saw ad in paper today for Maywood PD

[ElDiabloJoe]

Just FYI,

I saw an ad in the Sunday OC Register today (classified section) that Maywood PD is hiring.

Caveat Emptor,

EDJ

[ElDiabloJoe]

As far as I know that place is where guys go when they get fired or resign in lieu of. I personally know a few guys that went there after having been given the boot and were hired there. Maywood is also a toilet of a place to live.
I've read that on here before. Hence my 'caveat emptor' line ;)

EDJ

[ask80]

what an awesome excellent top notch department to work for..

[Kieth M.]

what an awesome excellent top notch department to work for..

Providing you just wave to the peoples, and not care whether their cars are registered, or whether they have licensias.:rolleyes:

[DOAcop38]

what an awesome excellent top notch department to work for..

"maywood", now proudly serving the convicts,errr,"citizens"(those who are legal) of "CRUDAHAY,err "Cudahy",CA....LOLOLOLOOL!! :eek: One of my co-workers dads,who was listed in "L.A.s ' 44" -is a Sgt there now; he was actually a DAMN good cop,just out of touch with the modern kiss a thugs butt type of policing thats done these days ( where I work,trying to get a new officer to arrest someone is like trying to get 8 yr old to eat broccoli !!!)-but hey,ther have been alot of officers who have went there to "DBL" dip the retirement,and its better than flipping burgers for a living.

Maywood,just North of huntington Park PD ( yuppie ghetto ) and east of Vernon PD ( warehouse city )is poor ,but not the total hell hole that parts of L.A.city,or Compton -for example- are! Alot of honest working folks there,just poor-and the Dept stubbornly chugs along-even picking up the "contract" to police WORSE Cudahy( corrupt local gov't,Mexican Mafia controls the streets) that LASD and the other local city of Bell(BELL PD) DUMPED-got to give 'em credit for having the balls to handle that.and at $52K to $67K plus 3%@50,the pay isn't that "bad" for a new kid coming into the field,a guy needing a "second chance" or young retiree that wants to Dbl dip for pay.....

[DOAcop38]

Providing you just wave to the peoples, and not care whether their cars are registered, or whether they have licensias.:rolleyes:

.."If" they aren't speeding or bleeding,looting or shooting,why stop them at all?...:D(they'll go home or to their box or trailer sooner or later)

[Bully]

From my experience working in the city of Maywood (not for their dept of course) is that the vast majority of the cops are good dudes. Their problem stems from the city council. There are 4 councilmen and 1 Mayor. The Mayor and one councilman are puppets to the main councilman (Felipe Aguilar). The other two councilmen are good dudes, especially Sam Pena (I went to the academy with his brother). Aguilar is an Abogado de immigraciones (immigration lawyer to us Americans). Aguilar got with the Priest of the big Catholic church on Atlantic. After the notorious checkpoint, the city council ordered Chief Lefflar to disband the traffic unit. The only traffic ofcr Maywood has now works in Crudahy.

The city declared the "sanctuary city" title and issued Maywood resident ID cards to all the border hoppers. Whenever you stop a Maywood resident, no matter what city you're in, they flash that stupid ID and tell you that they are immune from any laws.

Chief Lefflar asked for our help in enforcing traffic. My partner and I went into the city and towed everything that rolled. We constantly stopped and impouned cars in front of the church and in front of Aguilar's office. Aguilar got ****ed and called our Chief Operating Officer, the LAUSD's version of a city manager. Our guy told him to pound sand.

Lefflar and his top brass went out on stress (go figure). The city council then promoted Rich Lyons to chief. Lyons was an El Monte copper that left in lieu of. He went to Maywood as a reserve and the Chief would not hire him full time. Aguilar ordered the Chief to give him full time status and immediately made him the special investigator to the council. Lyons was promoted directly from probationary officer to chief overnight.

The city council also appointed a few people to act as police commissioners. They barely speak english and try to get involved in every traffic stop you conduct. During the Save Our State immigration protests, the female "police commissioner" was the loudest, nastiest person in the crowd. She even flipped us off and cussed us out (in spanish of course).

So the moral of this story is that the officers are generally good dudes. They believe in 1980's style police work and get slapped around by a corrupt city council. If you wanna work there, go right ahead.

