# LAPD Sues 53 Officers



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*PATRICK MCGREEVY*
_Los Angeles Times_










The city of Los Angeles is suing 53 former LAPD officers for $1.6 million, alleging that they broke their employment contracts by leaving within five years of graduating from the Police Academy.

Thirty of the officers have hired an attorney to argue that federal and state labor laws prohibit the recovery of training costs.

The LAPD has required recruits to sign five-year contracts since a 1996 investigation found that some were quitting as early as the day after graduation to work for other departments that did not pay for training. Police Academy training takes seven months and costs $60,000 per officer, although the lawsuits seek amounts that have been prorated based on how long each officer served.

The city's position is being criticized as unjust by the leaders of other Southern California police departments who have hired the former LAPD officers.

"It's indentured servitude," said Frank Wills, the police chief in West Covina. "I don't think it's fair."

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton and other city leaders say they are just trying to protect the investment made by taxpayers. Officials also say they have offered to negotiate a settlement that would allow departed officers to repay the city over a number of years.

"We think it's important that the city gets paid," said Contessa Mankiewicz, a spokeswoman for City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo. "But we don't want to create a financial burden for officers. We are very aware that people don't always have that kind of money sitting around."

The City Council adopted the contract requirement after it was disclosed that academy graduate Ceasar Escobedo took a job with the San Marino Police Department the day he graduated. The No. 1-ranked recruit in 1995, Sean Frank, departed for the Glendale Police Department after eight months in the LAPD's Pacific Division.

But West Covina Chief Wills said the LAPD "conveniently ignored the fact that they took more than one officer from San Marino. They stole officers from all over Southern California. Now there is a role reversal, which is of their own doing."

Wills said the city attorney in West Covina has expressed interest in going to court to challenge the LAPD contracts. "The legality of this is questionable," he said.

As of this week, the city had 34 lawsuits pending against officers and 19 others in the process of being filed.

In one suit, the city is going after an officer who quit the LAPD 10 months after graduating to work for the city of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County. City officials say that officer owes them $51,000 in training costs.

Three of the officers being sued had been with the LAPD less than one year, and eight quit in less than two years, according to Mankiewicz.

Bratton said he supported recovering the costs from the officers, even though he understood why some of them did not stay with the LAPD.

"They join us and get married and have a few kids, and after a few years they get tired of doing the 70-mile each-way commute and end up taking a job in a local police department," Bratton said.

Under the 10-year-old requirement, applicants must sign a contract agreeing to repay part or all of the cost of training if they leave before completing five years on the force. Exemptions are made for officers who leave because of extenuating circumstances.

Officer Andrew Bjelland, 33, was presented with a bill for $35,000 when he left the LAPD after 2 1/2 years for the Chino Police Department.

Bjelland said he did not like what the commute from Fontana was doing to his family: "I couldn't succeed as a father and husband with the long commute to Los Angeles."

Bjelland said police recruit training can be had for $5,000 elsewhere.

Officers say less expensive training is available at local schools, including Rio Hondo College.

"I don't think the LAPD bill is reflective of the true cost," he said. "It's more of a punitive measure to keep us employed by the city."

Anthony Alvo, the first former LAPD officer to be sued, agrees.

Alvo had just left the Marine Corps when he arranged to enter the Police Academy.

He said the contract was put in front of him along with a lot of other papers, and he was told to sign it.

"You really didn't have an option," he said.

Alvo, 29, said he quit in 2000 after less than two years on the job to join the Chino Police Department, where working conditions were better.

In deciding to transfer, he cited frustration over what he saw as an overly harsh disciplinary system imposed by then-LAPD Chief Bernard C. Parks, now a Los Angeles councilman, and concern over the department and its officers being tainted by the Rampart corruption scandal.

Despite serving a two-year stint in Iraq since leaving the LAPD and suffering a knee injury, Alvo is being sued for $34,000.

"If the LAPD was as good a place to work as it claims, they should have no problem retaining officers," Alvo said.

Alvo and 29 other former LAPD officers have hired Northern California attorney Jon Webster, a former policeman, who is going to court Thursday to ask that the large number of officers be certified in a class action countersuit against Los Angeles.

