In the news columns of the newspaper earlier this month, two veteran members of the Police Dept. charged that corruption is rife within the often insular colony of officers and their leaders.
They will seek to further document their accusations in future stories.
They said corruption started and flowered under former Chief Ted Cooke. They said it has continued, without interruption, through a couple of temporary chiefs, the next so-called permanent Chief, John Montanio, who evaporated within 20 months, and then into the regime of the present Chief, Don Pedersen, who has completed 22 months.
The allegations of the officers have not been denied by the department. Mr. Pedersen was scheduled to sit down with the newspaper this morning, but he cancelled last night.
It Was in the Forecast
Years of experience have taught me this is predictable form for the Culver City department. Mr. Cooke would have handled it differently. The result would have been similar but far more worthwhile. Mr. Cooke was and is a showman. He is an entertainer. Svengali. By his age, he is so good at it he can feed you junk and convince you to thank him for the pleasure.
Last I heard, he may yet be the next sheriff of Orange County, which isn’t bad progress for an aging fellow who was forced to the sidelines almost 4 1/2 years ago when City Hall, his servant for years, finally figured out a way to corner him.
Tame by any barometer, Mr. Pedersen is drop-dead meek when contrasted with Mr. Cooke.
Reconnoitering
By appearances, Mr. Pedersen is the quintessential Mr. Nice Guy, the antithesis of his legendary predecessor.
I am pretty sure he is allergic to newspapers. He believes sitting with a journalist is contagious, threatening to his health.
I know he has smiled a lot since taking office on the second floor of the department almost two years ago, on the first Monday in May. If there is a record beyond that, it is no thicker than the clouds hanging over Culver City this morning.
To tweak the point, Mr. Pedersen is two years closer to — and not more than one good sprint away from — the day he can retire with a maximized portfolio.
Like any smart businessman, he is not going to do anything that would allow the ducks to wander out of order.
Officers have told the newspaper they never have met such a hands-off leader. For 22 months, Mr. Pedersen, until as recently as last evening, has made himself unavailable to verify that he is remote — or to argue that he is an avid participant in group hugs.
Sharp Differences
At least during the 20 minutes that Mr. Montanio was Police Chief, he was visible, he was accessible, and he also was busy bailing friends out of steamy waters. You knew who the chief was. You needed a copy of his daily itinerary to find him. Mr. Montanio was a native who loved this environment, and it showed every day in his comportment.
If Mr. Pedersen is more than a visitor in Culver City, passing through on his way somewhere else more desirable, I have missed it.