the chiefs
badge to his sons chest, gave him a hug and kissed his cheek.
An insignia was pinned to Savellis collar by one of his
mentors, San Anselmo Police Chief Chuck Maynard.
Use of force backed, morale
questioned -
A consultants report generally backs Hermosa police officers on
their use of force against suspects, but calls for some
refinements to officer training. Use of force by officers has
been criticized by some residents, and has led to a number of
lawsuits against the department. The long-awaited report
by consultant R.M. McCarthy and Associates also recommends
changes or increased scrutiny in areas involving officers
morale and their mistrust of police management, and the use of
volunteer attorneys to prosecute misdemeanor crimes. On
the question of force, the report, commissioned by city
officials, expressed concern that the departments
use-of-force instructor, Officer John Sibbald, was involved in a
physical confrontation with a civilian while off duty.
Addressing morale, the report suggests adding two more
management-level positions to the department, in part to address
the critical issue of a lack of trust in the department by
rank-and-file members of the Hermosa Beach Police Officers
Association.
New chief looks forward to
leading the police force -
Modesto Police
Capt. Greg Savelli used to come to the beach cities to relax,
and now he returns to head up the Hermosa Beach Police
Department, effective July 31. Savelli, 47, used to come
to the beach to beat the triple digit heat of Cathedral City
when he worked for the police department there. When it
was 118 in the desert I used to drive over to the South Bay, the
beach cities, he said. I really enjoyed the environment, the
relaxed atmosphere. Savelli has worked for police
agencies large and small, starting in Mill Valley and San
Rafael, moving to Cathedral City where he spent 16 years and
rose to lieutenant, and then Modesto, where he served as captain
in charge of the departments Support Division. The Modesto
Police Department maintains more than 240 sworn officers, the
Hermosa Beach Police Department 39. What is unique about
a smaller department is that you get to know the community a lot
better, and you get to know your fellow officers a lot better,
Savelli said. Its more of a family environment.
Jury backs police in pepper
spray suit -
A federal jury has vindicated
Hermosa police officers by rejecting almost every part of a
civil rights lawsuit by a man who was pepper sprayed during an
arrest three years ago on the Fourth of July, police said.
The five-man, three-woman jury deliberated for two days before
unanimously rejecting Kenneth Agners claims of assault and
battery, false arrest, negligence and filing a false police
report. The jury split 7-1 in the favor of police on Agners
claim of excessive force for the pepper spray, allowing his
attorney Thomas Beck to continue pursuing that part of the
lawsuit if he chooses. Beck was not immediately available for
comment.
Hermosa Beach Arrests
hit an all-time high -
The year 2004
saw a record number of arrests in Hermosa -- 1,388 -- topping the old record of
1,315 set the year before. Those high-water marks go back at least to 1991.
HBPD 2004 Crime Statistics -
Show what crime categories have increased from 1998 thru 2004.
The Easy Reader August 10, 2006
Hermosa Beach
New chief calls for
cooperation
by Robb Fulcher
Amid the pomp and
circumstance of a full-dress ceremony, the citys new police chief called
for a strong spirit of cooperation between officers and residents of the
city they patrol.
Greg Savellis remarks came during the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday
attended by top city officials, and by officers in dress uniform who stood
in formation outside City Hall, chins up and arms straight at their sides.
In a ceremony of unusual formality for Hermosa Beach, a police color guard
raised the U.S. and California flags while Sgt. Raul Saldana, once a
professional horn player, served as bugler. Then Savelli raised his right
hand and promised to uphold the laws of the land.
Savellis father Richard pinned the chiefs badge to his sons chest, gave
him a hug and kissed his cheek. An insignia was pinned to Savellis collar
by one of his mentors, San Anselmo Police Chief Chuck Maynard.
Members of the 39-officer department stood at parade rest, feet spread
shoulder-distance apart, hands clasped behind them, and listened as Savelli
expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead them.
This department is full of history and culture, and Im proud to be a part
of it, Savelli said.
He thanked the ceremonys attendees, including local dignitaries, police
chiefs from six California towns, family members and members of the Hermosa
community.
We wanted you to see your whole police department, not just your chief,
Savelli said.
He thanked City Manager Steve Burrell for hiring him to lead this
department into its 100th year, referring to next years centennial for the
city of Hermosa Beach and its police force. He thanked Redondo police for
patrolling Hermosa so his officers could take part in the ceremony.