[DOAcop38]

..Sad- GHETTO politics !! and the "Excuse" for incompetence??? Racism,Racism,Racism!!Just like Compton under "Omar "gangsta"Bradley-They stole gov't funds,ran the well funded school district into the ground-allowed dope and vice to run wild,along with Murderous gang violence,and extorted money from local businesses and contracts-(Also covicted,councilpersons Pat"I hate the Po-pos' Moore, Blk Militant "ahman Rahh"(WTF???!!), Johnny johnson II, and Mrs "prim and proper " Arceneux)- and whats always the excuse ?? "its the WHITE MAN" bringin us down or harassing us. Well sadly Maywood,Crudahy and South Gate all play that "its ours" mentality and have seen there fair share of south of the border politics( stealing ,graft,etc),but yell the SAME old tired "racism" card when called on it-only its the Latinos crying that old "Evil whitey" is hard on them for expecting the local officials to DO the right thing"-funny but largely hispanic Bell Gardens and Huntington Park DON't have that problem-mainly 'cuase their local gov't is MATURE, professional ,and "conservative"( we're talking people who acknowledge their hispanic roots but are PROUD to be American!).Having grown up and hung out in those areas as a kid,the citizens do deserve better- better communities,police servicel,leadership,but they are often goaded into voting for the local demigogues out of "fear"-Bully,I'm GLAD you did Traf .enforcement in that area-the dumb civic leaders think that allowing a solvent U.S. city to exist like a 3rd world ****hole is giving someone "equal rights" are sadly mistaken !!! Drunk driving,Domestic violence,drugs,illiteracy and inability to speak the "language" of the nation,unlic'd and uninsured,reckless driving isn't something that is racial or genetic,its another example lawlessness and backwards society....

[Gyromite]

For the two cities covered by that dept., there are about 55k+ residents in an area of about 2 square miles. I wouldn't be surprised if that topped the charts for cities in CA. It comes close to the density for NYC.

[Sudaev]

For the two cities covered by that dept., there are about 55k+ residents in an area of about 2 square miles. I wouldn't be surprised if that topped the charts for cities in CA. It comes close to the density for NYC.

Maywood has the highest population density in the state.

[willpolice4food]

Pardon me if I misunderstood your post, but can a sheriff's department refuse to not contract services to a city? Can I assume "contract" means that they do not have to conduct traffic enforcement or other non-critical law enforcement services, but no matter what the SD must conduct law enforcement in a non-contract area? Here in Orange County there are areas where the CHP is paid by a unincorporated community for traffic enforcement, but the SD rolls in for 911 calls.

I hope my post is not too confusing. Thanks.

"maywood", now proudly serving the convicts,errr,"citizens"(those who are legal) of "CRUDAHAY,err "Cudahy",CA....LOLOLOLOOL!! :eek: One of my co-workers dads,who was listed in "L.A.s ' 44" -is a Sgt there now; he was actually a DAMN good cop,just out of touch with the modern kiss a thugs butt type of policing thats done these days ( where I work,trying to get a new officer to arrest someone is like trying to get 8 yr old to eat broccoli !!!)-but hey,ther have been alot of officers who have went there to "DBL" dip the retirement,and its better than flipping burgers for a living.

Maywood,just North of huntington Park PD ( yuppie ghetto ) and east of Vernon PD ( warehouse city )is poor ,but not the total hell hole that parts of L.A.city,or Compton -for example- are! Alot of honest working folks there,just poor-and the Dept stubbornly chugs along-even picking up the "contract" to police WORSE Cudahy( corrupt local gov't,Mexican Mafia controls the streets) that LASD and the other local city of Bell(BELL PD) DUMPED-got to give 'em credit for having the balls to handle that.and at $52K to $67K plus 3%@50,the pay isn't that "bad" for a new kid coming into the field,a guy needing a "second chance" or young retiree that wants to Dbl dip for pay.....

[Sudaev]

deleted so as not to offend the PC types

[DOAcop38]

Pardon me if I misunderstood your post, but can a sheriff's department refuse to not contract services to a city? Can I assume "contract" means that they do not have to conduct traffic enforcement or other non-critical law enforcement services, but no matter what the SD must conduct law enforcement in a non-contract area? Here in Orange County there are areas where the CHP is paid by a unincorporated community for traffic enforcement, but the SD rolls in for 911 calls.

I hope my post is not too confusing. Thanks.

