The Daily News of Los Angeles
SAN FERNANDO, Calif. — The city of San Fernando has formally asked for an independent probe into alleged traffic ticket fixing by its acting police chief on behalf of an aide to Rep. Howard Berman, officials said Monday.
The city requested the Sheriff’s Department to investigate whether Acting Chief Lt. Jeff Eley squelched a ticket issued Nov. 23 to Fred Flores, Berman’s community relations director.
It also asked deputies to look into how the police car video of the traffic stop was released and used in a six-minute video on You Tube entitled “San Fernando Police Exposed.” The video alleges Eley “made the ticket disappear.”
“I spoke with the city attorney and he said we couldn’t comment on the investigation,” City Administrator Al Hernandez said Monday.
Eley was suspended with pay Thursday pending the outcome of the investigation. He was replaced by Acting Chief Lt. Robert Parks, a 28-year department veteran.
The San Fernando police union has demanded Eley’s reinstatement, saying the acting chief was unfairly placed on administration leave without due process.
He earns about $144,000 a year, Hernandez said, the same as Chief Tony Ruelas, who officially retired Monday. He had been either on paid leave or vacation since February amid allegations of an affair with a former police cadet.
San Fernando may hire a retired police chief to conduct another independent investigation into the alleged police corruption, Hernandez said.
The police union, meanwhile, supports a likely recall attempt of three council members with ties to the former chief.
A Sheriff’s Department spokesman said its Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau has a policy of not acknowledging or commenting on Police Department probes.
Flores, who has been on medical leave, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
“If that investigation shows wrongdoing on the part of a member of my staff, I will deal with it immediately,” said Berman, D-Mission Hills, in a statement.
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