By Stacia Glenn
Contra Costa Times
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — More than 150 police officers on Wednesday toyed with the idea of leaving the city’s payroll at a job fair meant for the 49 cops who face layoffs.
San Bernardino Police Officers’ Association members brought eight Southern California law-enforcement agencies to the Knights of Columbus Hall, where cops of all ranks picked up applications.
“The association is dedicated to its membership and wants to provide them every opportunity to find jobs if this city is going to terminate their employment,” said union President Rich Lawhead.
The City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to move forward with the layoffs. Pink slips have already been delivered.
Teary-eyed officers said they did not want to leave San Bernardino but are being forced out. Officers who were recruited from other agencies just months ago stood in groups and lamented the careers they left behind.
In an example of how disenchanted the rank-and-file members have become, tenured officers said they are looking to leave behind a city that has repeatedly failed them.
Many declined to be identified for fear of retaliation.
“Officers who aren’t in jeopardy are looking to leave because they’re so discouraged,” said Officer John Wakefield, who is the Police Department’s sole recruiter.
He called the job fair - which featured booths from Beaumont, Los Angeles, Cathedral City, Santa Monica, Desert Hot Springs, Inglewood and Los Angeles and Riverside counties - a “reverse recruitment.”
“I’m supposed to be recruiting to bring people in, but now I’m helping them get out of here,” Wakefield said.
Dave Rynski, an officer from Santa Monica, said he took information from more than 50 officers and will wait to see how many apply for his department’s 11 open positions.
“These folks here have already been trained and they can go out on the streets in no time,” he said. “We know that these (San Bernardino) officers are viable, qualified police candidates.”
Several officers who came to the job fair to explore their options were hired in the last year. A handful of were brought in as recently as December.
Officer Gerald Walent, who has been verbally notified that he could be laid off, moved from Georgia and stopped his application process with the Los Angeles Police Department to sign on with San Bernardino.
“The worst thing is the mayor didn’t wake up one day last week and say, ‘Get rid of 49 officers.’ They had to have known,” Walent said.
The majority of officers who could find themselves unemployed in the near future said police brass assured them during the hiring process that their jobs would be secure because the positions were funded by the city’s Measure Z tax.
“It’s shameful what the city has done, how we’re letting a lot of these officers go,” said homicide Detective Steve Turner, who attended Wednesday’s fair in a show of support.
Copyright 2009 Contra Costa Times