Police officials said interim Police Chief David Barr proposed the formal
swearing-in ceremony, which had not been held for previous incoming chiefs.
Barr had held the interim post since February, when he took over for former
Chief Michael Lavin, who retired after 28 years with the HBPD.
Seeking cooperation - Turning his attention to his tenure as chief,
Savelli promised the police department would serve its community in a fair
and honest manner. He told community members that if concerns arise we
will work with your to resolve those problems.
We are here for you, he said.
Savelli takes the reins of a police department that has been marked by some
squabbles, including formal grievances, at least one lawsuit and a civil
service dispute between officers and management.
The department also faces a number of lawsuits by civilians. The city late
last year agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a federal civil rights
lawsuit by a former owner of the 705 Nite Club who accused police of
assault, false arrest, and malicious prosecution. But last month a federal
jury rejected almost every part of a separate civil rights lawsuit by a man
who was pepper sprayed during an arrest three years ago. Savelli made no
mention of those disputes, but stressed openness on the part of his new
department.
We will be accountable for the way we do our business, he said, asking for
a strong spirit of cooperation within the department and within the
community. ER |
|
The Easy Reader August 10, 2006
Hermosa Beach
Use of force backed, morale
questioned
by Robb Fulcher
A consultants report
generally backs Hermosa police officers on their use of force against
suspects, but calls for some refinements to officer training. Use of force
by officers has been criticized by some residents, and has led to a number
of lawsuits against the department.
The long-awaited report by consultant R.M. McCarthy and Associates also
recommends changes or increased scrutiny in areas involving officers morale
and their mistrust of police management, and the use of volunteer attorneys
to prosecute misdemeanor crimes.
On the question of force, the report, commissioned by city officials,
expressed concern that the departments use-of-force instructor, Officer
John Sibbald, was involved in a physical confrontation with a civilian
while off duty.
Sibbald was arrested by Redondo police in April for allegedly punching or
pushing a man who was heckling him as he sang karaoke at a restaurant. The
alleged victim told police he wanted the matter dropped.
Addressing morale, the report suggests adding two more management-level
positions to the department, in part to address the critical issue of a
lack of trust in the department by rank-and-file members of the Hermosa
Beach Police Officers Association.
The report suggests the police department intensify its efforts to recruit
more candidates who are qualified and have a clean background
An effort to
recruit officers from other agencies with three or more years of experience
and are able to pass a polygraph examination.
The city also should create competitive salary and benefit packages to
attract the best, young new hires, the report states.
The report backed the departments requirement that officers audiotape
contacts with civilians, stating the practice would eliminate 90 percent of
use-of-force and rudeness complaint allegations against officers.
The report also called on officials to review the effectiveness of a program
in which attorneys volunteer to prosecute misdemeanor cases for small cities
with tight fiscal belts. The report noted that rank and file officers
believe the attorneys are ineffective, and it states that poorly tried cases
could aid defendants if they decide to sue the police department.
City Manager Steve Burrell said the report offered valuable suggestions for
improvements in the department, and called it a point of departure for the
tenure of new Police Chief Greg Savelli. Unlike his two predecessors,
Savelli was hired from outside the department instead of being promoted from
within.
Corey Glave, attorney for the Police Officers Association, said the report
confirms officers concerns about the department.
A review of the McCarthy report validates what the officers have been
expressing for years, including in a number of the civil suits brought by
officers against the city, he said.
Glave said the report verifies a sincere distrust of mid-managers
[lieutenants and a captain] on the part of officers, causing a serious
morale problem at the department.
In addition, he said, The officers, while dedicated to their job and to
protecting the community of Hermosa Beach, are frustrated with the ineptness
of the police department management and the current good ole boy
practices. I would hope that the City Council and the new chief of police
take the report, its findings and recommendations seriously and act on
them.
Glave called for further review of the department.
As this report was limited in its scope, I hope the city would now
seriously consider doing a full audit of the internal workings of the police
department, the performance, or lack thereof, of the police department's
upper management, and reevaluate the effectiveness of the [volunteer
attorney] program, he said. ER |
|
The Easy Reader July 20, 2006
Hermosa Beach
New chief looks forward to
leading the police force
by Robb Fulcher
Modesto Police Capt. Greg
Savelli used to come to the beach cities to relax, and now he returns to
head up the Hermosa Beach Police Department, effective July 31.
Savelli, 47, used to come to the beach to beat the triple digit heat of
Cathedral City when he worked for the police department there.
