Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/santa-ana-police/)
Santa Ana City Council members granted raises to police officers and sergeants totaling $25 million over the next two and a half years, without the ability to actually pay the $4.3 million cost for this fiscal year.
In a legal claim he filed against the city, Carlos Rojas said he “was forced to involuntarily resign his civil service position as a result of potential illegal activity and/or noncompliance [with rules and/or regulations] among city officials.”
Although officers believed they had disabled all cameras, it was unreasonable of them to conclude they were not being recorded, the court determined.
The new contract raises the base salary for officers and sergeants by 5.6 percent to 10.6 percent, depending on seniority and work schedule. Supporters say it’s needed to keep compensation competitive, while opponents say Santa Ana can’t afford the increase.
Officials still are drafting rules for when the cameras must be turned on, what the repercussions are for not using the cameras and whether any videos will be made public. The City Council also is considering increased oversight of the police department, including possibly creating a civilian review panel.
A meeting last week drew a wide cross-section of city leaders and residents – including top officials from the city, schools, police, and nonprofit groups – amid a tripling of shootings in recent years.
The decision came on a 4-3 vote just as Mouet was preparing to announce his process for choosing an acting police chief, following Chief Carlos Rojas’ announcement last week that he’s leaving the city for a different police chief job.
Carlos Rojas is resigning and taking a job in the San Francisco Bay Area, amid public praise and criticism of his leadership from a divided City Council.
Shootings in the city have tripled and homicides have doubled in recent years. City leaders are starting a community-wide conversation about how to address the issue, as they emphasize the need for everyone to work together.
Most of the City Council supports a discussion about new oversight, including the possible creation of a civilian review panel that would examine police use-of-force incidents. The city paid more than $8 million last year to settle police shooting lawsuits.