Police Union Mailer Targets Holbrook

By Jorge Casuso

Nov. 4 -- After endorsing Councilman Bob Holbrook's reelection in 1994 and 1998, the police union sent voters a flyer this weekend urging them to oppose the incumbent, who has long been widely viewed as a staunch supporter of law enforcement.

The mailer, which comes days before Tuesday's election, could deal a blow to Holbrook's bid for a fourth term because the union's political attacks have traditionally carried weight. The only two incumbents defeated since 1988 -- Christine Reed and Tony Vazquez -- were both targeted by the police union.

Sent by the Police Officers Association -- which had spent $54,415 on the upcoming election as of October 19 -- the flyer questions Holbrook's commitment to public safety, especially his contention in a recent mailer that he "helped lead the fight for new police officers to make our streets safe."

"Bob Holbrook voted 'NO' when the City Council authorized the hiring of 20 police officers in spite of the fact our crime rate at the time was the highest it had ever been," the union flyer stated.

The piece, which provides no date for the vote, refers to the council's approval of the 1992-93 budget, which boosted the City's police force by 20 officers. Holbrook and Councilman Herb Katz backed the call for additional officers but objected to raising taxes to pay for the new hires.

"It's amazing" Holbrook said of the allusion to the 10-year-old vote, especially when "they supported me in 1994 and 1998. If they had a problem with my vote, I think they'd talk about it," Holbrook said.

"I've been one of the strongest supporters of public safety," said Holbrook, who led the council crackdown against the homeless in 1994 and has voted to increase police hiring. "I just hope the voters are smart enough to see through this pattern."

Holbrook was referring to a series of controversial mailers sent out by the police and firefighters unions during the past week that attacked Measure HH, or VERITAS. The measure on Tuesday's ballot would, among other things, carve out election districts, elect a mayor at large with veto powers and set term limits.

The first flyer asked the question, "Would you like it if you asked a Police Officer for help and he told you he couldn't because of what district you lived in?" The second erroneously used a popular homeowner measure that is not on the November ballot to urge voters to oppose VERITAS, while the third urges voters "to say NO to political thieves."

The anti-VERITAS mailers outraged many community leaders, especially those who back the political reform measure, including Holbrook. "I really, really object to being called a thief," Holbrook said. "I take that personal. I'm upset about that."

Police Union President Shane Talbot could not be reached for comment about the latest mailer, but in an interview with The Lookout last week he said that VERITAS is a "public safety issue" and the unions' biggest concerns are the term limits and mayoral veto power.

In addition, Talbot said, by carving out seven election districts, VERITAS would pit districts against each other, which could affect the distribution of City services. "It has the potential of impacting where services are directed," he said. "It's not just the police department." Talbot added that "there's no question police and fire are going to respond to emergencies."

Holbrook doesn't buy the argument. The reason the police union is so adamantly opposed to election reform -- and especially mayoral veto powers -- is that it could lose its clout, which is based on its support of the Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights majority that has controlled local government for much of the past two decades.

"Apparently they are very opposed to VERITAS," Holbrook said. "I can only surmise that they are afraid of losing their clout…. They're trying to advance their political agenda. They spent years endorsing SMRR candidates."

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After staging an unprecedented walkout 23 years ago, the Santa Monica Police Officers Association has flexed its political muscle, mounting hard-hitting campaigns and helping to elect the council members that support its lucrative contract.

Although the union has backed SMRR candidates as well as their opponents, its rise to power closely parallels the emergence of the tenants rights' group, which gained control of the council in 1981. Since then, SMRR and the union have forged an unlikely alliance.

That clout, Holbrook said, has led to a contract that guarantees officers are at least the second highest paid among 10 comparable cities, including Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Culver City and Newport Beach.

"A SMRR council gave police officers the contract," Holbrook said. "They've made a huge investment to elect the people who are most sympathetic to their union needs."

Holbrook said that union leaders are also upset that he did not cooperate in their failed lobbying effort to oust Chief James T. Butts, Jr. several years ago. Holbrook said he received a message saying the union wanted him to "talk to the City Manager to effectuate change." Holbrook, who is a friend of the chief, declined.

"They can't control me," Holbrook said. "They basically just are worried that I'm too independent."

Holbrook also objects to the attack on "out-of-town corporate millionaires" in the flyer that calls VERITAS backers "thieves," noting that most of the police officers and firefighters themselves do not live in the city, although they could afford to.

"The majority of these people choose not to live here," said Holbrook, a Santa Monica native.

According to City records requested by The Lookout, only two of Santa Monica's 101 firefighters and 13 of its 194 police officers live in the city.

The son of a Los Angeles firefighter, Holbrook said he "deeply respects" the City's officers and firefighters and believes that he has the support of the departments' rank and file.

"I've had police officers come up to me and say, 'I'm embarrassed by the campaigning,'" Holbrook said. "They say that they personally hope I am elected."

Several police officers contacted by The Lookout who spoke under the condition that their names would not be used said they were unaware of the union's endorsement of incumbents Kevin McKeown and Pam O'Connor and challenger Matt Dinolfo.

The officers said the endorsements are made by Talbot with little or no imput from the rank and file, which was not informed about the union leadership's decision.

"I didn't know who they endorsed," said one officer, who asked that his name not be used. "They don't let anybody know what they do or how they do it. They operate in a shroud of secrecy."

The officers interviewed said that most of their colleagues have little knowledge about the decisions made or who makes them.

"I think a lot of it is apathy, and they don't want to put in time on the board," the officer said. "The officers probably can't tell you who's on the board."

Talbot said that the board is elected by the membership to make the decisions. "It's something that has been going on since before I got here, which was in 1974."

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According to the latest campaign finance disclosure statement, the police union had spent $31,341 to oppose Measure HH as of Oct. 19. It also had spent $8,191 on each of the two incumbents' campaigns and $6,691 to support Dinolfo, a physician who is a newcomer to local politics.

To counter the union's lack of support, Holbrook sought the endorsement of retired Santa Monica Police Chief James Keane and retired Fire Cheifs John Sturges and Thomas Tolman, all of whom live in the city.

"These Police and Fire Chiefs -- with nearly a hundred years of public safety experience among them -- support Bob Holbrook because he has been a tough, effective and independent leader in the fight to make Santa Monica safer for all of us," Holbrook's flyer reads.

In addition to questioning his public safety record, the police union also questioned Holbrook's commitment to his job on the council.

"Bob Holbrook says he wants to protect your interests in City government, but why does he leave council meeting (sic) before they are finished," the flyer reads. "He should stay until the meetings are done or champion a process that will allow complete participation."

During an interview last week, Talbot aired those concerns. "There have been some things that have occurred in the past few months," he said. "He would leave (meetings) at a particular time. Some of the issues were very hot issues and it just seemed Bob was very tired. If you leave, how can you represent your constituents?"

Holbrook, who heads the pharmacy at USC and has consistently pushed for shorter meetings, said he has never left before a crucial issue where his vote could have made a difference.