When it was 118 in the desert I used to drive over to the South Bay, the
beach cities, he said. I really enjoyed the environment, the relaxed
atmosphere.
Savelli has worked for police agencies large and small, starting in Mill
Valley and San Rafael, moving to Cathedral City where he spent 16 years and
rose to lieutenant, and then Modesto, where he served as captain in charge
of the departments Support Division. The Modesto Police Department
maintains more than 240 sworn officers, the Hermosa Beach Police Department
39.
What is unique about a smaller department is that you get to know the
community a lot better, and you get to know your fellow officers a lot
better, Savelli said. Its more of a family environment.
The HBPD family has been marked by some squabbles, including formal
grievances, at least one lawsuit and a civil service dispute between
officers and management.
When disagreements are hashed out within a police department, it is
important that the disagreeing parties leave personal animosities and
past histories behind, Savelli said.
The HBPD also faces a number of lawsuits by civilians. Savelli said those
matters end up between the attorneys, and often police officials are not
free to comment as publicly as they would like.
Savelli beat out 37 other applicants for the Hermosa job. He will replace
Chief Michael Lavin, who retired last year after 28 years with the HBPD.
David Barr served as interim chief while the city looked for Lavins
permanent replacement.
Savelli was chosen for the Hermosa job through a screening process
coordinated by CPS Executive Search, a professional executive recruitment
consulting firm.
As captain of the Support division in Modesto, Savelli has been in charge of
officer training, police records, clerical support and juvenile programs
such as D.A.R.E. He is one of three captains in the department.
He holds a bachelors degree from the University of Redlands, a masters
degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, and is a graduate of the
FBI National Academy, the Police Officers Standards and Training Command
College, and West Point Leadership Program. ER |
|
The Easy Reader July 20, 2006
Hermosa Beach
Jury backs police in pepper
spray suit
by Robb Fulcher
A federal jury has
vindicated Hermosa police officers by rejecting almost every part of a civil
rights lawsuit by a man who was pepper sprayed during an arrest three years
ago on the Fourth of July, police said.
The five-man, three-woman jury deliberated for two days before unanimously
rejecting Kenneth Agners claims of assault and battery, false arrest,
negligence and filing a false police report. The jury split 7-1 in the favor
of police on Agners claim of excessive force for the pepper spray, allowing
his attorney Thomas Beck to continue pursuing that part of the lawsuit if he
chooses. Beck was not immediately available for comment.
The outcome of the two-week trial civil was completely victorious, said
HBPD Sgt. Raul Saldana, who was in court when the verdict was delivered on
Tuesday. Jurors told police after the trial that the lone holdout on the
excessive force claim had difficulty with the English language and had
trouble comprehending concepts such as reasonable force versus excessive
force, Saldana said.
Attorney Thomas Beck has asked for $750,000 for his client, Kenneth Agner,
who claims he was falsely arrested, assaulted and battered in an incident
that was videotaped by a bystander near The Strand on a crowded Fourth of
July, 2003.
Police said they arrested Agner, now 23, of Huntington Park, on suspicion of
being drunk in public, and he was pepper sprayed only after he resisted
officers attempts to place him inside a police car. Agner later pleaded
guilty to a lesser charge of disturbing the peace.
The city last week rejected a $750,000 settlement demand and countered
with a feeler about the possibility of settling for $100,000. The feeler was
rejected, and the city did not follow it up with a formal offer.
Agners lawsuit claims that Hermosa Beach Police Officer Don Jones grabbed
him by the hair and, with Agners hands cuffed behind him, Officer Raul
Saldana shot pepper spray into Agners open mouth and his eyes just before
the officers placed him inside the police car.
The videotape shows Agner standing outside the cars open rear door and
shouting to a crowd that had gathered, while an officer tries to wrestle him
into the car. Saldana then sprays Agner in the face, and Agner slides into
the car.
The lawsuit also accuses officers of filing a false report about the
incident. Then-Police Chief Mike Lavin has said the use of pepper spray was
not mentioned in the arrest report, though it should have been. He added
that the totality of the circumstances justified Saldanas actions. ER |
|
The Beach Reporter December 22, 2005
Hermosa
Beach -
Crime Watch
VANDALISM.
A car parked in the 1300 block of Bayview Drive was reportedly burglarized Nov.
17 around 3 a.m. The victim, who reported the incident Dec. 12, said that he
heard a loud noise outside the front of his apartment building. He then called
9-1-1 and assumed the police were handling a disturbance call. The man returned
to his car a few hours later and discovered a trash can on top of it. He talked
with one of his neighbors who said that she heard the noise as well and when she
went outside to see about it she saw another neighbor. She said that he was
drunk and has consistently harassed her, but that she did not see him throw the
trash can.
