Police Chief Uses Confidential List to Boost Mayor’s March

San Diego Police Chief Bob Burgreen ordered the Police Department to call people on a confidential Neighborhood Watch list to get them to march in a rally Wednesday, organized to support the mayor’s call for emergency funding from the state to fight crime, police spokesmen acknowledged.

The march began at noon and was attended by about 300 people, who marched from Horton Plaza to the Community Concourse, where several speakers urged Gov. George Deukmejian to release funds so law enforcement agencies can deal with what Mayor Maureen O’Connor called a “state of emergency” in the city. Minutes after the rally ended, a spokesman for the governor said that O’Connor’s much-publicized request would be handled routinely and not as an emergency, in keeping with the governor’s statements of a week ago.

Police callers began contacting Neighborhood Watch captains Friday, said spokesman Dave Cohen. The decision to use the list was made by Burgreen after much discussion, Capt. Dick Toneck said. According to Toneck, Burgreen decided to use the list “because we thought it was an appropriate use of the Neighborhood Watch program.”

The Tune Has Changed

In November, Burgreen apologized to the watch captains when it was revealed that a political consulting group working for the Police Officers Assn. had improperly obtained the list and used the addresses to send out political mailers. At the time, Burgreen said that he disapproved of using the list for anything but law enforcement purposes.

An angry watch captain, who asked that his name not be used, called The Times on Wednesday and complained that police were again making improper use of the list by asking him to support a political stance taken by the mayor.

“No, we don’t think it’s a political issue,” Toneck said. “In this particular instance, it was very clear to use it as a crime-fighting thing . . . to help the neighborhoods. We’re saying, ‘Folks, here’s an opportunity to support us trying to get money from the state government to help us with crime-fighting efforts in San Diego.’ ”

Toneck added that the department viewed the rally and O’Connor’s call for emergency funding as “a crime issue.”

O’Connor spokesman Paul Downey said the mayor’s office did not play a role in the decision to call the watch captains and knew nothing about the calls. He referred inquiries to the Police Department.

In addition to a bevy of community leaders, Wednesday’s rally was also attended by most City Council members, Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller, San Diego Padres Manager Jack McKeon and Padres utility man Luis Salazar, who addressed the crowd in Spanish. O’Connor, who introduced all of the dignitaries, called McKeon “my favorite person” and introduced him as “Jack McKinnon.”

During the rally, the mayor’s aides were passing out post cards asking Deukmejian to declare a state of emergency in parts of San Diego and to make emergency funding available to the city. Those at the rally, including children from at least two elementary schools, were also given leaflets with the names and addresses of state representatives and President Bush, and were encouraged to write to them for funds.

Governor Isn’t Convinced

Last week, O’Connor declared a state of emergency in the city created by a recent series of gang- and drug-related shootings. She followed this by sending Deukmejian a letter, in which she asked him to give the city $34 million in emergency funding to help stop the violence. O’Connor’s declaration came after state officials announced a $2.5-billion budget surplus.

On Tuesday, O’Connor and Burgreen said that $34 million was not going to be enough to attack the problem of street violence head on. They said that Burgreen would put together a budget, and O’Connor would submit a new proposal soon, asking Deukmejian to release $50 million to $100 million to local law enforcement officials.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Deukmejian said that O’Connor has yet to convince the governor that a state of emergency exists in San Diego. Kevin Brett, Deukmejian’s press spokesman, said the march and rally “would have no effect at all” on the governor’s decision.

“We will be responding to the mayor’s letter, but I can’t tell you when,” Brett said. “It is not the only item on the governor’s plate. Drug trafficking and gang violence is a concern throughout the state. . . . We are treating the mayor’s letter as a budget request. It will be considered in our normal budget process. . . . The request from Mayor O’Connor will be considered with all other requests.”

Brett was also critical of attempts by O’Connor and Burgreen to pressure Deukmejian by holding rallies and organizing letter-writing campaigns by citizens.

“When you strip away the rally and you strip away the state of emergency . . . what you have is a budget request to the governor and the Legislature,” Brett said. “ . . . The only effect the rally will have, really, is to put the mayor on every TV news program and in the morning papers.”

Meanwhile, Burgreen released crime figures Wednesday showing that major crime was up 9% in the first quarter of 1989, but homicides were down 24% and rapes were down 12% from the corresponding period last year. According to police figures, robbery was up by 1.2%, aggravated assaults increased 9.6%, burglaries rose 2.4% and thefts were up 12.7%.