NO- the county SHERIFF cannot leave a city without police services,incorporated or not.( state law)-when I said "dumped",the LASD wasn't putting in enough resources for the city( "crudahy" wanted apparently MORE than what they were paying for !!!) Bell PD then jumped on the band wagon for the open policing contract and LASD really didn't fight BGPD for it-so they basically "dumped" cudahy-Bell PD held the contract for about 5 yrs and it reverted to the Sheriffs to provide basic patrol,then-"magically" Maywood PD- a dept of about 30+/- personnel are now patrolling the area(nearby Bell Gardens PD didn't want ANYTHING to do with it!!)-cudahy is a raunchy little crime infested area...

[willpolice4food]

That clears a lot up, thanks.

NO- the county SHERIFF cannot leave a city without police services,incorporated or not.( state law)-when I said "dumped",the LASD wasn't putting in enough resources for the city( "crudahy" wanted apparently MORE than what they were paying for !!!) Bell gardens then jumped on the band wagon for the open policing contract and LASD really didn't fight BGPD for it-so they basically "dumped" cudahy-Bell Gardens PD held the contract for about 5 yrs and it reverted to the Sheriffs to provide basic patrol,then-"magically" Maywood PD- a dept of about 30+/- personnel are now patrolling the area(nearby little Bell PD didn't want ANYTHING to do with it!!)-cudahy is a raunchy little crime infested area...

[Five-0fromSoCal]

NO- the county SHERIFF cannot leave a city without police services,incorporated or not.( state law)-when I said "dumped",the LASD wasn't putting in enough resources for the city( "crudahy" wanted apparently MORE than what they were paying for !!!) Bell PD then jumped on the band wagon for the open policing contract and LASD really didn't fight BGPD for it-so they basically "dumped" cudahy-Bell PD held the contract for about 5 yrs and it reverted to the Sheriffs to provide basic patrol,then-"magically" Maywood PD- a dept of about 30+/- personnel are now patrolling the area(nearby Bell Gardens PD didn't want ANYTHING to do with it!!)-cudahy is a raunchy little crime infested area...


I agree partly, but I think it has alot more to do with LASD not fighting for the contract. It's way more political than that. LASD will always give more service for what contract cities pay for. See it all the time. Certain people being protected in the city.

[exComptonCop]

Cudahy is a raunchy little crime infested area...

According to their website, Cudahy in an "attractive place to live!"


The City of Cudahy (http://www.cudahy.ca.us/about.html)

...is this not so? ;)

[Garbage Man]

Pardon me if I misunderstood your post, but can a sheriff's department refuse to not contract services to a city? Can I assume "contract" means that they do not have to conduct traffic enforcement or other non-critical law enforcement services, but no matter what the SD must conduct law enforcement in a non-contract area? Here in Orange County there are areas where the CHP is paid by a unincorporated community for traffic enforcement, but the SD rolls in for 911 calls.

I hope my post is not too confusing. Thanks.


Actually no one pays the CHP to do traffic enforcement in unicorporated areas. That is their job. The CHP predates the freeways system, they were created to do traffic enforcement wherever there is no city government which used to be most of the state. That is why Sheriffs have no traffic enforcment untis in unicorporated areas but do have them in contract cities.

[IMachU]

In our unincorporated areas we ALWAYS call CHP - even if we are WAY busy and get a deuce, we call CHP to see if they can take it (and they LOVE to take our deuces - it's their bread and butter).

[willpolice4food]

Actually no one pays the CHP to do traffic enforcement in unicorporated areas. That is their job. The CHP predates the freeways system, they were created to do traffic enforcement wherever there is no city government which used to be most of the state. That is why Sheriffs have no traffic enforcment untis in unicorporated areas but do have them in contract cities.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_899741.php

Saturday, December 17, 2005
In Coto, life just got slower
Many residents welcome return of CHP presence on roads after teenager's death.

By ERIKA I. RITCHIE
The Orange County Register

Coto De Caza Instead of punching the gas, residents might want to pump their brakes.

The return of California Highway Patrol units within Orange County's largest gated community has slowed speeding on what some residents call the "Coto De Caza Freeway."

Over a week's time, officers issued almost 70 speeding tickets, gave 11 verbal warnings and handed out eight seatbelt tickets on 30 miles of roadway.

An earlier two-year contract between Coto and the CHP was not renewed in April 2004, while a county ordinance blocked an attempt to contract for traffic enforcement with the Orange County Sheriff's Department in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Wide parkways and multiple lanes tempt motorists to speed in Coto's rustic, residential areas where occasional stops signs are the only barriers. But last week's single-car crash killing 16-year- old Rianna Woolsey united the community in sorrow and led to a public outcry for traffic control.