CREDIT
CARD FRAUD.
An unknown person reportedly used a bank credit card belonging to a woman living
in the 600 block of Fourth Street to make fraudulent transactions between Nov.
23 and Dec. 11. The victim checked her bank account online and discovered
numerous unauthorized charges, the first one at a Shell gas station for $75. She
learned that other charges had been made at gas stations in California, Texas
and Arizona and the last purchase in Pomona. The total amount of unauthorized
charges total $1,510.
ATTEMPTED
ROBBERY.
Two men reportedly tried to rob another man in the 3300 block of The Strand Dec.
7 at 9:45 p.m. The victim was walking on The Strand during his evening exercise
when he noticed two subjects in hooded sweatshirts walking toward him from the
opposite direction. The victim made eye contact with one of the suspects as they
passed and he then forgot about them. Shortly after, the two men grabbed the
victim from behind and he turned around and saw the two subjects. The suspect
whom he gave eye contact to said, Give me your money. The man then pointed a
black revolver into the victims abdomen at point blank range. The victim said
he did not have any money and the suspect added, Give me your wallet, give me
your watch. The suspect then began to search the victims waistband for
valuables. The victim, afraid for his safety, handed the suspects over an
inexpensive watch to the robbers. The suspect examined it and handed it back
over. The suspects then fled the scene.
The Beach
Reporter - December 1-15, 2005
Hermosa Beach -
Crime Watch
CHURCH
WINDOWS.
Two church widows were reportedly smashed between Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. and Dec. 4 at
9 a.m. One of the windows was stained glass while the other was made out of
glass that was amber in color for a total value of $800. A cinder block and a
red brick that were used to break the windows were found inside the church.
BATTERY.
A man was reportedly assaulted by a group of men near Hermosa Avenue and 14th
Street Nov. 27 at 1:45 a.m. The victim was kicked out of a nearby bar and was
very upset about it. He walked around to cool down when he heard someone
yelling at him. He was still mad so he yelled back. He then saw the main suspect
running rapidly toward him who then started punching him in the face with his
fists. The victim dropped to the ground and covered his head. The suspect was
with five other men, and the victim wasnt sure exactly who was hitting and
kicking him.
ROBBERY
/
STABBING.
A man was reportedly stabbed and robbed of his wallet in the 1000 block of
Bayview Drive Oct. 15 between 3:30 and 3:43 a.m. The man was walking to his car
parked in the 500 block of Eighth Street after going to the bars on the pier
plaza. The car was parked near an apartment complex he visited earlier that day.
Two men wearing dark clothing approached the man and demanded his wallet. The
men then grabbed the man and tried to wrestle his wallet away but the victim
fought back by grabbing it by both hands. One of the suspects hit the man who
felt a pain in his lower abdomen and realized he had been stabbed. The man let
go of the wallet, and the two men removed an unknown amount of cash and possibly
some credit cards and dropped the wallet. The man told police that he did not
see the men get into a car. He was apparently in shock when he talked to police
and was transported to a nearby hospital by paramedics.
The Daily Breeze December 10, 2005
Firefighter accuses Hermosa Beach officials of slander |
|
City
department veteran cites an "unjust" internal investigation and verbal abuse
in allegations that officials libeled him and violated his rights.
By Deepa Bharath
Daily Breeze
A veteran Hermosa Beach
firefighter has filed a claim against the city alleging that his supervisors
and other city officials libeled and slandered him and violated his rights
as a peace officer.
In his claim filed Oct. 25,
Daryl Lee Powers, a fire engineer and arson investigator, said Capt. Michael
Garofano on Feb. 12 challenged him to a physical fight, used abusive
language and physically threatened Powers while on duty at the fire station.
The Hermosa Beach City
Council denied Powers' $10,330 claim during its Nov. 17 meeting.
Powers, who has worked at
the department for about 10 years, also alleges that Garofano was acting on
false information provided by another captain. He says the incident led to
an "unjust" internal investigation against him, requiring him to spend hours
answering questions on his days off and preparing for those interrogations
and to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Fire Chief Russell Tingley
refused to comment on the allegations because he said the city anticipates a
lawsuit from Powers over the incident.
"It's also a personnel
issue," he said. "So, I cannot say anything about it."
