Captain Dan Hughes Named Acting Fullerton Police Chief

A press release in my email inbox indicates Fullerton Police Captain Dan Hughes has been named Acting Chief of Fullerton's Police Department effective January 3, 2012.

Last night I gave my continued support to Acting Chief Kevin Hamilton and Captain Dan Hughes for their combined efforts to address quality of life issues and communicating police activities and events to me.  Both have been actively working to clean up the numerous messes left by their predecessors.

Hughes will continue the significant reformation taking place in the Police Department.  He supports the formation of a community advisory committee to help advise and give direction to the Chief of Police.

I am proud to have Acting Chief Hughes representing Fullerton and offer him my continued support.

I also wish Captain Kevin Hamilton well as he retires from the City.

Below is the official press release.

Police
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE #27211

Subject :	Hughes named acting Fullerton police chief
Contact :	Sgt. Andrew Goodrich, Fullerton Police Department (714) 738-6838 Sylvia Palmer Mudrick, Public Information Coordinator, Fullerton City Manager’s Office (714) 738-6317

Capt. Dan Hughes, commander of the Fullerton Police Department’s patrol division, has been appointed acting police chief by City Manager Joe Felz.

The appointment will become effective Jan. 3.

He will replace Kevin Hamilton, who will resume his duties as captain in charge of the department’s detective division. He will also assist Hughes in the transition to the acting chief’s duties.

Felz explained the decision to appoint Hughes was prompted by Hamilton’s plans to retire soon, after 34 years with the Police Department. Hamilton, named acting chief in August, originally planned to retire this past summer, but put those plans on hold when Chief Michael Sellers was placed on extended medical leave by his doctor.

“Capt. Hamilton has done an outstanding job in assuming the acting police chief position at a very difficult time for the department and the city,” Felz said. “His efforts have been very much appreciated not only by the City Council and myself, but by the community as a whole.”

Hughes, a 28-year veteran of the police department, is a “hometown boy,” having been born and raised in Fullerton. He joined the Fullerton Police as a cadet in 1983, and became an officer in 1985. He was promoted to sergeant in 1996, lieutenant in 2006, and to patrol division captain in 2010.

Hughes holds an associate of science degree in criminal justice from Fullerton College, and both a bachelor of science degree in occupational studies and a master of science degree in emergency services administration from California State University, Long Beach.

Hughes is also a graduate of the Supervisory Leadership Institute and the International Association of Chiefs of Police leadership course “Leadership in Police Organizations.” In April, Hughes is scheduled to graduate Command College, which is an 18-month leadership and futures-oriented course designed for management in law enforcement.

Hughes serves on the board of directors of the Fullerton Boy’s and Girl’s Club, and is a member of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Fullerton Steering Committee, as well as the Fullerton Downtown Business Association and the Fullerton Downtown Working Group.

Hughes said he is looking forward to his new role, adding he takes great pride in the department. “I firmly believe the men and women of the Fullerton Police Department are some of the best law enforcement officers in Southern California,” he added.

Hughes said his initial steps as acting chief will be to continue “working on improving community trust and confidence in their Police Department.” One idea to this end that he wishes to explore is the possible formation of a community advisory committee to the chief of police.

He added he will also be working closely with his staff on completion of a review and update of department policies, procedures, and practices “to ensure our officers are making the proper ethical decisions and performing effectively, and that our supervisors are engaging more with our officers and the community in the field.”

Hughes and his wife, Kimberly, reside in Yorba Linda. They have three children – Christina, Austin and Grant. He is a member of the Yorba Linda Friends Church and is active in youth sports.

Fullerton Water System Study Session - MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Below is a press release from the City of Fullerton.  Read it carefully and mark you calendar.

