Update: Retired cop hired to investigate report-alteration case

What puzzles me is why Chief Guerra only initiated an investigation now, a year later, after Jon Buckheit made this all so public, once again. He ahd all the information and could have done so on his own initiative, which would have looked more plausible.

Why are you puzzled? It's called the Blue Code of Silence, and Guerra, a career cop, is part of it. It's much more likely for cops to follow the Blue Code of Silence if they are part of the same organization their whole lives, and have long-standing relationships with the officers they are protecting. That's why it was a mistake for Atherton to keep promoting from within.

The rationale for the Blue Code of Silence for a cop is that: (1) at some point in your career, you will make a mistake and need to benefit from the Blue Code of Silence as well, or (2) at some point in your career, you did make a mistake, and have benefited from the Blue Code of Silence, so either way, you need to protect your fellow officers, even if they are wrong.

You think this is just in a Martin Scorcese or FF Coppola movie? It's not. If you have a friend or family who is a police officer, and they are being honest, they will admit this is a big part of many police organizations.

Right. And don't expect the chief to admit it. You need to look at his actions, not listen to his words. I'm sure the cop they've hired to police the cops is part of the same fraternity.

The reason is that by now, after more than two years, there are many people implicated the mishandling of this case.
The bread crumb trail likely goes strait up through one or two ex Chiefs and may lead beyond even the DA's office to the rest of the people at the top who like to quietly settle these matters in some back room. That's a paralyzing amount of pressure on Guerra for something that did not even occur on his watch.

During the past decade there's only been one cop convicted of a crime in Atherton. His name is Clark Yee. He was alleged to have stolen golf clubs and then to have falsified a police report documenting his participation in the investigation of this "crime".

Clark Yee was present when I was detained on the morning of August 29, 2007. He made no mistake about the fact he did not like what he saw. He made it clear that he did not desire to take part in the Police Department's abuse of power.

Through a series of public records requests, I have learned that the report surrounding my detention contained material miss-statements of fact.

I am left to wonder why the Atherton Police Department and the San Mateo County District Attorney were so quick, so decisive to act in Clark Yee's case, yet so reluctant to act on my complaint?

I am left to wonder whether there is any connection between Mr. Yee's display of disgust for the actions of Tim Lynch, Tim Marks, Sherman Hall, Kristin Nichols, Bob Brennan, Glenn Nielsen and Eriic Grimm during the week of August 27th and his subsequent persecution.

I sincerely hope that the DA and Chief Guerra re-open the Clark Yee case and that they act on my criminal complaint.

I know what it is like to be falsely accused of a crime. Thankfully, I can only imagine what it might to be falsely convicted of one.

I think this APD Office was on video tape sells the clubs in San Bruno? So what false arrest or charges were made on Officer Yee, he stole and sold the clubs with the victime name on them. Dah!

Chief--"Hey Officer Clark, you live up in San Bruno, could you drop these clubs off on your way home. Be sure to get the receipt."
Did they get him on the store tape-you betcha

Troy Henderson was arrested and prosecuted on charges of battery. His exchange with Pilar Buckley was captured, oh so conveniently on video. Steve from Menlo Park might think this incident wasn't a set up either.

Chief Brennan had former finance director John John' office raided his office because the Chief alleged a computer in his office that was used for spare parts was "vandalized". Steve from Menlo Park might not think this incident was a set up either.

Brian Bothun had his computer siezed when he was involved in a domestic dispute. The DA subsequently prosecuted him for posessing naughty photos after a forensic examination (under questionable pretenses was performed by REACT). Steve from Menlo Park might not think this incident was a set up either.

Clark Yee was asked to investigate the theft of golf clubs. A resident from Atherton miraculously identified these clubs (which did not have his name on them) in San Bruno of all places. The pattern of activity just doesn't smell right.

It seems as though the Atherton PD is either brilliant, or damm lucky or crooked.

I think the latter is most likely.

For the Chief of Police Mike Guerra not to suspect his force is rotten suggests that he too is rotten and sees nothing wrong with his force or Chief Guerra is naive.

In either case Guerra is no longer fit to be chief.

Mike Guerra is now [portion deleted.] There are far too many suspicious things that have gone on with him either in charge or in a senior position with the force.

On the Clark Yee case, Guerra was asked about how it came to be that Clark Yee was assigned to the very case he later became a suspect in.

Guerra was also asked about how it could have been that an Atherton resident went all of the way to San Bruno to shop for golf clubs.

Guerra was asked about how this resident could have picked his clubs out from the multitude of offerings by this warehouse sized store.

Chief Guerra's reply was that the coincidences were quite remarkable, fantastic even. For Chief Guerra not to suspect something was rotten in the Yee case is a true tell sign Guerra is either [portion deleted] or hopelessly gullible.

I don't care which is true, he should be replaced immediately and an independent inquiry should be initiated.

