Tippin' A Few Cops

WHAT A WONDERFUL EVENING!
My sweet and very patient wife and I joined many Costa Mesans at the Claim Jumper Restaurant at South Coast Plaza last night for some really good food, outstanding fellowship and a chance to donate to the Special Olympics.

PLENTY OF PROTECTION
We arrived around 6 and found the entire front of the restaurant blanketed with members of the Costa Mesa Police Department and the Costa Mesa Fire Department - but I think that latter group was just there for the grub.

GUARDING THE EQUIPMENT
We made our way past Lieutenant Greg Scott and associates, guarding the bicycles and motorcycles, to a table where raffle tickets were available - we bought a few.  It was great to see Park Ranger Lorna Lyttle, safely back from her tour with the United States Army, selling raffle tickets.

BAO - WHAT A GUY!
We also saw one of my favorite people in the world - officer Kha Bao - king of the DUI arrests - decked out in his SWAT garb.  We had a chance to visit with him about his role as lead officer for the Police Explorers - a job he loves.

GREETING
We found our way to our table and were promptly greeted by Park Ranger Ortiz and friend, making sure we were being treated right.... we certainly were.

FOLEY-SWANSON CLAN
We plowed through the delicious meal and, as we were about to depart, saw a familiar trio sit near us.  How is it possible that Katrina Foley is just EVERYWHERE?  I swear she's triplets!

A TABLE FULL OF TROUBLE
We saw many other friends enjoying the event and came across this table of rowdies, almost certainly preparing to make trouble.  I learned later that one of those lovely young women - the one giving us the "V" sign - was having a birthday celebration, too.  That explained the firetrucks outside.

BACK OFF, FELLAS!
As we left and were saying goodbye to many of our police officer friends and thanking them for their service to our city these three young fellas apparently mistook me for some kind of a miscreant, so I just took things into my own hands and put them where they belonged! :-)

GRACIAS, AND KUDOS
Thanks to the staff and management of the Claim Jumper for hosting this wonderful event last night, and to the men and women of the public safety organizations for helping collect funds for a very worthy event.

Coffee With A Cop And DUI Stops

ANOTHER SUCCESS...
Well, the latest installment of Coffee With A Cop was another success.  The good folks at Starbucks at 1170 Baker Street (which will soon be shuttered for renovations, according to posted signs) hosted the Costa Mesa Police Department and the good friends and neighbors who showed up for a free cup of java and conversation with a cop.

CHIEF RON LOWENBERG ATTENDED
A special treat this time was the presence of new Interim Police Chief Ron Lowenberg, who came early and stayed late and took the opportunity to meet members of the community and to swap tales from his long and illustrious career.  He made some new friends and rekindled some old ones, too.

GOOD TURNOUT
I didn't do a headcount - the number was fluid as folks came and went - but the turnout seemed to be fairly typical of previous events.  Among those officials who attended were Mesa Water Director Jim Fisler and Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley.

SEVERAL OFFICERS PRESENT
A half-dozen officers were present for the two hours available - most off duty and serving on their own time to meet residents and answer questions.  Among them was Officer Kha Bao, our most highly decorated DUI enforcer, shown here greeting resident Mary Spadoni.

Officer Kris Cover engaged in an early recruitment effort in this image.

Captain Mark Manley shared stories with some of the regulars at this Starbucks, where they meet daily to solve the problems of the world.

Here Chief Lowenberg schmoozes with resident, and former council candidate, Tony Capitelli, resident Teri Fuqua and United Neighbors newsletter publisher Diane Hill.

DUI CHECKPOINT RESULTS
While we're talking cops, the most recent DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint last Friday night, February 13, 2015, was successful, too.  The event, which was in place at northbound Newport Boulevard at Flower Street from 8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. showed the following results.


This activity, funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, continues to prove it's value as an effective educational tool and deterrent against drunk or impaired drivers.

Lanzillo Takes The 5th...

 LANZILLO EXERCISES HIS RIGHTS

According to informed sources, and verified by Daily Pilot reporter Bradley Zint in an article late this afternoon, HERE,  private investigator Chris Lanzillo exercised his right against self-incrimination today when he "took the 5th" more than 200 times during a deposition that is part of a lawsuit filed by Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer, his wife, Ilene and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger springing from events that occurred more than 18 months ago.
 
THE SCENE
You will recall that, according to some contemporaneous news reports at the time, Lanzillo was in councilman Gary Monahan's bar, Skosh Monahan's, with a female associate apparently attempting to lure Monahan into some kind of compromising situation with her.

"TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY"
Both Righeimer and Mensinger were also in the bar and, when Lanzillo saw Righeimer leave, he followed him and called the Costa Mesa Police Department to report him as a probable drunk driver.  After reporting the incident Lanzillo apparently followed Righeimer home and waited nearby in his car while a member of the CMPD - Officer Kha Bao, as it turns out, who is the CMPD's most highly-decorated DUI officer - arrived to inquire of Righeimer.  According to reports, Bao asked Righeimer to step outside, did a quick horizontal gaze nystagmus test and, based on his experience with hundreds of drunk drivers, determined Righeimer was not, in fact, impaired and left.  You can read about that kind of test at the link above.  This is only one of several so-called "field sobriety" tests used and can be used to quickly affirm that the driver is NOT impaired.  Righeimer was NOT asked to stand on one foot nor was he required to do the "walk and turn" test.  And, he was not administered a breathalyzer.

THE WIFE

According to reports, Righeimer's wife observed Lanzillo in his car and approached him, at which time he drove off.  Some reports indicate that he "attempted to run over her" - obviously not true or Officer Bao would have arrested him for assault with a deadly weapon.

RIGHTS...
So, now the drama continues.  Lanzillo, just as you and I do, had every right to exercise his constitutionally-guaranteed protection against self-incrimination.  Of course, as we've seen from this council majority, the rights of others don't mean much to them.  You can read the quotes from the various lawyers in Zint's article.

NOW MORE LEGAL MANEUVERS

There is no word at this time as to the next step in this drama.  I expect there will be other maneuverings by both sides as they work their way through the legal obstacle course.  We've been led to believe that there is a deadline imposed by the judge in the case of next Monday for more legal action.  We know that Righeimer expects to be able to be involved in the negotiations of the CMPOA contract because he said that from the dais not too long ago.  However, even if the CMPOA is removed from the lawsuit, both he and Mensinger have demonstrated clear bias against the men and women of the Costa Mesa Police Department and, in my non-legal opinion, should be barred from participating in any way.

Officer Kha Bao Honored Again

ONE MORE TIME...
Next Wednesday, September 26, 2012, Costa Mesa Police Officer Kha Bao will receive a special recognition for Traffic Safety Excellence by the California Office of Traffic Safety.  The ceremony will take place in the Emergency Operations Center adjacent to the Police Headquarters at 99 Fair Drive and begins at 4:00 p.m.  Members of the public are invited to the ceremony.

THE LEADER OF THE PACK
You will recall that Officer Bao has been recognized several times recently for his prodigious accomplishment of making 432 drunk driving arrests during 2011.  He and four other Costa Mesa Police Officers achieved more than 100 DUI arrests each during that year.

READ PREVIOUS ENTRIES
You can read what I've previously written about Officer Kha Bao by typing his name in the search box at the top of the page and then hitting Enter.

THANKS, AGAIN
Once again, we here at A Bubbling Cauldron want to thank Officer Kha Bao and his compatriots at the Costa Mesa Police Department for their diligence - especially during these very trying times - keeping our city safe.  Thanks to you all for all you do

Another Long, Eventful Evening

FINISHED BEFORE MIDNIGHT - AGAIN!
What should have been a relatively short meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council Tuesday night turned out to be another long one, although it "only" lasted until around 11:30.

MY PREVIOUS REPORT
You can refresh your memory about everything that was on the agenda from my earlier post, HERE.  However, here's a summary of what transpired last night. 

KUDOS TO OFFICER KHA BAO
The council recognized police officer Kha Bao as employee of the month for his remarkable accomplishment of arresting 432 drunk drivers last year.  He led a team of CMPD officers in achieving "Century Club" status - snatching up 100 or more drunk drivers for the year.  Officer Bao is shown here with members of the CMPD command staff.  Left to right, Captain Les Gogerty, Captain Allen Huggins, Sergeant Greg Scott, Officer Kha Bao, Chief Tom Gazsi and Lt. Rob Sharpnack.

SMART KIDS
Mayor Eric Bever also presented certificates to members of the Costa Mesa High School Business Academy/Virtual Enterprise teams for recent accomplishments.

MORE NEW HOUSING
The council approved a small-lot residential development at 743 West 20th Street despite numerous and significant variations from the established guidelines.  They also heard the screening request for 40 live/work units at the location of the present Anchor Mobile Home Park on Newport Boulevard near Industrial Way.

 RELAXED RESTAURANT PARKING REQUIREMENTS
They adopted the resolution relaxing parking requirements for certain types of establishments where food and beverages are sold in the city and gave second reading to the ordinance that forbids sex offenders from entering any park or athletic venue within the city.

AN EXPLOSIVE INDEPENDENCE WEEK AHEAD
The council also affirmed the current ordinance about sale and discharge of fireworks.  That means that this year residents will be able to purchase so-called safe and sane fireworks from June 30, 2012 through July 4, 2012 and discharge them from July 2 through July 4th.  Very little discussion was conducted on this item and there were no voices of opposition heard even though there seemed to be no good reason to permit the discharge of fireworks on the two nights leading up to July 4th.  Pet owners beware - it's going to be a long week for you.