Webster said he believed a precedent had been set by at least five other cases in which city work contracts where struck down.

"In every instance it was considered to be an unlawful kickback to the employer," Webster said. "It is unlawful under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act for any employer to ask for money back from an employee."

Webster said the Police Department's cases would be hurt by the city's insistence that recruits go through the Police Academy because other cities allow officers to attend less expensive training programs.

"The bottom line is employees are free to come and go as they please," Webster said.

Copyright 2005 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy ​


----------



## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

You leave pay up bitches!!!


----------



## Macop (May 2, 2002)

oh thats intellegent


----------



## HousingCop (May 14, 2004)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> You leave pay up bitches!!!


Yeah, these one liners...... they got to stop. If you don't have anything to say to actually benefit the thread, why post?

If you want all my Masscop points, just ask me. I'll be happy to donate them so you can get the upgraded hocky helmet to wear on the short bus. ](*,)


----------



## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Sounds like they signed the contract under duress. I don't think it will stick, good luck to them. State Colleges have a similar caluse in the contract that you owe $3000 if they send you to the MPTC full time academy and do not give them 3 years. I heard some officers are making payments of $1 a month.


----------



## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

HousingCop said:


> Yeah, these one liners...... they got to stop. If you don't have anything to say to actually benefit the thread, why post?
> 
> If you want all my Masscop points, just ask me. I'll be happy to donate them so you can get the upgraded hocky helmet to wear on the short bus. ](*,)


Hey HC dont blame me that you will never be a real cop. If you dont like peoples view tooooo bad EDDY:2up: :2up:


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

j809 said:


> Sounds like they signed the contract under duress.


Believe me, nobody signed those contracts under duress. Whether the department actually gets anything from these guys is another story.


----------



## Crvtte65 (May 19, 2002)

$60,000 for the academy.... holy CRAP. :hump:

I don't see the problem either. They signed a contract that basically they will pay for the academy, one way or another. I would think most dept's do this nor do I have a problem with it. But $60,000...


----------



## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

Crvtte65 said:


> $60,000 for the academy.... holy CRAP. :hump:
> 
> I don't see the problem either. They signed a contract that basically they will pay for the academy, one way or another. I would think most dept's do this nor do I have a problem with it. But $60,000...


The LA suburb area pilfer the recruits and rookies after being trainer from the LAPD which is not right! Each recruit was give a conditional offer to not leave for at least 5 years or pay a prorated fee starting with 60,000 dollars. This agreement it well known to the hire and is documented and signed in their backround check. Its a insult to the taxes payers to have LA citizens fix the bill to train these officers only to have them leave for another department in a few months or years.

PS HC is that enough input to benefit this thread for you!!


----------



## id1811xecj (Jun 27, 2004)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> The LA suburb area pilfer the recruits and rookies after being trainer from the LAPD which is not right! Each recruit was give a conditional offer to not leave for at least 5 years or pay a prorated fee starting with 60,000 dollars. This agreement it well known to the hire and is documented and signed in their backround check. Its a insult to the taxes payers to have LA citizens fix the bill to train these officers only to have them leave for another department in a few months or years.
> 
> PS HC is that enough input to benefit this thread for you!!


LAPD would be better served to look at the reasons officer are leaving:

The insane police commission 
Discipline
Lack of management support
Run down infrastructure
4/10 or 3/12
Pay
3% at 50


----------



## Guest (Mar 25, 2006)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> Hey HC dont blame me that you will never be a real cop. If you dont like peoples view tooooo bad EDDY


I saw just as much, if not more, in my 6 years as a housing cop as I have in my 12 years on a "real" police department.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

id1811xecj said:


> LAPD would be better served to look at the reasons officer are leaving:
> 
> The insane police commission
> Discipline
> ...


id1811xec,
I agree with you that the department should look at themselves. Everyone who leaves gets interviewed on their way out. Many have said that it was too dangerous and didn't want to get hurt. Others have said that they want to get paid to do less work. If you work here, then you have to WORK here. L.A. is a busy place and not everyone wants to keep the pace. Many officers who have left have come back. I know several personally. Each has said that the grass wasn't any greener where they went.

