West Covina Police Chief’s Hiring of Associate Probed

West Covina’s police chief is under investigation by the city in the wake of revelations that he hired a consultant for his department who was also his partner in private business, city officials said Friday as the council held a closed meeting to decide his fate.

No decision was made Friday on the future of John T. Distelrath, a 31-year department veteran.

The furor began last month when documents were anonymously faxed to city officials showing business ties between Distelrath and Sonnie Faires, president of the West Covina Chamber of Commerce and the owner of a local marketing and consulting firm.

Distelrath hired Faires in May 1995 to help manage the West Covina Police Department’s budding enterprise in the field of training simulators. That was the same month that he, Faires and Loretta Smith, a retired West Covina police officer, filed papers to create JLS Seminars, a lecture services company.

Council members found that Faires was paid more than $50,000 over two years without an official bidding process, as required by city ordinance, said City Atty. Elizabeth Martyn, who is investigating Distelrath. Faires was fired by the city in October.

In an interview, Distelrath characterized the investigation as a political witch hunt. “The man in this office will not be intimidated.”

He added that Faires was hired informally at an hourly rate and he had thought that she was not subject to bidding requirements. Distelrath also said he never benefited financially from JLS and that the city knew he was a lecturer in his spare time.

After Friday’s meeting, City Manager Jim Starbird said, “I have no comment at this time. We have not received a complete report on the investigation.”