Pearce Controversy

I wish there was this much analysis when LBPD shoots unarmed residents.

Warren Blesofsky ·

Excellent investigative work Stephen Downing.

LBPD’s cover up puts its department in the liking of LAPD and NYPD – both with long, documented histories of corruption and cover up. I have lost all faith in LBPD and city officials in city hall. They are not being transparent, are selfish and self-serving.

All of you should be fired and replaced with honest people with integrity.

Keith Davis

If LBPD and city hall engaged in malfeasance in this case, then whoever was involved should be disciplined – or perhaps even prosecuted – accordingly.

As a retired deputy chief it seems reasonable to believe that Downing would understand the various legal exceptions to the many public records requests police departments receive. To lodge the accusation you did, without any proof to support it, is misleading. To fail to inform your readers that there are a number of legal exceptions to PRA request requirement is journalistically irresponsible.

I’m so glad that Beachcomber is finally publishing your clearly biased “informed speculation” in the Opinion Section where it rightly belongs.

John B. Greet

Keep smashing away at the stone that is “government” in Long Beach, Steve Downing.

The LBPD must be reformed and brought into the 21st century. They must apply the law equally and stop doing favors for their “friends.” In this new day of technology (not to mention the tenacity and integrity of Steve Downing) the LBPD and city hall and the LBPOA will find it increasingly impossible to cover up the truth and misdeeds of those paid tax dollars to protect and serve the citizens.

Patrick Casadine ·

Why does it take the LBPD so bloody long to own up to misdeeds? But once again, the cover-up is worse than the crime. Thank you, Stephen Downing, for being a care taker of values and principles. Another shout out to the Beachcomber for keeping us informed. No one is above the law.

Jeff Abrams

The author wants me to believe some Roswell Alien level conspiracy involving the LB City Council, California Highway Patrol, LB City Attorney’s Office and the entire LB Police Department with the exception of some mysterious unmanned “LBPD sources” exists.

Downing keeps saying per “LBPD policy” certain things must be done. I for one would like to see said LBPD policy to which he refers. Downing may be a retired cop, but that doesn’t mean all departments have the same policies and that Downing knows LBPD’s. Remember, as inferred by this article cops can’t be trusted; why should a retired one like Downing be any different?

With the help of my LBPD “sources” who “are afraid for their jobs” (think street cops as opposed to programmed leaks from the brass “who are not authorized to speak”) I was able to find out that Downing’s sources were not there, are speaking from rumor and don’t really know what happened.

George Reese

A good deal of heat has been generated by Columnist Downing’s assessment of the early morning encounter between LBPD officers and Councilwoman Pearce on June 3, 2017. Current and former Long Beach Police officers have accused Downing of bias and shoddy reporting.

What happened during the two hours and 45 minutes Pearce was detained? Pearce had a constitutional right to be released from police detention within about 30 minutes, the time reasonably necessary to determine whether there was probable cause to arrest her for DUI.

Here, the truth is elusive because the LBPD has a monopoly on evidence including what facts and circumstances justified detaining Pearce from 2:56 a.m. until 5:41 a.m.? Additionally, why did it take more than four hours for Unit 1A66 to prepare report LB170032687?

All of that information has been withheld under exceptions to the PRA and voter approved Proposition 59 (2004) which says that the people’s right to access of information is the rule, not the exception.

The LBPD employs approximately 786 police officers. Like any large organization, many are highly dedicated and committed to their profession. Most do good work all of the time. Some officers do extraordinary work under the most difficult and sometimes perilous circumstances.

However, when a situation arises which is ham-handedly done or in a way contrary to the Department’s Core Values, some committed officers may be tempted to let the public know. Yet, as one critic of Downing observed, any LBPD officer who leaked information to him should be fired. So on the one hand, officers are told Shoot for the Ethical Stars, but on the other, they are threatened that their livelihoods will be shot if they do. This choice poses a tragic ethical dilemma for anyone.

Councilwoman Pearce may have been unfairly maligned by rumors, innuendo and/or unfair speculation. Plain old fashion common sense suggests that the sensible thing to do is get all of the evidence, known only within the LBPD, out for the public to judge: What is the truth?

Pearce can help her cause by waiving her privacy rights to allow full transparency about whether she was accorded special treatment on June 3. After all, sunlight is the best of disinfectants. Indeed, Proposition 59, which amended the Constitution of California, introduced freedom of information or “sunshine” provisions.

Tom Barham