ELECTIONS / COUNTY SUPERVISORS : Davis’ Police Service Challenged

Ventura County supervisor candidate Vicky Howard on Wednesday criticized opponent Bill Davis for refusing to authorize release of his service record as a Culver City police officer more than 40 years ago.

In a prepared statement, Howard noted that Davis refers to his law enforcement experience in his ballot statement and in campaign brochures but refuses to allow inspection of his Culver City Police Department personnel records.

“It was brought up because that is one of the things he has used to qualify himself as a supervisor,” Howard said of Davis’ record as a police officer.

Howard and Davis, both Simi Valley City Council members, are competing in the 4th District supervisorial race. The 4th District includes Simi Valley, Moorpark, Somis and the Santa Clara Valley.

Sgt. Greg Smith of the Culver City Police Department said Wednesday that the department could not release information about Davis without his written approval, and Davis said he has no intention of giving such permission.

“There are things there I don’t think are anybody’s business,” Davis said.

Davis, 62, said he worked as a Culver City police officer for seven months more than 40 years ago. He said he resigned because he felt he was not cut out to be a policeman. His main reason for leaving the Police Department had to do with witnessing the death of a child who had been hit by a car, he said.

“It was traumatic,” Davis said of the experience. “At that point, I decided it was not the job for me.”

Davis, who also happens to be Howard’s next-door neighbor, said he was surprised that his opponent was trying to make his law enforcement experience an issue in the campaign. He said Howard already knew why he left the Police Department.

“Vicky Howard knows the story, and she has for years,” Davis said. “I told her as a friend. They’re trying to run a smear campaign.”

Howard, however, denied knowing why Davis left the department. “I never heard anything about the death of a child,” she said.

It was Davis, Howard said, who had made his police experience an issue because he has continually referred to it in his campaign.

“As a former police officer, I know firsthand the devastation of crime and narcotics on families,” Davis is quoted as saying in one campaign brochure. “We must provide our police officers with all of the support necessary to win the war on crime.”

Dan Schmidt, a Howard campaign official, said Davis is trying to garner support from county law enforcement personnel with his campaign literature.

“He’s trying to get a heck of a lot of mileage out of . . . a minimal job many, many years ago,” Schmidt said, adding that Howard has been endorsed by Ventura County Sheriff John Gillespie, Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury and the county Deputy Sheriff’s Assn.

Even though he worked as a police officer only a short time, Davis said the experience was enough to make him appreciate the pressures and responsibilities of police work.

“I learned what a tough job it was and is,” Davis said. “I learned it takes a real special person to be a policeman.”

Davis has been endorsed by the Ventura County Firefighters Assn.

Howard’s criticism Wednesday was not the first in what has become a bitter campaign.

Davis, a Democrat, and Howard, a Republican, have accused each other of misleading voters by distributing or allowing the distribution of campaign mailers that are specifically addressed to voters whose party affiliations are different than their own. The mailers do not mention what party the candidates belong to.