Flowers, candles and messages like "I'll see you in heaven"piled by a pockmarked tree are reminders near the community's main gate on Coto de Caza Drive.

California Highway Patrol officials say the teenager was speeding. But many other drivers speed, too, residents say.

"There's no question that cars were going crazy - especially with the kids," said eight-year resident Drew Sherline, 46, father of three children. "When the kids get inside the gate, it's 'Hee-haw, let's race.' Inside here it's a world of its own. That accident speaks to this."

CZ Master Association, the community's largest homeowner association, is working on a new contract with CHP. It will provide for up to 40 hours of random patrols per week on five of the community's major streets approved for enforcement, said CJ Klug, general manager of the CZ Master Association. Patrols would be based on officer availability.

The cost could be $150,000 of the association's annual $8.9 million budget. The association oversees 3,475 homes and maintains 90 percent of the community's roads and infrastructure. In all, the community has 4,000 homes and 15,000 residents behind the gates. Guests, vendors and members of the golf and racquet club are included in the more than 20,000 cars that pass through the community's gates each day.

"We're fast-tracking this and hope to have the contract finalized within a month," Klug said.

The CHP has written authorization from the association for traffic control until the contract is finalized.

On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors will review a 1989ordinance. If it's repealed, the CHP can get help from the Sheriff's Department for traffic enforcement in Coto. It could also mean more help in other unincorporated areas in the county.

The ordinance prohibits the Sheriff's Department from using radar and patrol to enforce traffic violations in unincorporated areas. The sheriff deals with crime there.

Supervisor Tom Wilson said he could support the change.

"It looks like a positive recommendation," he said. "As long as we use existing staff already in the unincorporated areas of the county and the two agencies agree, I'm all for it."

Wilson said he didn't want other communities asking for extra patrols at the county's expense.

Sheriff's Lt. Bob Hogbin, in charge of the south unincorporated areas, said changing the ordinance would let the Sheriff's Department use radar and patrol to catch violators.

"My understanding is that CHP is on board," he said. "It just supplements them."

CHP Capt. Lecia Elzig said her agency and the Sheriff's Department have had meetings to coordinate plans.

"CHP supports anything that will enhance traffic safety," she said. "Horrible accidents happen in spite of us being there. When people know there is a law enforcement presence, they slow down."

But not always.

In a recent patrol, Elzig said, a woman who was speeding failed to stop after a CHP officer turned on his lights and sirens.

"The officer followed her to her driveway and the woman told him, 'If you're going to give me a ticket, you may as well make it convenient for me,'" Elzig said.

Many residents point to downed street signs, skid marks and mangled landscape as evidence of unruly driving.

Debra Nelson, a 13-year resident, remembers when most roads were posted at 30-40 mph.

With development of South Ranch in the mid-1990s, speeds were raised to 50 mph, speed bumps were removed to enhance emergency-vehicle access and crosswalks were eliminated, she said.

Nelson, 41 and mother of two, supports better enforcement.

"People are all over you if you drive the speed limit. They need to have a different mindset when they get into the gates. A lot of times people will go through the Antonio gate and just punch it. Parents expect their kids to abide by the laws but won't do it themselves."

CHP Coto de Caza collision statistics
2002 2003** 2004 2005 Total
Collisions 15 19 22 26 82
Fatal 0 0 0 1 1
With injuries 8 9 10 12 39
DUIs 4 3 5 6 18
**Last full year of CHP contract

CHP Coto de Caza enforcement statistics
2001 2002 2003* Totals
Citations 1,154 714 920 2,788
Verbal Warnings 471 602 344 1,417
DUI Arrests 3 9 13
Motorist Services 133 133
*Last full year of CHP contract
Copyright 2006 The Orange County Register | Privacy policy | User agreement

[ElDiabloJoe]

Coto is a bit different in that it is more than just unincorporated county area. It is a private, gated and guarded large unincorporated area consisting of more than a dozen different housing developments.

The CHP has to be called in on an emergency call for service, or 'invited' in by the master homeowners' association to conduct traffic enforcement. Of course, the CHP are going to charge this area for the service they are not legally obligated to provide. All of Coto de Caza's roads, parking areas, streets, golf courses, horse stables, recreational facilities, sidewalks, parks, et cetera are all PRIVATELY owned by the master homeowners' association. They are NOT public streets.

