Police Chief Is Placed on Leave for Inquiry

Police Chief W. Douglas Franks was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, apparently into his absence from the department to attend the birth of his grandson, Franks’ attorney said Friday.

City officials apparently are investigating the chief’s absence in August, when he took time off to visit family members in the Northeast, his attorney, Donald Petrich said.

“Chief Franks’ daughter had to have a Caesarean section, and naturally, there are risks involved,” Petrich said. “So Chief Franks made arrangements to attend the birth and a religious ceremony afterward.”

Petrich, who represents Franks in a workers’ compensation claim filed two years ago, declined to comment on whether the decision by city officials to place the chief on administrative leave on Sept. 13 is related to the claim.

“I can’t guess what the city’s intention is,” he said.

In the workers’ compensation claim, Franks alleges that health problems that include high blood pressure and other heart-related problems were “aggravated or hastened” by work-related stress, Petrich said.

Partly due to Franks’ trip to see his grandson, a hearing before the state Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board to resolve the case was rescheduled for Jan. 21, Petrich said.

Franks, who was hired as Tustin’s police chief in 1989, was out of town and could not be reached for comment Friday, his secretary said.

Police would not say who their acting chief is, referring all inquiries to City Manager William A. Huston, who did not return repeated phone calls Friday.