Mayor 'Embarrassed' By Charges Against San Diego Police Officers
SAN DIEGO (CBS) — The city's mayor and former police chief is reacting to a recent string of allegations of officer misconduct in the San Diego Police Department.
KNX 1070's Tom Reopelle reports Mayor Jerry Sanders is "embarrassed" by the charges against ten veteran officers over the last four months.
Podcast
"As a former police officer, I'm embarrassed," Sanders said. "These crimes are atypical and I'm very concerned about it."
Six officers have been criminally charged since January, including one case that alleges and an 18-year veteran officer fondled five women during traffic stops and promised that he could keep them out of jail in return for sexual favors.
The officer has pleaded not guilty.
Sanders' reaction comes on the heels of a plan announced by Chief William Lansdowne to boost internal-affairs staffing and ethics training, and implement additional review of use-of-force tactics for San Diego officers.
"The rest of the officers go out and do an incredible job every day, and then they're painted with the same brush as these officers who have broken the law," Sanders said.
(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
