What hardline tactic will the police union try next in its pressure campaign to knock Don Pedersen off his perch as Police Chief?
In the tradition of labor unions that have failed to achieve their objectives by the ballot box — in this case, last week’s still unrevealed no-confidence vote against the chief — they turn to a so-called play list of creative options helpfully drawn up by their lawyers.
A dozen or more choices loom before them. When union leaders study the aggressive possibilities, their enlarged eyes resemble those of a sweet-toothed kid when a juicy lollipop hovers into view.
Among police departments unions, blue flu is a favorite tactic.
Another is to suddenly stop writing tickets.
In Culver City this week, some members of the Police Officers Assn. believe there is support for picketing the homes of the five members of the City Council plus the non-Culver City home of Chief Pedersen.
“This does not make any sense to me — trying to jack up the pressure on Councilpeople to dump Pedersen by picketing their homes,” a City Hall executive commented, disbelievingly, this morning.
“I would think they would soon realize such picketing is not in their long-range best interests. They also should know that children are living in the homes of three of the Council members. This could frighten them or have a traumatic effect on them. One Councilmember doesn’t have children at the moment, and another has a son away at college.
“It is mind-boggling to think that somehow picketing police officers are going to influence the City Council in a positive direction.”
Since the anti-chief rebellion of indeterminate size first came to public attention on June 25, union leaders have declined to answer any illuminating questions.
Which Motive Has the Upper Hand?
Originally, it was believed that POA leaders, starting with President Adam Treanor, held a list of complaints they wanted satisfied. Sources inside the department, however, now agree that it has become crystallized that they want Mr. Pedersen gone, that the gripe sheet may be little more than a fig leaf, a prop.
Their thinking became solidified after they learned that the Police Chief volunteered to attend a meeting of union members to hear their complaints, but was firmly told he was unwelcome.
One crucial glitch in their dump campaign is that they are without a wedge issue against the chief. The union’s central objection to Mr. Pedersen is they don’t like his style, which falls considerably shy of an actionable offense.
Only the City Council can oust the Police Chief, and, last heard from, they were a solid 5 to 0 to retain him with enthusiasm. That was what Mayor Chris Armenta announced at the latest Council meeting last week.
Some union members say their colleagues are determined to make Mr. Pedersen’s day-to-day environment — as he begins his fifth year — as unpleasant as they can think up, short of setting loose a hive of bees in his office.
Certain individual officers who have been bypassed for promotions would love to see Mr. Pedersen gone, because they blame him for their failure to advance.
One cluster of POA veterans has been overheard boasting that they employed similar tactics five years ago when they wanted to get rid of John Montanio, successor to the sometimes-iconic Ted Cooke.
They see parallel qualities in Mr. Montanio and Mr. Pedersen — middle-aged with easygoing personalities, collegial types for whom vindictiveness — said to be a favorite weapon of Mr. Cooke — is utterly anathema.
“Make no mistake,” a department source said. “Some of these same people who got Montanio fired, even though the public portrayal was that he left on his own terms, are involved in this mess.”
“Once they started moving against John, his concern was to get his one year in for the sake of his pension and then accept a security position where he would not have to put up with that kind of nonsense. Who knows if Pedersen will react the same way?”
