By Gary Walker

In perhaps its most forceful terms to date, a high ranking member of the Culver City Police Officers Association said his union believes that Police Chief Donald Pederson has become a liability to the force’s morale.

The longer the chief stays, said association President Adam Treanor, his leadership will be “detrimental to the citizens of Culver City.”

“If there’s no change in leadership, I would speculate that morale in the department will be severely damaged,” Treanor, a 12-year officer, told the News. “We believe that our department can no longer be run effectively by Chief Pedersen.”

A no-confidence vote issued by the union last month has served as the flashpoint in the continuing heated public battle between the police association, which represents Culver City’s sworn officers and sergeants, and Pedersen. According to the union, “many officers (have) expressed a belief that because of Chief Pedersen’s predominant fear of potential civil lawsuits combined with a desire to protect his own resume for future employment, he has restructured department policy to shield himself from liability at the expense of lower ranking employees.”

According to Treanor, the vote came after several meetings with the chief to discuss what the union considers serious problems with Pedersen’s management style. A survey regarding the chief and his three-member command staff in January revealed many of the same concerns that were later expressed in the no-confidence vote, Treanor said.

“The survey was a precursor to the association’s vote,” the union president said.

In July the union issued a statement critical of the chief that touched on a variety of grievances, including leadership – one of Treanor’s biggest complaints.

“This vote represents a last resort in the association’s attempts to deal with what many members consider Chief Pedersen’s lack of integrity, ineffective leadership, questionable honesty and his apparent inability to make decisions that affect their safety, working conditions and ability to protect the citizens of Culver City,” according to the association.

Despite the union’s no-confidence vote, Culver City’s governing body and the city’s executive management team have strongly endorsed Peterson. Seven city department heads and assistant  and acting City Manager Martin Cole signed a letter in support of the chief after the police union paid for a a full-page advertisement in the News announcing its lack of faith in Pederson’s leadership.

“We read with disappointment an advertisement paid for and placed in Culver City’s local newspapers by the Culver City Police Officers Association. In this paid advertisement, the CCPOA makes negative allegations against Police Chief Don Pedersen,” the management letter states. “Over the past four years, we have had the opportunity to work closely with Chief Pederson and have found that he conducts himself in a professional and ethical manner. Thus, we disagree with the CCPOA’s negative characterization of Chief Pedersen, included in the CCPOA’s paid advertisement.”

Cole said the management team has worked extensively with Pedersen and pointed out that the chief has participated in regional and state organizations that allow Culver City to forge important ties with surrounding cities. “We have a very different view of Chief Pedersen,” he said.

The City Council has publicly backed Pedersen as well. Under city charter rules, the police and fire chiefs and the city attorney report directly to the council, which has the authority to hire and fire these three department leaders.

Pedersen, who could not be reached for comment, said there are some Culver City officers, including members of the police association, who are uncomfortable with changes that he has implemented. “Some of the people don’t like that,” the chief, who was hired from Signal Hill Police Department four years ago, reportedly said last week. “But I think we have an obligation to investigate our complaints thoroughly and conduct ourselves in an appropriate fashion.”

Treanor dismissed the chief’s remarks as self-serving. “That’s his typical pat answer for everything,” Treanor countered. “It’s a very common defense of chiefs whenever their officers give them a vote of no confidence.

“We all agree that discipline should be a part of the department and appropriate discipline should be meted out when it is warranted,” the officer continued. “Our association feels that there have been times when members of the department have been given inappropriate or unwarranted discipline.”

This is not the first time that officers with the union have clashed with a Culver City police chief. Former chief John Montanio, who served briefly from 2004 until 2006, was also criticized by members of the union, who publicly lobbied for another chief before he was hired.

Treanor acknowledged that there had been problems with Montanio, who left Culver City to take a position with Homeland Security, but the depth of disenchantment that exists with Pedersen is much deeper. “But there was never a vote of no confidence against Chief Montanio,” Treanor noted. “It didn’t come close to the level of displeasure that there is with Chief Pedersen.”

Alan Corlin, a former Culver City councilman, said Petersen came highly recommended with very solid references when the council hired him four years ago. Corlin believes the police union, like all law enforcement agencies, must adapt to a new way of supervision and police work. “Times change. You need to be able to adapt to the police department of modern times,” said Corlin. “Police work has to evolve.”

Cole said the bitter public dispute between the chief and the police association is disheartening. “It saddens me to have this ongoing dispute between some members of the police association and Chief Pedersen.”

Treanor said Culver City businesses and residents can be certain that the animosity that exists between the union and the chief will not affect how the police force performs its duties.

“No matter how deep our grievances are with the chief, every officer is committed to protect ting the public safety of Culver City,” the association president said. “In my experience in law enforcement, the residents have been a huge part of the success of our department and we continue to ask for their support.”

Treanor said it was not unusual to see a police department issue a no confidence vote to its police chief, citing San Bernardino, Redondo Beach and Simi Valley, but acknowledged that purchasing the advertisement was a drastic step.

“It was a little unusual,” he admitted. “But contrary to what Chief Pedersen says, these problems have been brewing for a long time. Our officers have informally been trying to resolve these problems internally to no avail.

“We felt that we were at the point that we had to address our grievances in a public manner,” he added.

Corlin said that because Pedersen has the backing of the council, it is incumbent upon the union to try to resolve its differences with the chief. “My suggestion would be to embrace what he is trying to implement and make it part of the regimen,” adding, “I would also refrain from taking out advertisements that do not tell the whole story.”

The public and unqualified support by Culver City’s executive management staff and the council gives Pedersen a very strong hand in the inter-departmental battle between the police union and the embattled chief, according to Corlin, who concluded, “It was imminently important that the council came out in support of (Pedersen),” he said. “There can only be one chief.”

Treanor said in a union statement that the current problems can only be solved by a “change in leadership at the police department” and is in effect a request to the council, many of whom have received political backing and financial help during their political campaigns, to have Pederson removed from his position at the police department.

“At this point, you could say the ball’s in the council’s court,” he said.