Also, here is how much money has been skimmed from the Water Fund:

 

Fiscal                              (Water Fund)

Year     Franchise Fee     Water Sales                

2001      $1,435,202          $14,342,888

2002      $1,558,578          $15,619,444

2003      $1,576,091          $15,676,902

2004      $1,775,133          $17,800,172

2005      $1,771,294          $17,499,462

2006      $2,065,417          $20,587,913

2007      $2,287,693          $22,938,001

2008      $2,278,041          $22,893,749

2009      $2,388,515          $23,967,172

2010      $2,479,930          $24,796,981

2011      $2,532,595          $25,295,986

PRESS RELEASE -

All things water in the City of Fullerton will be the focus of a special City Council study session Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012.

The session, which will be open to the public, will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the new Conference Center at the Fullerton Main Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., adjacent to Fullerton City Hall.

David Schickling, Water System Manager for Fullerton, said the workshop will cover all aspects of the City’s water utility, ranging from where Fullerton gets its water supplies to how that water is delivered to residences and businesses in the City.

The session will also examine capital improvement needs for the aging water system.

The study session, which was requested by the Council, will be a prelude to the reopening of consideration of a water rate study which was brought to Council this past July.

“The Council took no action on the study then and, instead, directed that further study be done – specifically on the public notification process and the legality of the ‘in-lieu franchise/property tax’ transfer of funds from the Water Fund to the General Fund,” Schickling explained, noting the in-lieu franchise tax has been in place since 1968.

“The results of this expanded study are nearly complete and will be available for public review beginning with a meeting of the Council-appointed Water Rate Study Ad Hoc Committee in February.” That meeting, the date of which has not yet been firmed up, will be open to the public.

Once the committee has reviewed the results of the new study and made recommendations on it, the matter is tentatively scheduled to come to the City Council for consideration in March.

Further information about the study session or the water rate study may be obtained by calling the Office of Water Engineering at Fullerton City Hall at (714) 738-6845.

Persons requiring special accommodations to attend the study session the workshops are asked to notify the Office of Water Engineering prior to Jan. 10.

UPDATE - Fullerton Police Bust More Taggers

UPDATE FROM CAPT. HUGHES:

"This is an update in regards to the information that was sent out earlier on the arrest of Anthony Aparicio for tagging on Sunday morning.  Mr. Aparicio went to court this morning and pled guilty to the vandalism.  He was sentenced to 4 days in jail, 200 hours of graffiti removal, suspension of his driver’s license for 1 year, restitution, and 3 years formal probation with specific terms that prohibit any association with tagging crews and possession of any tagging implements."

____________________________________________________

The following is an email I received from Fullerton Police Captain Dan Hughes:

During a probation search of two suspected Lost For Life Krew (LFLK) associates, a juvenile was arrested for possession of paint markers and probation violations.  This suspect recently moved to Fullerton from Anaheim and uses the monikers “Kromer” and “Krome”.

Detectives arrested Abel Martinez, 19 yr old who recently moved from Fullerton to Anaheim, for being in possession of graffiti instruments.  He was contacted near 904 W. Orangethorpe where recent graffiti was located.

Detectives arrested Ernie Pereyra, 19 yr old Fullerton resident while investigating a graffiti case at 1042 W. Porter.  Pereyra is being charged for vandalism to three garage doors, the side of a garage, the rear of the Sunset Lounge, and the rear of Kragen Auto Parts at 904 W. Orangethorpe.  Pereyra uses the moniker of “Spider”.  We are continuing with the investigation of these cases after identifying another adult suspect that was with Pereyra during the graffiti incidents.

Yesterday, patrol officers responded to a report of two suspects tagging the freeway light pole behind the 700 block of West Houston .  After a short foot pursuit of one of the suspects, officers arrested Anthony Aparicio, 18 yr old Fullerton resident for vandalism and possession of graffiti instruments (spray paint and etching tools).  Aparicio is believed to be associated with the “Unlimited Thoughts Krew” and uses the moniker of “Cartoon”.

We have additionally identified the persons responsible for using the following monikers:  Sake/Saker, Mose, Forse/Foryr, Slobe, Rums, Recks/Reks, Kers, Lexr, Cartoon, Spider, and Kromer/Krome.

