Santa Ana Officers’ Promotions Upheld for Now
The promotion of five police officers to sergeant, which was challenged by a lawsuit filed this week, will stand for now, the city attorney said.
Superior Court Judge Ronald Bauer refused to grant four Santa Ana police officers a temporary restraining order after they requested that the promotions of five colleagues be declared null and void, City Atty. Joseph W. Fletcher said Thursday.
A hearing on a preliminary injunction halting the promotions is set for later this month, Fletcher said.
Santa Ana Police corporals David Salceda, Danny Pitocco, Andres Mantecon and Robin Arostegui filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that the city’s exam for promotion to sergeant is biased.
The four corporals state that they took the fall 1995 exam but failed to receive promotions. Their lawsuit alleges that the promotions board tends to favor officers from gang and narcotics units.
The lawsuit asked that the five promotions be rescinded and that a new exam be administered.
Fletcher defended the promotion process as “inherently fair.”
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