SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 20 police officers across the state are facing the possibility of never working in law enforcement again. It's a list that includes officers accused and convicted of rape, extortion and drug use.
“I can assure you it's way more than 20 officers that we've seen so far,” said state Senator Steven Bradford.
Bradford authored Senate Bill 2 in 2021, allowing the state’s Commission of Peace Officer Standards (POST) to decertify police officers if they’ve committed a crime. The law rolled out in January.
"SB2 is designed to stop the wash, rinse and repeat cycle which allows officers to resign from a department before being convicted of a crime and start their behavior all over again in different departments,” said Bradford.
The names were submitted by local law enforcement agencies.
“Just of these 20 that had been submitted so far, sexual assault, destroyed evidence, firing weapons at a public location outside of a bar, stealing drugs, falsifying evidence," said Bradford. "We should all agree these individuals aren't deserving of wearing a uniform, let alone the badge as a law enforcement officer here in California.”
On the list is former San Diego Deputy Allen Wereski, arrested for possessing suspected cocaine on jail property. He pleaded not guilty.
Multiple women came forward accusing former Stockton Police Sergeant Nicholas Bloed of sexual misconduct while on duty. The attorney representing Bloed said all the encounters were consensual
“Consideration for decertification. It's not automatic. It's consideration,” said Bradford.
POST has not reviewed any of the names yet, but if they do decide to decertify an officer, there is an appeals process.
The nine-member advisory board is made up of people appointed by the governor, the legislature and law enforcement groups.
The board must include one current or former police officer with command experience; one current or former peace officer with management rank; two members of the public with experience working at a nonprofit or academic institution; two members of the public with experience working with community-based organizations related to police accountability; two members of the public with strong consideration given to individuals who have been subjected to wrongful use of force likely to cause death or serious bodily injury by a peace officer or who are surviving family members of a person killed by the wrongful use of deadly force by a peace officer; and one attorney.
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