You should ask the authorities what substantive actions will be taken to address the illegal activities of the police in your video, and when you will be able to verify that those actions have been taken. You might tell them that the illegal behaviours exhibited by the police, even in the face of your very restrained response, are of great concern to you, because you fear for the well-being of others who might be less circimspect than yourself, when confronted with those same illegal actions and commands, and for the police and the university if such an incident occurs. You might also mention that your concern is great enough that you will be compelled to seek outside counsel from other groups, such as the ACLU, to ensure that substantive and verifiable action is taken, if no such action is forthcoming from the SMC authorities.

Of particular note was our shared understanding about police professionalism.

Subsequent to SMC’s officers threatening me with arrest if I videotaped the event, I filed formal complaints against them all – Hearn, Champagne, and Malone. Shortly thereafter, Sergeants Bays and Trump met with me to explore in further detail my allegations.

During our meeting, I pointed out that the officers refused to clarify the basis on which they threatened to arrest me if I taped the performances. The grounds for such a threat, which I believed at the time to be without legal foundation, were admitted by Sergeant Bays to be non-existent. In other words, the officers’ order that I not videotape the performance, or anything else on that occasion, was not legal and my first amendment rights were violated. When I pressed Sergeant Trump about his officers’ collective unwillingness to respond to me, he shared that “they thought they were being set up.” That is, they were afraid that I was going to catch them in some trap or something to that effect.

Additionally, it should be known that the officers based a large part of their order on the word of Amelia Trejo, a secretary in the Office of Student life who decided to become involved (on what authority remains unknown) and whose name is attached as the “person reporting” the incident.

According to the police report, Trejo said “the performers requested through their agreement that no one video (sic) the event. See Attached Agreement.” The problem was, as Sergeant Bays admitted, no such agreement existed. Furthermore, if there were truly legal grounds to prohibit such taping, then signs to that effect needed to be posted in the vicinity of the event. And they weren’t. Thus not only did the officers not know the laws, rules, and regulations governing the situation, but they chose to rely on a bogus, non-existent agreement asserted by Trejo. Filing a false police report in California is a crime.

But back to Trump’s incredible admission.

Whereas SMC’s officers were said to be concerned about being set up, real professional police officers would have nothing to be afraid of by being videotaped. The only qualities one might capture on tape would be professionalism - courteousness, respect, confidence, and a willingness to be of service. Such officers, when queried about an order they had given, would be willing to cite the specific section of the penal code and other regulations being enforced. They wouldn’t be concerned about “being set up” because they would be doing their job, the way it is supposed to be done. The only thing that could be documented would be job performances about which the officers and their department would be proud. That the SMC officers at the scene did not understand this and were fearful of “being caught” in some questionable behavior, and further, that their senior officer (one step down from Captain Eileen Miller in the SMCPD chain of command) continues to fail to understand the same speaks volumes about what is wrong with SMC’s police department.

SMC needs to set up a permanent police commission consisting of representatives from the constituencies on campus to raise the level of police performance and to make sure its officers meet a high level of professionalism instead of what currently passes for acceptable police work.

Or will the Board of Trustees and the administration continue with their seeming impassive lack of concern?

Having retired after 30 years of service in a law enforcement agency, I have some thoughts of what I deem professionalism in law enforcement should be.

Professional police work does not come naturally. We are not born with that capability. We are taught to be professionals and the degree of professionalism that we display is directly associated with our training. There is a lot of truth in the old saw that children will reflect the training they receive from their parents and teachers. The same is true of law enforcement personnel. If the boss has an attitude, his employees will probably have the same attitude. Professionalism in law enforcement starts at the top. It requires adequate funding to provide the necessary training by professionals who understand the requirements of an officer. A large number of officers are trained to enforce the laws pertaining to their primary duties and they often get some psychology training and courses relating to human nature and what to expect once they are on the street and forced to make decisions on short notice.

Unfortunately, the human factor in the making of a police officer is sometimes ignored and the early training of the officer long before he or she planned to be in that type of employment has a great deal to do with how they respond under emergency conditions or when confronted with adversity.

It takes a very self-confident individual to become a competent police officer. One who has a rather high degree of self-esteem and cannot be easily influenced by adverse criticism. Their temperament must be such that when the going gets tough they can respond in the cool manner, which is the embodiment of a professional.

All of this takes practice and must be guided by the upper echelon, which sets the example for the officers to follow. Obviously, action must be taken by the governing authority for breaches in the professional demeanor of an officer and that will provide an incentive for the officer to do his/her job correctly in the initial confrontation with a member of the public.

Ignorance can be a factor, which encourages an officer to act in an unprofessional manor. Many officers are not familiar with certain laws, which may come into play during conflicts. There is an old police saying that bears repeating. “Discretion is a better part of valor”. If you don’t know what you are doing and know you don’t know, it is best to take the high road until you can edify yourself in the details of the confrontation. Unfortunately, many officers are just like all people, they often don’t know that they don’t know and that can lead to an undesirable result. It is better to say nothing than to open one’s mouth and display to the world your ignorance.

Unfortunately, tempers flare when a situation gets out of hand and often words are spoken which had best not been and once they are out, they cannot be taken back.

In all fairness, a good relationship with the police is not just a one-way street that requires the police to always do the right thing and be able to surmount all odds. The public in general must be aware of the complexity of a police officer’s job and be understanding to a degree when circumstances arise which would test the endurance and good judgment of an angel. There are many very intelligent people who love to show the officer how ignorant he is but if they were placed in the officer’s shoes, they might also falter.

I logged onto the Santa Monica College Police Department website (http://www.smc.edu/college_police/ ) and found the following mission statement from their “chief” of police:

“At Santa Monica College, the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff is always our first priority. ”

Eileen Miller, Chief
Santa Monica College Police Department

What utter nonsense and garbage, maybe the “chief” of police should watch the videos of the officers. This Department is out of control. Our tax dollars at work, what a shame. Shame on the Santa Monica College Police Dept.

Luke The Dog