Mck Press - Attacked by Police Unions, DA Fires Back

Attacked by Police Unions, DA Fires Back
News Articles | by Daniel Mintz | May 17, 2006

Having been accused of incompetency and lax crimefighting by his election challenger and police officials, District Attorney Paul Gallegos has called for an end to what he describes as destructive and dishonest politicking.

His opponent in the June 6 DA election, senior prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney Worth Dikeman, has continued an aggressive campaign that frames the contest as a means of righting an office that has been undermined by weak leadership. And Dikeman’s claims were seconded by law enforcement union heads at a May 10 press conference at Eureka’s Wharfinger Building.

Gallegos’ campaigning style has to this point been restrained, but at the end of last week he responded assertively to accusations made at the press conference, saying that police union officials are trying to manipulate the workings of an office that hinges on independent decision-making.

And the DA is very disappointed that Dikeman’s campaign manager, who is a veteran Eureka cop, told reporters something that Gallegos describes as a harmful mistruth – that the multi-agency investigation into a Eureka police shooting is over and announcement of the result is being put off for political reasons.

That investigation is ongoing and may continue for several more weeks, Gallegos said, and he’s demanding that Dikeman’s campaign refrain from using fear tactics and misrepresentation to gain votes.

Indicted?

Dikeman told reporters at his press conference that his across-the-board endorsements from the county’s law enforcement unions represent an “indictment of the boss by those who work under him,” referring to Gallegos.

The DA has no support from police and law enforcement officers, Dikeman said, because they believe Gallegos’ administration of cases has been slipshod and will increasingly compromise public safety. “They are in a unique position to evaluate (the DA’s) performance,” said Dikeman.

And one by one, the heads of unions representing police from Arcata and Fortuna joined corrections and probation officials in portraying Gallegos as a DA whose work favors criminals.

“Our district attorney still has a defense attorney mentality,” said Terri Bittner, head of the county’s corrections officer union, referring to Gallegos’ previous experience as a private practice criminal defense lawyer. “We need Worth Dikeman as our next district attorney before our community is labeled as a safe haven for the criminal element.”

Deputy Probation Officer Mike Saul said Dikeman has been “overwhelmingly successful at securing convictions” but the “deterioration” of the office’s effectiveness is a boon to defense attorneys – and crooks.

“This is the reason we see plea bargains which release criminals into our community where sometimes it is only hours before they wreak further harm upon us,” said Saul.

Representing the Eureka police union was Dave Parris, who is also Dikeman’s campaign manager. Answering a question from a reporter, Parris, who heads the department’s detective bureau, said the probe into the controversial SWAT team shooting of Cheri Moore is finished but the DA is sitting on the results to capitalize on community concern.

“It’s time to tell the public what has occurred,” Parris said. “You don’t tell the public on June 7 that the officers did nothing wrong.”

Dikeman said that since the shooting is “a matter of grave public concern” the disclosure of the investigation’s results should be a priority.

But when contacted after the press event, Gallegos said the real priority should be honest campaigning.

DA: Stop Lying

The DA said Parris was wrong when he said the probe has concluded. It has not, Gallegos continued, adding that new evidence was submitted the very day that Parris made the statements.

The state’s Department of Justice is participating in the investigation and is doing new evidence testing, said Gallegos, adding that the Eureka police still has reports to submit. “Worth is allowing his campaign manager to say things he knows are false,” the DA continued. He said Parris’ commentary could impede the probe by incorrectly suggesting to potential witnesses that it’s over.

And Gallegos is tired of hearing “the same things that were said during the recall,” referring to the unsuccessful 2003 attempt to oust him. After being in office barely a year, the DA was characterized as being criminal-friendly and “soft on crime.”

“The things that are being said are absolutely false,” Gallegos said. “It’s indisputable that violent crime has dropped since I took office, and I’ve actually sent more people to prison since I took office.”

Gallegos said his opponent is trying to gain office through lying. “They think that if they make false statements often enough people will believe them,” he continued. “(Dikeman’s) campaign has nothing to do with the DA’s office and community safety – it has to do with something else entirely.”

Asked what that is, Gallegos said the law enforcement unions are political entities whose purpose is to lobby for police interests. “They want to make sure we do things the way they want them done and that’s not the way it works – the tail doesn’t wag the dog.”

Nor is the DA “the boss” of police officers, Gallegos continued, calling Dikeman’s comment to that effect a willing misrepresentation or a troubling sign of ignorance.

Finally, Gallegos said his trial record as a county prosecutor is superior to Dikeman’s. “Worth is not my best prosecutor – far from it,” the DA added.