Thread: CA-Tempers flare at meeting on checkpoints

Tempers flare at meeting on checkpoints
Monica Rodriguez, Staff Writer
Article Created: 08/23/2008 12:01:42 AM PDT


POMONA - Hours after off-duty police officers engaged in a shouting match with participants at a community meeting, members of the Pomona Habla/Pomona Speaks coalition began taking steps Friday to file formal complaints against the officers.
Coalition representatives met Friday and decided to file complaints with Police Chief Joe Romero's office and the City Council in addition to seeking an independent investigation of Thursday night's incident, said coalition member Arturo Jimenez.

The coalition will also file complaints at the state level, he said.

"We are going to be filing a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office and calling for his involvement," Jimenez said, adding that various state agencies will also be contacted.

Thursday evening's actions on the part of the officers were out of line, Jimenez said.

"What happened (Thursday) was a horrible intimidation tactic," he said.

The incident took place during a community forum organized by the coalition at the Centro Promesa de Dios on West Second Street in Pomona's Arts Colony.

The event drew more than 100 people to discuss traffic checkpoints in the city. It was also a means of collecting residents' ideas that could potentially be included in a list of proposals to be presented to city leaders as a means to address checkpoints.

Members of the audience spoke mostly about negative experiences with checkpoints, but some gave their views on why
they are necessary.
The conflict erupted when a woman commented that regulations requiring licenses are racist policies and that the city should develop alternative means of keeping streets safe without using checkpoints.

She went on to say that even people who have not been through a checkpoint live in stress.

At that point, someone among a group of about a dozen officers shouted: "Get a license!"

Meeting organizers said people who could not show respect for others would be asked to leave, prompting an officer to shout: "This is a community meeting!"

From there a few officers and audience members clustered together shouting at each other.

While some meeting organizers addressed the shouting group, others called on attendees to move toward the front of the stage and continue with the agenda.

Two officers - Phil Bozoich and Jorge Aleman, who were involved in the heated exchange - left the building followed by audience members who with the remaining attendees chanted, "Justicia! Justicia!" meaning justice in Spanish.

The rest of the officers left the gathering shortly after.

Police Chief Joe Romero, who on Friday was already investigating the matter, said the officers attending the meeting did so on their own time and "not in an official capacity" but their actions will be reviewed.

"Those that go into professional law enforcement know that their off-duty actions are as carefully scrutinized as their professional actions," he said.

Officers were sent out to the meeting after calls were made to police seeking their presence, Romero said.

City Manager Linda Lowry has received inquiries from City Council members about the meeting and she "has asked that I look into the entire situation," Romero said.

Among the steps Romero said he will be taking are meeting with Bozoich, who is president of the Pomona Police Officers' Association, "to assess that organization's involvement and naturally I will be meeting with command staff to best determine how to proceed with resolving this situation."

Bozoich said Friday that he had asked members of the association if they would consider attending the meeting.

His request was prompted by two recent traffic collisions. One, on Aug. 15, was a hit-and-run incident on Temple Avenue that left a 19-year-old Ontario woman on life support. The driver reportedly was unlicensed. The second incident, on Aug. 17, involved a drunken, unlicensed driver who hit a police patrol car, injuring the officer and police dog inside.

Bozoich said he saw a newspaper article about the community meeting and thought officers could attend and give their views and possibly start a dialog with the coalition.

Officers were surprised to find the meeting would be in Spanish, but he had Aleman, who is bilingual, at his side translating for him, Bozoich said.

During the meeting, Bozoich said, he and others asked Jimenez for an opportunity to speak.

"We spoke up to give our opinion of checkpoints," he said, adding they were not afforded the opportunity to address the audience.

But Jimenez said everyone had an opportunity to speak, and he told the officers all they had to do was get in line to speak.

Bozoich said people appeared angry with Aleman because he supports checkpoints.

Attending the meeting was "definitely not productive for us as an association," he said.

Romero said the matter is a priority for him and that he canceled plans to attend a training program outside of town and expected to work on the matter throughout the weekend.

monica.rodriguez@

inlandnewspapers.com

(909) 483-9336

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_10282911

HUH?!?! One man shouted out "Get a license" and these idiots are going to file a complaint?? LOL. If it was a true "community" meeting, why was it only conducted in Spanish? I hope this will backfire big time on these morons.