The Atherton PD has lost all credibility in this community.

Free Clark Yee!

Triple Duh.......I would suggest you be careful whom you defend. I can tell you from personal experience that one of the people you mentioned in your post was no innocent.

The way he spoke to people working in other agencies that Atherton dealt with was obnoxious. Especially black women

Guerra should never have been promoted to Lieutenant, let alone Chief.

He was part of that crowd in the PD that was aligned with Lois English and Mike Hood and their developer friends.

Guerra should be fired and replaced with someone from the outside.

Interested is right about Troy. He had a pattern of conduct with the Town that made him an easy mark for Pilar Buckley. It had "set up" written all over it.

[Portion deleted. Unsupported allegation.]

What I want to know is who will be investigating the Chief for failing to act on incriminating informaiton that the Chief has had in his possession for over a year.

Isn't this what they call obstruction of justice?

Oh never mind, this is what the Town is having Buckheit do in his federal lawsuit.

They should just appoint Buckheit and hand over the entire city treasury to him. He's gonna own the town after this is over with the way things are going.

I'm thinking that the only reason they hired an outside investigator is because there is no intention to find wrongdoing.

If they don't prosecute, it makes the Town look bad. If they don't prosecute and it's an outsider finding it's all good, it's not on them.

This isn't that hard. It's a simple matter. It's felony testified to in court with factual evidence.

If they were going to find wrongdoing, they would have just done it because it would enhance the Town and the Department's reputation as clean good guys.

I come to the conclusion that outsourcing means a finding of no wrongdoing.

It's all I can see happening. Nothing else makes sense.

Outsourcing is their fall-back position when ignoring it didn't work.

It's all very obvious to me.

Post Script: Mr. Gibboney: Seems this article which is of a sensitive nature was sort of double posted. Is this an attempt to divert attention from the potent comments attached to the initial article? If this is a technique you are employing to suppress comments. It will now be observed. I copied mine up here again and want to point out to readers the cogent and accurate points contained in comments on a nearly identical article posted below...DON'T MISS IT.

You don't even want to know how many people have suffered abuse at the hands of the PD.

I've worked here a long time. I can tell you alot of stories.

The only distinction between Buckheit's and Johns' experience and that of countless others is that the two of them had the courage to stand up to the PD.

I remember what happened to Bothun. Man they crushed that guy and for what? Naughty photos that didn't turned out to be photos of adults and a bit of weed? Come on....

I agree with Prime Suspect:

"The Atherton PD has lost all credibility in this community."

There's a perspective in the Police business that, "Security Guards are wannabe Police Officers." I bet many surrounding agencies believe "APD," is "the Security Guard," in the above analogy. How do we continue to have trust in the Police?

... And please leave C.Yee alone. I've encountered him yearsback and he treated me with the utmost respect. (If you're reading this, thank you for your help during my bike accident) For all we know, he's living a great life somewhere away from all this APD B.S. He probably plea bargined (to other Steve Wags' charges) without a fight just to leave a dysfunctional PD.

Dear "Credibility"

I am afraid I can't leave Clark Yee alone. One of the reasons that I can't let this go is that I know the feeling of betrayal. I thought I had a good relationship with the PD. I saw these guys every day. I worked hard to get them top dollar for their equipment, for their salaries and benefits, for whatever.

Just like that, the Police Department turned on me, as though it were an ill bred German Shepard.

Clark Yee, unlike the other five officers who were present during my detention on the morning of August 29th, 2007, treated me with utmost respect as well.

My concern is that he was driven out of the department because he refused to "go along to get along".

Clark Yee was employed by Atherton for five years. Like me he had a spotless if not stellar record of service with Atherton and with his previous employers.

Clark Yee's carreer as a peace officer is over, gone is his ability to earn service credit towards 3% at 50. Gone is the ability to earn over $100k per year.

I know after having spoken with Mike Guerra that there is no record of Clark Yee being present when I was detained. This I find to be suspicious. As I have said on numerous posts, Clark Yee was there. He looked me right in the eye, without speaking he made it clear just how disgusted he was with the conduct of his colleagues.

I will always remember how, Officer Yee could communicate compassion for me and disgust for his colleagues at nearly the same instant. If I could recognize this while in a state of shock and bewilderment at how I was being treated, you bet the other officers present could as well.

I firmly believe Clark Yee was set up on the rap of stolen golf clubs. He was a threat to Nielsen and to the corrupt structure Nielsen painstakingly built over the years and that remains in place under Guerra.

The headline of this article says it all. All Guerra wants is a whitewash.

The report of a fellow cop won't be worth anything. Especially from one who worked for two of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies in the state.

Get real Guerra.

Outside investigator hired to review Atherton police report-alteration case

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Be sure to read the comments contained on this article. They are cogent comments place by sound and creditable folk.

Don't miss these comments!!

Santa Clara Police do it right, they identify and charge the bad cop.

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