Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/david-valentin/)
Santa Ana City Council members late Thursday night approved a $9 million police spending increase for the next fiscal year along with the rest of the city budget in an initial vote.
Public speakers were unanimous in their calls to move money away from police and reinvest in youth, park and community programs.
The City of Anaheim is currently the only city in Orange County with a civilian police review board. Santa Ana City Council members this Tuesday will talk about joining those ranks.
The new city manager, Kristine Ridge, said the budget increase is no longer needed to cover the costs because the Police Department is reducing overtime and other expenses. City Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias said staff have not been transparent about how they found the money.
The suit alleges union president Gerry Serrano held a grudge stemming from then-Police Chief Carlos Rojas’ discipline of Serrano for a 2011 hit-and-run DUI arrest, and later worked to oust Rojas as part of an “illegal scheme.” Serrano and the city deny the claims.
Valentin is a longtime Santa Ana police officer and manager who has served as interim chief for the past nine months. His leadership of the police department has been supported by City Council members as well as the police officers’ union.
Raul Godinez works for the city of Lynwood, which has one-fifth the population of Santa Ana. He previously led the larger public works departments of Oakland and Santa Ana, before his run as city manager of El Monte abruptly ended in controversy.
City Council members had voted in June to reduce staffing at their mostly-empty jail. But a new plan emerged to house additional U.S. Marshals inmates, which the acting police chief said would reduce the city’s budget deficits and save jail jobs.
Santa Ana’s acting police chief was suddenly switched Tuesday for the second time in as many months. Officials said the change was completely unrelated to the possible hiring of a former CHP officer who made national headlines when video showed him repeatedly punching a woman in the face who was on the ground along the 10 freeway in Los Angeles.