Rolling Hills in Los Angeles County is a similar set up, only that instead of the CHP, RH contracts with LASD for both traffic and general enforcement.

FWIW,

EDJ

[DOAcop38]

In our unincorporated areas we ALWAYS call CHP - even if we are WAY busy and get a deuce, we call CHP to see if they can take it (and they LOVE to take our deuces - it's their bread and butter).

you ever seen the "on call" OT court time you get from DUIs??? take them-unless they are on a state highway or freeway ,or are a quadruple t/c mulit injury mess-take them!!!(we're talking literal bounty $$$):D

[IMachU]

Hah....not us... $0.25 per hour for on-call status. Not worth it, brother.

[gaffud]

From the Los Angeles Times
April 1, 2007
A TIMES INVESTIGATION

Maywood hires police with past troubles

http://www.cityofmaywood.com/police/default.cfm

By Matt Lait and Scott Glover, Times Staff Writers

THE Maywood Police Department — a 37-man force that patrols a gritty square-mile city south of downtown Los Angeles — has become a haven for misfit cops who have been pushed out of other law enforcement agencies for crimes or serious misconduct.

Among those on the job: A former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy terminated for abusing jail inmates; a onetime Los Angeles Police Department officer fired for intimidating a witness; and an ex-Huntington Park officer charged with negligently shooting a handgun and driving drunk.

Other officers were hired by Maywood after flunking out of training programs elsewhere, a Times investigation has found.

In all, at least a third of the officers on the force have either left other police jobs under a cloud or have had brushes with the law while working for Maywood. Several officers in recent years have left Maywood after being convicted of crimes.

Even the newly appointed police chief has a checkered past: He was convicted of beating his girlfriend and resigned from the El Monte Police Department before he could be fired. His conviction was later overturned on appeal because the defense was not allowed to exclude a juror who had previously worked with domestic violence victims. He was ultimately convicted of a lesser charge of making a verbal threat.

Known among law enforcement circles as a department of "second chances," Maywood's police department is one of nearly 50 independent police agencies in Los Angeles County. The department, whose officers are mainly white and Latino, serves a densely populated city of roughly 30,000 that is 96% Latino. There are no women or African Americans on the force, which also patrols the nearby town of Cudahy.

"Are there things that are bad in our department? I would venture to say that there are," said Maywood City Councilman Samuel Peña. "But I think you would find bad things in other departments if you looked closely at them…. There are bad apples in every department."

Although Maywood's police department has rarely been in the news, in part because it is dwarfed by the nearby LAPD and county sheriff's department, allegations of corruption and brutality have thrust it and city officials into the spotlight in recent months.

The brewing scandal has included accusations that police and city leaders were on the take from the owner of a local tow company; that a longtime officer was extorting sex from relatives of a criminal fugitive; that a police officer tried to run over the president of the Maywood Police Commission in the parking lot of City Hall; that an officer impregnated a teenage police explorer; and that officers had covered up the truth surrounding a fatal police shooting that resulted in a $2.3-million legal settlement.

The Los Angeles County district attorney, the California attorney general and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have active probes into the Maywood department.

Amid the chaos, Bruce Leflar, still listed on the department's website as chief, abruptly stopped showing up for work last fall.

And the officer whom he'd appointed to clean up the department, Al Hutchings, agreed to resign his post after being told a videotape had been made of him allegedly having an on-duty liaison with the female owner of a local doughnut store.

Hutchings, who has been a vocal critic of the Maywood police and casts himself as a whistle blower, said the allegation that he was involved in an improper relationship was fabricated "to blackmail me into stopping the work that I was doing."

As is the case with many of his fellow officers, it was not the first time Hutchings had been accused of misconduct. As an LAPD officer he was convicted of bilking the department for bogus overtime pay.

In an interview, Hutchings said he disclosed the conviction on his application to the Maywood department. Though he contends that a supervisor had approved all of the overtime he worked, he said he entered the plea so as to quickly dispose of the case, which he alleges was filed in retaliation for his having reported misconduct by a high-ranking LAPD official.

In addition to hiring officers shunned by other agencies, Maywood has been slow to adopt policing practices in place at bigger departments, which are aimed at ensuring professional conduct and increasing public trust. For example, Maywood officers accept free meals from local restaurants, a perk that even the past chief acknowledged partaking in.

And supervisors at the department don't always see the need for documenting citizens' complaints, a practice mandated at other agencies. In a recent deposition, the lieutenant in charge of internal affairs said complaints were often "resolved casually" in the lobby of the police station.