Just out of curiosity, where are you getting your info? The only thing correct about your list is the new Police Commission and maybe the management support, although that has improved over the years.

There's nothing wrong with the 3/12 and 4/10. The officers themselves asked for it. The pay is pretty darn good compared to many other agencies, not all, but many. I know many guys who make over $100,000 a year. What is 3% at 50? If you're referring to the retirement, it's a lot more than that. Plus, we get 90% at 33. The infrastructure is certainly not run down by any means. DIscipline is much better now that Parks is gone and Bratton is here, although nobody got disciplined who didn't deserve it.


----------



## id1811xecj (Jun 27, 2004)

LA Copper said:


> id1811xec,
> 
> Just out of curiosity, where are you getting your info? The only thing correct about your list is the new Police Commission and maybe the management support, although that has improved over the years.
> 
> There's nothing wrong with the 3/12 and 4/10. The officers themselves asked for it. The pay is pretty darn good compared to many other agencies, not all, but many. I know many guys who make over $100,000 a year. What is 3% at 50? If you're referring to the retirement, it's a lot more than that. Plus, we get 90% at 33. The infrastructure is certainly not run down by any means. DIscipline is much better now that Parks is gone and Bratton is here, although nobody got disciplined who didn't deserve it.


I am getting my info from my own experiences working with LAPD. What I am realizing is that I have been gone for almost 5 years. I really should not be speaking on the subject. I left when Parks was Chief and I saw insane discipline. A D III I was working with got days off for breaking a mirrow backing up. Hell, I wreched a federal GOV and no one even said anything to me. When I left, LAPD only had the pilot 4/10 in some Division but there was strong resistance to implementing it city-wide. The reality is that I have been gone too long to comment.

I have read the Police Commission stuff from afar. They are insane.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

id1811xecj said:


> I am getting my info from my own experiences working with LAPD. What I am realizing is that I have been gone for almost 5 years. I really should not be speaking on the subject. I left when Parks was Chief and I saw insane discipline. A D III I was working with got days off for breaking a mirrow backing up. Hell, I wreched a federal GOV and no one even said anything to me. When I left, LAPD only had the pilot 4/10 in some Division but there was strong resistance to implementing it city-wide. The reality is that I have been gone too long to comment.
> 
> I have read the Police Commission stuff from afar. They are insane.


You're right, if this were during the Bernard Parks regime, I would be more inclined to agree with most of what you said, although you are 100% correct about this new Police Commission. They are way out in left field but unless you get involved in some major controversial incident, they really don't bother the "regular cop on the street." I've got 17 years on, all in patrol, and I've never personally had a problem because of them, although I certainly don't agree with everything they say or do.

I can also understand what you're saying about the "preventable TC" thing, I've been a victim of that a few times myself. But lets face it, crap happens everywhere, in every department. It's just a matter of what kind of crap and does the good stuff compensate for the bad stuff. I came on when Daryl Gates was chief and now up to Bill Bratton. Stuff always happens but I have to say that I have no regrets. I've seen and done more in L.A. then I ever would have back home. I would think you could relate to that.

By the way, the 3/12 and 4/10 have been citywide since 2002. Bratton knows it's good for morale so he leaves it alone. Bratton has made this department a helluva much better place to work and unlike his predecessor, he does care about morale!

What division were you last assigned?


----------



## HousingCop (May 14, 2004)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> Hey HC dont blame me that you will never be a real cop. If you dont like peoples view tooooo bad EDDY:2up: :2up:


Irish,
Everybody has a right to be stupid, but you abuse the privelage.


----------



## id1811xecj (Jun 27, 2004)

LA Copper said:


> What division were you last assigned?


I was assigned to the Auto Theft/Auto Repair Task Force in the Financial Crimes Division out of Parker Center from 1999-2001. I was assigned to Rampart Division - Crash Detectives from 1996-1997. Needless to say, it got hot when Ray Perez got arrested. I am happy to report that I came out unscathed but it was unpleasant for about a year.

I would not trade my LA experience for anything. I miss it every day.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

id1811xecj said:


> I was assigned to the Auto Theft/Auto Repair Task Force in the Financial Crimes Division out of Parker Center from 1999-2001. I was assigned to Rampart Division - Crash Detectives from 1996-1997. Needless to say, it got hot when Ray Perez got arrested. I am happy to report that I came out unscathed but it was unpleasant for about a year.
> 
> I would not trade my LA experience for anything. I miss it every day.


