San Diego Police Department Chief Lansdowne defends his cops – it’s is “a tough task when his officers are under stress.”
San Diego’s police department is down to just 350 officers.
“These are stressful times for everybody.” He said his “officers are subject to the same stresses and frustrations as anyone else.”
Between now & February 2011, 5 San Diego Police Department cops, including DUI officers, have either been charged or suspected of committing unlawful acts.
Sgt. Ken Davis was charged this week with 1 count of stalking and 3 counts of harassing a fellow officer.
Motorcycle officer David Hall is under investigation for a San Diego DUI-related hit-and-run incident.
In March, vice officer Art Perea resigned amid accusations he raped a Point Loma Nazarene University student at an El Cajon home.
Officer Roel Tungcab faces domestic violence charges after an altercation with his wife.
Perhaps the biggest case, now fired SDPD officer Anthony Arevalos was arrested after a female accused him of sexually assaulting her following a DUI stop over Mardi Gras.
“It’s an embarrassment to have officers commit criminal activity because it does tarnish the badge we all wear so proudly,” Lansdowne admits.
What are they doing now? “Yeah, … we’ve put together an ethics training class for the entire police department. Every single person in this police department will have to go through that ethics training class,” Chief Lansdowne conceded.
Can you say “she looked eighteen to me!” The San Diego police officer charged with 18 felonies was fired today. DUI Officer Anthony Arevalos, an 18-year veteran of the SDPD, was arrested March 11 after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her during a drunk driving traffic stop in the Gaslamp Quarter, attorneys learned.
4 women came forward and accused Arevalos, 40, of trying to elicit sexual favors during traffic stops usually dealing with DUI cases, say criminal defense lawyers.