A Tale of 2 Police Department Probes : Newport Should Call for Outside Review of Harassment Allegations, as Irvine Has Done

Irvine and Newport Beach are taking differing approaches to clearing the air following allegations by female members of their police departments that they were sexually harassed. The preferred course of action is being taken in Irvine, where Police Chief Charles S. Brobeck is pushing for federal and criminal investigations into employee complaints of sexual discrimination, harassment and witness retaliation. By opening up the city for outside review, Brobeck helped the city to take an important step forward in bolstering confidence in his department.

A less preferable method--an internal investigation--is being taken by Newport Beach, where nine current and former police employees allege in a lawsuit that they were sexually harassed and discriminated against. By keeping its investigation in-house, the city is creating a perception, fairly or not, that it may not be completely objective.

In Irvine, four female employees have filed complaints in the last year with the state Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that they were, among other things, fired unfairly and subjected to sexual remarks. Chief Brobeck said that in view of the allegations he was “more than willing” to let an outside organization look into his department to see if corrections were needed. He asked the EEOC to review the matter and also requested that the district attorney’s office look into whether witnesses had been intimidated, which would be a crime. Both agencies are considering his requests.

In Newport Beach, the current or former female police officers who have joined in the lawsuit allege that they were subjected to sexual remarks and touching of their breasts by Capt. Anthony Villa. They also claim Police Chief Arb Campbell knew of Villa’s alleged behavior and did nothing to stop it. One woman, a dispatcher, made an even more serious allegation that Campbell and Villa had raped her at a drunken party 11 years ago. Hours after she went public, City Manager Kevin J. Murphy put Campbell and Villa on paid administrative leave pending the city’s investigation.

Murphy has hired outside attorneys to conduct the probe. But, no matter how fair or thorough, the attorneys are in the city’s employ. Newport Beach still should call for an investigation by an outside agency or commission, perhaps a grand jury. An independent review of what happened is needed to get that city’s Police Department back on a strong course. Neighboring Irvine has shown the way.