Pomona Officers File Suit in Police, Council Dispute

POMONA —  The antipathy between police officers and the City Council has grown after the filing of a suit by two officers against one councilman, an attempt by another councilman to cut the Police Department’s community relations budget and a statement by a councilwoman that the city is suffering from poor police protection.

Raul Camargo, president of the Pomona Police Officers Assn., and Sgt. Gary Elofson sued Tuesday in federal court against Councilman C. L. (Clay) Bryant and the city over Bryant’s public release of personal information that they contend is confidential.

Meanwhile, Councilman Tomas Ursua proposed this week that the police community relations budget be cut by $100,000 to finance a city public information program. The council approved the proposal in concept, but acting City Administrator Tom Fee said he would try to find other money to avoid cutting the police budget.

And defending last month’s decision to fire Police Chief Richard M. Tefank, Councilwoman Nell Soto said a recent gathering of 70 to 80 people in Pomona to discuss the community’s problems produced a unanimous conclusion that the city is suffering from “a lack of police protection.”

She said the concern about police service justifies the council’s efforts to shake up the Police Department: “It’s important for people to know that the action we took was not taken with a capricious or whimsical attitude but was very well thought-out. “

Soto said she does not mean “to indict all the officers. I know some are dedicated and doing good . . . There are some officers out there that really do deserve to get the cooperation of the City Council, (but) there are some that I believe need to go.”

When Tefank was fired Oct. 17, council members directed most of their criticism at mid-rank officers under Tefank, saying their management style was destroying police morale. Mayor Donna Smith, who opposed the firing, said the chief lost his job after he refused to dismiss seven officers who were on a “hit list.”

Bryant, while denying there was a hit list, has said he would like to see the dismissal of at least two officers--Camargo and Elofson.

After the Pomona Police Officers Assn. endorsed an effort to recall Bryant, the councilman denounced the group’s president, Camargo, as “a psychiatric case” and said Camargo had seen a police psychiatrist 48 times since March 30, 1987, at a cost to the city of $20,450. Bryant’s remarks were at a televised council meeting Oct. 30.

Bryant provided additional details of Camargo’s case and also alleged that Camargo and a police sergeant “are presently under investigation by the Police Department internal affairs department for lewd conduct.”

He said the information about psychiatric visits came from a city report on worker’s compensation claims, which he believes to be a public document.

Bryant said he knew about the sexual harassment and lewd conduct investigation because the woman who made the allegation, a former police crime analyst, complained to him first. Bryant said he and other city officials began an investigation.

In their suit in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Camargo and Elofson said the allegations have not resulted in any disciplinary actions against them, although an internal investigation is continuing.

Elofson, who says he has been under fire from Bryant for years because he once arrested the councilman on a drunk driving charge that later was dropped, said Pomona police officers are fearful for their jobs because a few disgruntled employees constantly feed information to the councilman.

Several police officers attended this week’s council meeting wearing badges endorsing the recall of Bryant. Among them was Sgt. Ralph Fry, who heads the police community relations program.

Fry said Ursua’s proposal to drastically reduce the community relations budget is another attack on the Police Department.

Ursua said he began working on his proposal before much of the controversy over the Police Department began, but he believes that most community relations work should be performed outside the department. “I don’t see why a police sergeant was taken off the street and given this job,” he said. “I would recommend the Police Department shift this guy back to the streets.”

Ursua’s proposal calls for the hiring of a city community relations officer and six part-time community ambassadors who would investigate complaints from residents, distribute information and serve as liaisons between government and the community. Ursua suggested the project be funded by taking $100,000 from the Police Department’s $270,000 community relations budget.

Smith opposed the plan, saying it would hurt many worthwhile police efforts, such as drug education, parenting workshops, neighborhood watch and other crime prevention programs. The council endorsed the plan in concept on a 3-1 vote, with Councilman Mark A. T. Nymeyer absent.