Correspondence - CS Item No. 3 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 In addition to this, Chief Valentin continues to permit Sergeant Lizardi to operate with impunity. 2 Three different Officers identified Sergeant Lizardi last summer as having intimidated them on behalf of Chief Valentin.All three of these Officers are outstandingemployees,respected by their 3 peers and superiors alikeAt is interesting that all three Officers were on promotion/eligibility lists at the time Sergeant Lizardi intimidated them on Chief Valentin's behalf. Corporal Zroka on a Sergeant list,Officer Pace on a Corporal list and Officer Wiggs on the MET team eligibility list.As 5 of now,Corporal Zroka remains on the Sergeant list,Officer Pace was promoted to Corporal by the City Manager after Chief Valentin withheld his earned promotion and Officer Wiggs ultimately 6 withdrew his name from consideration for MET. 7 It amazes me that a professional government organization would allow Sergeant Lizardi to continue 8 to come to work every day given the gravity of his actions.Conversely,Officer Guzman sent a text 9 message to a group of his peers saying that he disagrees with the actions taken against me by Chief Valentin and Internal Affairs, and he was immediately placed on administrative leave without a 10 reason given. 11 Chief Valentin personally attacked me in roll call in front of more than twenty other Department 12 employees. He spoke disparagingly about my service as a member of the Department and as a member of the United States Air Force.This occurred on July 1,2021.1 made the City aware of this 13 conduct immediately.I was not interviewed for more than two months.It has been nearly six months 14 since that interview and I have not received any word on the status of the investigation. How does anyone find this fair, equitable or acceptable? 15 The disparity in Chief Valentin's treatment of the employees he manages, coupled with your lack .16 of intervention or any semblance of corrective action has left the vast majority of our Police 17 ` Department employees with an overwhelming feeling of disenfranchisement. Sadly,many of our members are afraid ofretribution and do not speak out about the unfair treatment they are subjected 18 to or observe.Morale has been decimated,friendships have been ruined,careers have been adversely 19 affected and there is no end in sight. Consider the analogy.now being shared by Department members: Chief Valentin is Vladimir Putin, Patrol personnel are Ukrainians,Command Staff and 20 Internal Affairs are the Russian military and City Staff'are other world leaders.What a disgusting, 21 but accurate depiction of the state of the Department. 22 Please intervene and hold these hostile actors.accountable; make our Department a more fair and 23 equitable working environment for everyone." 24 105. Again,CARDENAL never received the courtesy of a response. 25 111 26 1I1 27 111 28 111 19 CARDENALv.CrtToFSANTAANA, CASRNO. CAMPL,A1Nr