FISH FRY, BEER AND WINE AND DEMOLITION
The council made quick work of the two items on the agenda involving the Fish Fry.  They approved moving it from Lions Park to Fairview Park and also approved the establishment of a beer and wine garden - similar to the one approved for the Concerts In The Park last year.  They also approved the demolition of the picnic shelter at Lions Park using $60,000 from the CEO's contingency fund to get it done immediately.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...
The most fun came during the discussion of sending Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer and his pal, councilman Steve Mensinger to an economic development conference in Las Vegas later this month.  The amount of money was small - probably less than $1,000 (the Convention and Business Bureau is picking up about half the cost) - but the discussion was lively.  Actually, despite the fact that this reeks of a boondoggle, sending those two council members to this particular conference makes a lot of sense.  As Gary Monahan observed, they ARE developers and speak the language, so if we're serious about enticing developers to consider Costa Mesa in their future plans, their presence at this conference makes sense.  The council approved it, 4-0.

ROAD TRIP!
An amusing sidebar was during the public comments on that item.  Resident Terry Koken, who has been known to croon his message to the council in the past, suggested that, because much of the discussion on this subject implied that some folks didn't trust Righeimer and Mensinger in Las Vegas, perhaps Wendy Leece should accompany them as chaperone.  Koken then expressed concern about possible Brown Act violations so suggested an alternate chaperone - ME!  It may have been the high point of the evening.  I later asked Mensinger when he and Righeimer would be picking me up and asked if I could ride shotgun.  Mensinger suggested the Mitt Romney approach - me in a dog crate on the roof.  Sounds like fun...
CALL FOR CIVILITY REJECTED BY THE COUNCIL
Early in the meeting, during public comments, resident David Kincaid suggested the need for more civility in the discourse about city matters.  He wasn't very specific, although he did glance back my way a couple times.  Members of the council agreed with him.  I must observe, however, that the only rancor last night came from the dais when, near the end of the evening, Mayor Bever was his usual snippy self and Monahan criticized the long discussion of the Righeimer/Mensinger trip as "getting personal" against those two men.  He aimed his comments at Leece and the audience.  And, Bever topped it off with another snide remark about Leece that got her daughter, Amy, so angry that she sprinted up to the dais after the meeting closed, ready to confront him.

BEVER THE BOOR
Bever continued his petty, boorish behavior when he dashed down into the audience at the end of the meeting to confront young Orange County Register reporter Sean Greene, raking him over the coals for apparently not contacting Bever for comment on an issue recently.  This from a guy who is notorious for his lack of responsiveness to the media!  Greene, during his brief tenure as a writer for the Register, has done a very good job and this meeting may have been his last - he's off to grad school.  He probably should have told Bever to stick his complaint where "the sun don't shine", but he didn't.  He just stood there and took it, much to his credit.

JUST A WARM UP
So ended another adventure with the Costa Mesa City Council.  And, since May promises to have perhaps another half-dozen meetings due to the budget, I fear this is just the warm-up for this month.

Top Costa Mesa DUI Officers Honored

MADD LUNCHEON
Lost in the end-of-week shuffle was the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) luncheon, held at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda last Thursday, March 8th.

COSTA MESA OFFICER TOPS THE "CENTURY AWARDS"
In a press release from CMPD Lieutenant Rob Sharpnack, we were advised that among those 23 officers from 12 law enforcement agencies receiving the coveted Century Awards - those who accounted for 100 or more DUI arrests during 2011 - five represented Costa Mesa.

TOP PERFORMERS
The Costa Mesa officers honored were:
Officer Jose Torres (102 arrests)
Officer Oscar Reyes (103 arrests)
Officer Crystal Rodriquez (109 arrests)
Officer Jared Shurley (113 arrests)
Officer Kha Bao (423 arrests)

KUDOS TO OFFICER BAO
Sharpnack observed that Officer Bao's achievement was especially noteworthy. He was recognized as Orange County's top DUI arresting officer - the first time a Costa Mesa police officer has earned this award.

THANK YOU, ALL...
Congratulations to these fine officers for doing a great job of trying to make our streets safer for all of us. And, a special thank you to Officer Kha Bao for his extraordinary performance on our behalf.

I WONDER WHY?
I certainly don't want to throw a wet blanket on these wonderful achievements, but I find myself wondering just why nearly half of the Orange County officers being recognized for this accomplishment come from Costa Mesa. Is at least part of the reason because we have such a large number of bars and restaurants that serve alcohol? Seems likely to me. For the past several years Costa Mesa officers have been among the top in DUI arrests. That's a good thing. But, if we have so many drunk drivers spilling out onto our streets from all those bars, that's a bad thing. That's a question I guess we should be asking our City Council. I also find myself wondering what kind of reactions Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer - a man who created a major dust-up with the CMPD during a DUI checkpoint 18 months ago - and soon-to-be-ex-mayor Gary Monahan - the owner of a pub in our town - are having to this news.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
In the meantime, congratulations to Chief Tom Gazsi and all the men and women of the Costa Mesa Police Department for their continuing excellence in light of the reduced staffing levels and on-going animosity toward them by some council members. We DO appreciate what you do for us every day. Thank you.