We have additional leads on several other members of this tagging crew and additional arrests are forthcoming.  I will continue to provide you with additional updates as warranted.

Thank you again for your continued support of our department and the efforts our officers are making in helping improve the quality of life in your neighborhood.

Dan Hughes

Captain, Patrol Division

State Controller: Audits find more than $3 billion

SACRAMENTO – State Controller John Chiang today announced that since taking office in 2007, his audit findings through State and local investigations now total more than $3 billion, more than any other Controller in recorded State history.

"Unchecked spending is an invitation for misspending," said Chiang.  "My audits offer an inside-look at state and local checkbooks, and show us where fiscal practices need serious improvement. These findings can lead to real taxpayer savings, and every dollar rescued is one that we don’t have to take away from education, public safety, or other essential services."

The Controller's office typically has 200 to 300 different audits under way at any given time during the year. A sampling of investigations initiated by Controller Chiang include:

·       Unlawful spending and illegal property taxes in the City of Bell

·       Misspent and poorly-managed bond funds at LA Community College District

·       Massive losses from uncollected fines at State agencies

·       Inappropriate spending on gifts at the State Lottery

·       No-bid contracts and lax spending controls in the City of Montebello

·       Millions in overpayments to a State healthcare contractor

His office is currently in the process of auditing the City of Hercules, and investigating claims of
pension-spiking at the California State Teachers' Retirement System.

After completing his work in the City of Bell last year, the Controller's office was flooded with requests audits of more than 200 local governments across California. In order to meet those demands and better protect taxpayer dollars at the local level, the Controller introduced legislation to broaden his office's auditing abilities.

While those bills stalled in the last legislation session, the Controller will continue to push to expand his office's ability to protect taxpayer dollars through financial audits.

For more information on the Controller's audit programs, visit his website at www.sco.ca.gov.

Fullerton Police Bust More Taggers

The following is an email I received from Fullerton Police Captain Dan Hughes:

During a probation search of two suspected Lost For Life Krew (LFLK) associates, a juvenile was arrested for possession of paint markers and probation violations.  This suspect recently moved to Fullerton from Anaheim and uses the monikers “Kromer” and “Krome”.

Detectives arrested Abel Martinez, 19 yr old who recently moved from Fullerton to Anaheim, for being in possession of graffiti instruments.  He was contacted near 904 W. Orangethorpe where recent graffiti was located.

Detectives arrested Ernie Pereyra, 19 yr old Fullerton resident while investigating a graffiti case at 1042 W. Porter.  Pereyra is being charged for vandalism to three garage doors, the side of a garage, the rear of the Sunset Lounge, and the rear of Kragen Auto Parts at 904 W. Orangethorpe.  Pereyra uses the moniker of “Spider”.  We are continuing with the investigation of these cases after identifying another adult suspect that was with Pereyra during the graffiti incidents.

Yesterday, patrol officers responded to a report of two suspects tagging the freeway light pole behind the 700 block of West Houston .  After a short foot pursuit of one of the suspects, officers arrested Anthony Aparicio, 18 yr old Fullerton resident for vandalism and possession of graffiti instruments (spray paint and etching tools).  Aparicio is believed to be associated with the “Unlimited Thoughts Krew” and uses the moniker of “Cartoon”.

We have additionally identified the persons responsible for using the following monikers:  Sake/Saker, Mose, Forse/Foryr, Slobe, Rums, Recks/Reks, Kers, Lexr, Cartoon, Spider, and Kromer/Krome.

We have additional leads on several other members of this tagging crew and additional arrests are forthcoming.  I will continue to provide you with additional updates as warranted.

Thank you again for your continued support of our department and the efforts our officers are making in helping improve the quality of life in your neighborhood.

Dan Hughes

Captain, Patrol Division

Fullerton City Council Meeting - Tomorrow at 6:30PM

Speak up and be heard. 

6:30PM at Fullerton City Hall

303 W. Commonwealth Ave.

Read the City Council Agenda HERE!