I'm in Rampart now (got there in 2000 as a boot sergeant) and my wife is currently working Financial Crimes... Small world. Wonder if we all know each other?

I agree, I wouldn't trade it either. It's been a helluva ride these last 17 years!


----------



## id1811xecj (Jun 27, 2004)

LA Copper said:


> I'm in Rampart now (got there in 2000 as a boot sergeant) and my wife is currently working Financial Crimes... Small world. Wonder if we all know each other?
> 
> I agree, I wouldn't trade it either. It's been a helluva ride these last 17 years!


I loved working Rampart but, frankly, I did not like that bunch of guys. The truth is they were dicks to us and I, therefore, left and found greener pastures. INS Agents working gangs are very popularly with police departments in LA county. Special Order 40 was a pain and I went to departments who were more comfortable working with us. 
I actually was the subject of a confrontation interview by our IA after Rampart blew up where they accused me of violating Special Order 40. I had to point out that I did not work for the city of Los Angeles. It was amusing. I still dream about Tommys.

People tend to remember me. I am a grey haired, crazy INS agent. I am sure your wife knows the Detectives I worked with. We were doing outbound stolen autos through the port of LA/LB. We went up on a wire and took down 35 defendants primarily on Russian prositution smuggling. It all went back to the hooker who got thrown out of that building in Wilshire Division

I am actually still looking for a guy who lives in Rampart. I arrested him at 808 South Lake Street on a parole violation in 1997 (not certain of the address, however). I drove by the house when I was back in December to see if his truck was outside.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

I tihnk I might have misunderstood. Were you INS assigned to Rampart and BAD or were you LAPD and now currently working INS?

I agree, most CRASH units in Central and South Bureaus were all a bunch of jerks back in the 90s.. The job all went to their heads and they thought they were "all that." Although admittedly they did deal with the worst of the worst and saw a lot of really bad stuff on a daily basis. Still, no excuse to be a jerk in my opinion. One of the reasons why I never took that type of job in that area during that time. Patrol guys have always been much nicer. I've never had a problem with them.

I think the majority of the guys are much more laid back now. The city is a lot less crazy now too, which probably has something to do with it.

My wife was a detective trainee on the forgery side of Commercial Crimes out in the Valley starting in October, 2000. She made D-1 and went back to Valley Forgery in September 2002. She wasn't involved with the stuff you were referring to and said she doesn't recall you. She didn't get to PAB very often back in those days.

Tommys is still there. I pass by it 20 times a night when I'm on the street although these last few DPs I've been stuck inside as the watch commander on morning watch.. Yuck!
If you come back to check out Lake Street, let me know so we can say hi.

What part of Mass are you from?



id1811xecj said:


> I loved working Rampart but, frankly, I did not like that bunch of guys. The truth is they were dicks to us and I, therefore, left and found greener pastures. INS Agents working gangs are very popularly with police departments in LA county. Special Order 40 was a pain and I went to departments who were more comfortable working with us.
> I actually was the subject of a confrontation interview by our IA after Rampart blew up where they accused me of violating Special Order 40. I had to point out that I did not work for the city of Los Angeles. It was amusing. I still dream about Tommys.
> 
> People tend to remember me. I am a grey haired, crazy INS agent. I am sure your wife knows the Detectives I worked with. We were doing outbound stolen autos through the port of LA/LB. We went up on a wire and took down 35 defendants primarily on Russian prositution smuggling. It all went back to the hooker who got thrown out of that building in Wilshire Division
> ...


----------



## id1811xecj (Jun 27, 2004)

Rampart was insane at that time. Their attitude was just stupid. INS was a great tool for them and they lost it. Perez was fine with me but others were more marginal. A buddy of mine went to the Board of Rights with the evidence against he solely Perez. He was fired, reinstated for by a Superior Court Judge and fired again based on photos of all of us drinking at the Academy in uniform. Crazy.

A friend told me that the Short Stop is closed. Say it again so, "Use a Comb, Go to Heaven" The greatest sign in any bar. 

