Seal Beach Police Take Issue With Jury’s Low-Morale Report

More than two dozen policemen and their supporters appeared before the City Council on Monday night to take issue with a grand jury report that said favoritism and nepotism had led to low morale in the Police Department.

“We were shocked,” said Mark Risinger, president of the Seal Beach Police Officers Assn. “The findings were very haphazard and not in-depth at all. To our knowledge none of our current sworn employees were called” to give their opinions to the grand jury.

The grand jury report, released earlier this month, depicted a Police Department beset by deep problems. Among the disclosures were allegations of nepotism against an unnamed department head whose spouse was hired to fill a court liaison job within the department.

News reports have identified the department head as Police Chief Bill Stearns, whose wife works at the department.

During the grand jury’s 11-month study, the panel also focused on citizen complaints, a high rate of stress among officers and other medical-related retirements.

City Manager Robert Nelson complained at the beginning of Monday’s meeting that he had to learn of the grand jury’s finding through the press. He said the report was issued June 13 but he did not receive a copy of it until five days later.

Nelson also complained that the report provided little specific information. He said he would ask the grand jurors to explain how they conducted their investigation.

After hearing a number of speakers who denied that morale was a problem in the department, Mayor Edna Wilson said the city staff will issue its own report on the Police Department and the council will submit a formal response to the grand jury report within 90 days.

Veteran Officer Rick Paap said he considers the grand jury report “a slap in the face. I’ve been here 13 years. Believe me, I have been here when morale was bad. Four years ago we were forced to work overtime, work double shifts. Morale is much better now.”