IRVINE : Police Chief, Officers Have Gripe Session

Frustration that had been building in the Police Department for months found a peaceful outlet this week as officers met in an unprecedented gripe session with Chief Charles S. Brobeck.

After the 2 1/2-hour session Thursday night, officers walked away “feeling good about themselves, feeling good about the department and feeling good about the chief,” said Lt. Patrick A. Rodgers, president of the Irvine Police Assn.

Earlier this week, though, the outlook was far less friendly.

This week, two female officers, a dispatcher and a former female officer sued the city and Brobeck alleging sexual harassment that had been ignored or condoned by high-ranking officers.

Last month, officers had posted a list of 36 “concerns and questions” on a department bulletin board, asking the chief to respond point by point.

The items ranged from allegations of unfair treatment of individual officers to staffing levels the officers had characterized as unsafe and that they had accused the chief of doing little to remedy.

Further, there has been a disagreement over pay that has left the officers working without a contract since January, 1992, and led to a federal lawsuit against the city alleging that officers are not being paid properly for overtime.

Much of the hostility toward the chief over these problems was defused by Thursday’s meeting, Rodgers said.

Officers had the opportunity to hear the chief, to learn his perspective and to dispel rumors that had been circulating, he said.

Once the contract dispute is resolved, Rodgers said, “we’ll be well back on the road to healing the wounds.”