I was always INS. I was first assigned to Rampart when I was on the Violent Gang Task Force and then assigned to Auto Theft-Auto Repair when I was on the Organized Crime Strike Force. 

After I left Rampart, I worked out of Foothill Division Crash but was never formally assigned there. The DIII there was very good and we were primarily working Latin Times Pacoima and the Project Boys from San Fernando Gardens. I worked a major project out of Operations Valley Bureau for a while before I totally left the city and worked out of Huntington Park (the city of perfect balance) and LASD Century. When I was working Russians, we worked either BAD CATS out of Van Nuys or Devonshire, I can't remember which. 

All the Detectives I worked with went into the DROP program and should be retiring, for real this time. 

I am originally from Hingham and I can't wait to get back to LA. I still have two guys I have warrants on and always look for when I get back.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

Sorry to tell you but you heard correct, The Shortstop closed a few years ago. Someone bought them out and opened up a more "trendy" type place. It's just as well, too many 1.81s came out of that place.

I did my probation in Foothill back in 1989 so I'm familiar with that area too. I also did a bunch of years in North Hollywood while you were in OVB. Maybe we ran into each other. Plus, I'm from right next door in Weymouth. What a small world.

Definitely let me know if and when you get back out here. We'll have to take that ride to 8th/Lake Street to pick up your guy. Wait 'till you see Mac Park, much nicer than you last saw it!


----------



## id1811xecj (Jun 27, 2004)

I am happy to report I was offered a fake green card at 7th and Lake while driving an unmarked GOV in December. Some things do not change. 

We may well have run into each other in North Hollywood. One of the primary target of our TIII lived in the Division just off Oxnard. I also serve a good number of warrants on Armenian Power guys to help out Glendale PD. I have a moderately amusing story which takes place in the North Hollywood Station. 

I will let you know when I get back. I am glad I didn't stay in Mass. A good friend has spent his whole career on the Hingham Police Department for 15 years. I don't think I could have taken that.


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

And I'm happy to afirm that 7th / Lake is still alive and well. Green card, driver's license, social security card, library card, you name it, they got it. We arrest them every few days but they keep coming back... job security.

AP is still alive and well in both North Hollywood and Glendale.. once again, job security.


----------



## Hartmn (Mar 7, 2006)

L.A. is short 780 officers.. they spend more money trying to recruit other PDs officers than most small PDs total budgets.. Oh the irony..


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

Hartmn said:


> L.A. is short 780 officers.. they spend more money trying to recruit other PDs officers than most small PDs total budgets.. Oh the irony..


Ok, I'll bite.. where did you hear this? From everything I've seen and heard, it's just the opposite, hence the original reason for this thread. And it's actually 1000 officers.


----------



## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

Wow, all this LAPD chatter and I feel like a left coaster. :lol: It seems Bratton is still a "Cop" so to speak. It appears that he backs his Officers well when they do something right but are criticized and he also seems dedicated to line Officers. Does this sound right LA Copper?


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

RPD931 said:


> Wow, all this LAPD chatter and I feel like a left coaster. :lol: It seems Bratton is still a "Cop" so to speak. It appears that he backs his Officers well when they do something right but are criticized and he also seems dedicated to line Officers. Does this sound right LA Copper?


I must admit, I had my doubts before he got here.. But now that he's been here for several years, I (and most of us) think he's a good guy. He's the first to step in front of the cameras at a critical police incident and defend his officers and the department. Not quite the same from our previous chief, that's for sure.

As you may have heard over the last couple of years, we've had some pretty serious incidents out here and Chief Bratton has been the first to step up. Whenever we have an Officer Involved Shooting with hits (and they are fairly often), Bratton comes out to make sure his officers are OK, regardless of what time of day or night. He's also not afraid to speak his mind in public, just like a typical East Coaster! Not always the politically correct thing to do in his position. I love it!

Of course like most any police chief, he's made some decisions that make you say, "huh?" but overall, we like him. He came to my roll call last week and among other things, made it a point to tell the troops that he wanted to make sure that they knew what a "real" Boston accent sounds like. Guess he thinks his is a bit stronger than mine!


----------

