Pomona Discards Plan to Switch to Sheriff’s Dept.

City Council members this week unexpectedly withdrew their support for a plan to ask the Sheriff’s Department to take over the city Police Department.

Councilwoman Nell Soto, apparently the only member still interested in the proposal, on Monday moved that the council request a sheriff’s report on the feasibility and costs of providing police services to Pomona. But she was forced to withdraw the motion after it failed to receive a second.

Apparently taken by surprise, Soto said council members just two weeks ago in private session had favored contracting with the Sheriff’s Department. “I wish they would have the integrity and courage out here to say what they said in private,” Soto said.

Councilmen C. L. (Clay) Bryant and Mark A. T. Nymeyer told The Times two weeks ago that the city should contract with the Sheriff’s Department for services. They made the remarks after voting to ask the Sheriff’s Department to take over a corruption investigation involving the issuance of a business license and to supply the city with an interim police chief. The Sheriff’s Department declined both requests.

Bryant said he did not support Soto’s motion this week because her proposal did not say how much the Sheriff’s Department would charge the city for the study, nor how long it would take. In addition, he said, “I didn’t have any enthusiasm to start a prolonged discussion” of law-enforcement services.

During the council session, Bryant, who has frequently been a harsh critic of police management, took a moderate tone. “I’m not going to bash the Police Department,” he said. “They’re doing the best they can with what they have.”

Nymeyer did not react to Soto’s proposal during the council meeting, but later said he fears that replacing a city department with a county agency would reduce local control over police services. “I am a firm believer in local control,” he said.

At the same time, Nymeyer reiterated his displeasure with members of the Police Department who have engaged in political activities. Nymeyer accused the city police association of deliberately trying to embarrass him by endorsing his opponent in the 65th Assembly District Republican primary on June 5. He also complained about police officers’s contributions to a campaign to recall Bryant from office.

“They (police officers) just do whatever they want,” Nymeyer said. “They get involved in things and take public stands against local officials.”

Raul Camargo, president of the Pomona Police Officers Assn., said the group endorsed Nymeyer’s opponent because he would be a better assemblyman, but it has not contributed money to any campaign. Camargo said that he and other police officers have donated money to the Bryant recall effort.

Pomona police officers became increasingly active in politics after the council fired the city administrator and police chief last year. The Police Department has been without a permanent chief since Richard Tefank was dismissed in October.

Councilman Tomas Ursua, who has accused the Police Department of failing to deal effectively with the city’s crime problem, urged the council this week to concentrate on hiring a new chief instead of asking the Sheriff’s Department to take over. He said no top police official would apply for the Pomona job if there was a possibility that the city department would soon be merged into the Sheriff’s Department.

“We need a professional, top-rated police chief to turn this department around,” he said. “We need to give our department a chance to prove they are a valuable resource.”

Mayor Donna Smith also opposes contracting with the Sheriff’s Department.

This is not the first time the City Council has explored the idea. More than four years ago it asked the Sheriff’s Department to undertake a study of the costs of providing services to Pomona.

The Sheriff’s Department found that Pomona could save more than $3 million a year by purchasing services from the Sheriff’s Department, instead of funding its own Police Department. But city police officials said the savings depended on a reduced level of service.

In addition, they said, the figures did not include the cost of compensating police employees who would not be accepted for transfer into the Sheriff’s Department.

The council abandoned the plan.