Neither Powers nor his
attorney, Sylvia Kellison, returned calls this week.
Powers sought damages to
cover lost earnings and attorney fees.
In documents attached to
the claim obtained by the Daily Breeze, Powers details the Feb. 12 incident in the
fire station's kitchen. He said Garofano became confrontational over a shift
scheduling issue and, in the end, called him a "d---head."
Following the incident,
Garofano wrote a written reprimand addressed to Powers in which he accused
Powers of being "insubordinate."
"It is not your place to
interrogate or deflect the nature of a conversation to a combative tone or
use intimidating body language in the course of a professional conversation
as you did this morning," Garofano wrote. "I fully expect in the future that
you will not interrupt me when I'm speaking and that you will not cause me
to raise my voice to speak over you."
In March, the department
appointed an independent investigator to look into the incident. The
investigation ended in June and exonerated Powers.
Also attached to Powers'
claim is his confidential memorandum to the chief dated June 23, stating
that he is "constantly being ostracized, ridiculed and embarrassed" by some
of the supervisors. He also alleges that the supervisors in the department
play favorites when it comes to promotions.
The Hermosa Beach Police
Department is facing several similar allegations from officers who claim
their rights are being violated during internal investigations and that they
are being targeted because they are not popular with senior managers in the
department. |
|
The Easy Reader December 1, 2005
Police
seek help after home attack
Hermosa police were seeking witnesses after a man broke into a home in the 3500
block of Manhattan Avenue about 3:30 a.m. Oct. 29 and fled when a woman resident
screamed, and hit and scratched him.
Police urged anyone who might have seen the man flee to call Hermosa Beach
Police Detective Bob Higgins at 318-0341.
The man was described as 6 feet tall and athletic wearing a long-sleeved,
button-down shirt and possibly khaki pants.
He entered the home, possibly through an unlocked door, police said. The woman
was awakened by a sound, shouted, and confronted the man, who was wearing a
smooth, latex, skin-colored mask, in a hallway. The man grabbed her throat and
she fought back, police said.
Police are hoping witnesses might have seen the man running from the home. ER
The Easy Reader - February 3, 2005
HB
Arrests hit an all-time high
by Robb Fulcher
The year 2004 saw a
record number of arrests in Hermosa -- 1,388 -- topping the old record of 1,315
set the year before. Those high-water marks go back at least to 1991, when the
Hermosa Beach Police Department began keeping detailed arrest records, Chief
Mike Lavin said.
The downtown area with its active and sometimes rowdy nightlife has contributed
to the increased arrests, Lavin said. That is a reflection, I would have to
say, of the downtown. We have so much activity there, he said.
In addition to those figures, which cover the arrests of adults, police also
made 20 arrests of juveniles last year, down from 28 the year before. Parking
citations soared from 46,800 in 2003 to 51,137 last year.
As usual, the most serious types of crime occurred seldomly. Reported sex crimes
dropped from 11 in 2003 to seven in 2004. Incidents of robbery by force or fear
rose from 13 to 20.
As in most years, no murders occurred in Hermosa in 2004. One murder occurred
the year before when a 25-year-old Hermosan was shot as he sat behind the wheel
of a car at Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue. That crime, which occurred in
March 2003, remains unsolved.
The number of assaults rose barely in 2004, from 140 the previous year to 143.
Burglaries of buildings and cars dropped from 143 to 140. Theft, which covers
the grabbing of stray bicycles and the like, dropped from 388 to 359. Auto theft
decreased from 56 to 45.
DUI arrests dropped from 285 to 164, a decline for which officials could offer
no immediate explanation. In another possibly downtown-related development,
misdemeanor citations ballooned from 989 to 1,419. Disturbance calls to police
rose from 3,025 to 4,201.
Once again there were no fatal traffic accidents in Hermosa. ER
Hermosa Beach
Crime Statistics - 1998 to 2004
Criminal Adult Total
Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery Assaults DUI Citations
Arrests For
Service Calls
1998 --
113
17 77 150 562
608
19,951 3,199
2004 --
140
20 143
164 1,419 1,388 30,215 4,201
Crime Categories That Have Shown an Increase from 1998 thru 2004
Criminal Adult Total Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery Assaults
DUI Citations
Arrests For Service Calls
Up
Up Up Up Up Up Up
Up
23.9 % 17.6 % 85.7 %
9.3 % 152 % 128 % 51.4 %
31.3 %
Source: The
Hermosa Beach Police Department Activity Reports
The
Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association
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