Officers are also permitted to carry a leather-encased, lead-filled hand weapon, known as a sap, which many agencies have outlawed because of the brutal injuries they can inflict.

"Everything that could go wrong seems to have gone wrong at Maywood," said lawyer Merrick Bobb, a law enforcement expert who has consulted with the U.S. Department of Justice on policing practices. "This department needs to be put into receivership."

Bobb, who also is special counsel to the Board of Supervisors on matters about the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said he was particularly concerned that officers expelled from other agencies could find employment at Maywood without any public accountability.

"The phenomenon of misfit cops going from agency to agency is a terribly serious one," Bobb said. "It makes for one of the strongest arguments for public access to discipline records of police misconduct."

A state Supreme Court ruling last summer has had the effect of greatly restricting public access to police discipline records. The state's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training compiles information about terminated officers from departments throughout California but refuses to publicly disclose the data.

But a Times review of court and police records suggests that, compared with other agencies, Maywood officials are far less discriminating in whom they employ.

Maywood Officer Brent Talmo was hired in 1998 after being terminated from the county sheriff's department in 1986 for displaying a pattern of "bizarre behavior and unprofessional conduct," records show:

Talmo poured dirt into the gas tank of a county vehicle; placed a dead gopher in a prisoner's pocket as an apparent prank, then lied about it and tried to get another deputy to lie on his behalf; tipped over the bed of a sleeping prisoner, causing him to fall face first onto the floor and bloodying his nose; and telephoned a fellow jail guard and referred to him as a snitch and used a racial slur.

When Talmo was fired, then-Sheriff Sherman Block publicly singled him out as "the primary culprit" in a campaign of harassment aimed at prisoners.

Talmo, still an officer on the Maywood force, did not respond to requests for comment.

Frank Garcia is another officer given a second chance by Maywood police.

In March of 2003, Garcia was charged with drunk driving and the felony offense of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner. As a result, he was required to resign from his job as an officer with the police department in nearby Huntington Park.

He later entered into a plea bargain in which he agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of firing a gun from a public roadway. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation.

According to court papers, disclosing the conviction on job applications made it difficult for Garcia to find work — until he applied with Maywood. He was hired there just one year after committing the offense.

Garcia's lawyer called the crime a "boneheaded mistake" that his client deeply regrets.

Other recent Maywood hires include: an officer who was rejected by 25 other police departments because he admitted on his applications that he pilfered money from a previous employer; an ex-LAPD officer who was hired even though he was under criminal investigation for — and later convicted of — beating a gang member as part of the notorious corruption scandal centered in the Rampart Division; and an officer who has a juvenile record for malicious mischief, vehicle tampering and carrying a concealed weapon.


Richard Lyons, the acting police chief with his own criminal past, said there is nothing wrong with giving somebody a fresh start.

"It's OK to give a person a second chance if you learn from your mistake," said Lyons, who recently was catapulted from the rank of officer to chief.

Nonetheless, Lyons said he was not pleased with the background checks that were done on some of the current officers on the force. As a result, he said, he wants to bring in outside consultants to help vet future candidates.

"A couple of people have slipped through the cracks that shouldn't have slipped through the cracks," he said.

Maywood's starting pay of $52,600 is among the lowest for police officers in Southern California, city officials said. That might explain why better qualified candidates apply elsewhere. It also might be the reason the turnover rate is extremely high. Most of the officers there have been hired since 2000, records show. Although many officers have left for other agencies, some have been forced to leave after breaking the law.

Officer Sergio Fernandez, for example, resigned after a federal grand jury indicted him for participating in a sophisticated real estate scheme that bilked $3.5 million from a federal home loan program.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve a year in federal prison and pay about $250,000 in restitution.

Two months ago, Officer Timothy O'Keefe was forced to leave the department after an off-duty shooting at an Orange County bar. He was convicted of negligently discharging his weapon.

Maywood City Atty. Francisco Leal said the department needs to reorganize and embrace reforms to bring the agency in line with modern policing practices.

"There's definitely a problem with the police department," he said. "There's no getting away from that."

matt.lait@latimes.com

scott.glover@latimes.com

[h2oadv]

From the Los Angeles Times
April 1, 2007
A TIMES INVESTIGATION

Maywood hires police with past troubles


All that needs to be said is "LA TIMES", the voice of reason in LA.
Thanks SFPD for using a quote from the most liberal and anti police paper in the area.