Licenses are the LAW, as are checkpoints. You don't have a license, you don't drive DUH! If you do, prepare to pay the consequences!

Ok Americans, after work, we'll meet at city hall and have shout down.

I wonder how long this could go go.

The conflict erupted when a woman commented that regulations requiring licenses are racist policies and that the city should develop alternative means of keeping streets safe without using checkpoints.

She went on to say that even people who have not been through a checkpoint live in stress.

Yes we are a very stressful, not to mention dangerous, country. If you don't want stress, then obey the law or go home!!!
The only reason I have any stress is worrying if any unlicensed Mex. truck or some unlicensed illegal drunken fool is going to hit me on the way to the store.

To Contact the Office of the Pomona City Council, please call 909-620-2051/Fax 909-620-3707.

norma@normatorres.com;
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... s_mail.php
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... r_mail.php
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... z_mail.php
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... a_mail.php
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... z_mail.php
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... n_mail.php
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... y_mail.php

Hoping all of these email addresses work:
norma_torres@ci.pomona.ca.us;
george_hunter@ci.pomona.ca.us;
freddie_rodriguez@ci.pomona.ca.us;
cristina_carrizosa@ci.pomona.ca.us;
paula_lantz@ci.pomona.ca.us;
elliott_rothman@ci.pomona.ca.us;
stephen_atchley@ci.pomona.ca.us;
CHIEF@ci.pomona.ca.us

Mayor Norma J. Torres
District 1 Council Member George Hunter
District 2 Council Member Freddie Rodriguez
District 3 Council Member Cristina Carrizosa
District 4 Council Member Paula Lantz
District 5 Council Member Elliott Rothman
District 6 Council Member Stephen Atchley
Pomona Police Chief Joe Romero

City of Pomona City Departments
http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departm ... directory/

A lot of folks who have sat on the sidelines and thought the illegal alien issue was something that didn't effect them. News stories reporting actions
such as this are showing the true nature of the issue. Law breakers and there supporters forming large noisy demonstrations, demanding immunity
from the law and punishment by duly sworn law enforcement for doing there job.

Reminds me of a spoiled child having a tantrum, or a room full!
Made enough noise to get your way....Its time to put our collective foot down and elect officials who support the rule of law.

The conflict erupted when a woman commented that regulations requiring licenses are racist policies and that the city should develop alternative means of keeping streets safe without using checkpoints.

Regulations requiring licenses are RACIST POLICIES?? WTF?? Why is it that everything these illegal alien supporters don't agree with is always racist? Geez, they don't think they don't have to comply with any of our laws. Just because you don't like the fact that we have laws and rules in this country does not give you the right to ignore them and bitch whenever they are enforced.

Why is whenever there is a law they benefit from, like having to provide free medical care to every illegal, they sure want those laws enforced or they scream bloody genocide, but any law that they don't agree with they can just ignore and call racist. Who the heck do these people think they are?

sounds like a prime location for ICE ... pick'em up roll'em out to the border

How ironic! These morons are going to be filing a "complaint" over basically, nothing more that a shouting match with the state Attorney General's Office.

Yet We have a deputy district attorney in Arizona attending a rally(advocating on behalf of illegal invaders), whereby she participates in the mock beheading of a state law enforcement official (Sheriff Joe), almost inciting a riot, and nobody from these various groups says a word!

WHAT A BUNCH OF F'ING HYPOCRITES!!!

Reply from a Pomona City Council member:

From: Lantz, Paula <Paula_Lantz@ci.pomona.ca.us>
To: 'buzzm1
Subject: RE: Email for Paula Lantz
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 2:24 pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also read your comments in the on-line Daily Bulletin this morning.
Paula Lantz

-----Original Message-----
From: buzzm1
To: paula_lantz@ci.pomona.ca.us
Sent: 08/23/2008 2:17 PM
Subject: Email for Paula Lantz


"The conflict erupted when a woman commented that regulations requiring
licenses are racist policies and that the city should develop
alternative means of keeping streets safe without using checkpoints.
She went on to say that even people who have not been through a
checkpoint live in stress. At that point, someone among a group of
about a dozen officers shouted: "Get a license!""

The illegals and their advocates can't accept the truth. Driving on our
streets and highways requires a license and insurance. It's as simple
as that.

It is also against our laws for an illegal to be in our country, and it
is against our laws for anyone to hire an illegal within our United
States.

We need more checkpoints!!