Hermosa Beach’s police chief, city council and city manager came under fire at the Tuesday night’s council meeting for what some members of the public described as poor, non-transparent handling of the March 3 incident involving anti-oil activist Chris Miller and several police officers.
The public comments from eight community members came a day after Hermosa Beach Police Department Chief Sharon Papa wrote an email to city staff stating that the findings of the investigation into the March 3 incident would not be released to the public. The email chain, instigated by a public record request for the investigation’s results from resident Katarina Bacallao, became public after Chief Papa, most likely accidentally, copied Bacallao in her email addressing City Attorney Michael Jenkins and the City Clerk’s office, which handles public information requests.
In the email exchange, Jenkins suggested Bacallao’s request, which was filed last Friday, was premature. Papa wrote that “it’s also a personnel investigation and isn’t going to be released.”
“She may think we’re playing games now if we tell her now the request is premature and then later tell her she can’t have it…just wondering if we should tell her now,” Papa wrote.
Jenkins told the council Tuesday evening that he had expected to receive a report from the third-party investigator this past Monday. He explained that while state law protects cases involving public employees to a degree, he anticipates “a significant portion” of the investigation will be made public.
The latest developments follow months of controversy surrounding an incident on March 3 at the Standing Room on Hermosa Avenue, where a crowd of No on O voters had gathered to celebrate the election results culminating from the long, fierce battle to uphold a ban on oil drilling in Hermosa Beach.
Several police officers filed a report that night stating Chris Miller called the officers “losers” and encouraged others on the patio to chant “F… the police.” Following the incident, Chief Papa wrote a letter to Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ken Hartley demanding an apology from Miller, who served on its board of directors. When Miller refused to give one, the chamber dismissed her.
By Miller’s account, she yelled, “You’re not getting a raise tonight!” at an officer — a jab at how the Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association had supported the failed proposal to drill for oil as a way to increase the police department budget. Anti-oil activists also said there were chants of “No on O.”
Referring to “dash cam” footage recently released by police, the speakers Tuesday expressed frustration that the investigation was not yet completed in light of clear evidence that the officer had fabricated the report.
“It was quite telling,” said Sheryl Main, a resident. “There was no riot, there was no active police, there was no drama. That didn’t happen. And we are still asking you to tell us, why are we still asking this question and why can’t we move on the way we did with Special Olympics and come together as a community?”
Main and others urged the council to restore Miller’s reputation and the overall sense of trust for officials in the community.
“Understand just how grave a lie can be and what it can do to someone’s life,” another resident said.
Mayor Nanette Barragan, who was part of the opposition to Measure O, said she was on The Standing Room’s patio that night and heard nothing of the sort of profanities police had reported. Barragan said she was interviewed by the investigator and believed investigation findings would be released by the end of this month.
City Manager Tom Bakaly addressed the council and public at the end of the discussion. He said these types of investigations take six months on average, but he anticipates the report will be finished sooner.
“We’re going to get the report and we’re going to determine what can be disclosed,” he said, adding that the city will also determine what kind of personnel action is warranted.
In other council news, an ordinance banning plastic bag use passed by a 3-2 vote. A council majority vote elected Hermosa anti-oil activist Stacey Armato as the city’s representative on the task force that will study the issue of rezoning AES property.
