Livermore Police Officer Sex Scandal – DA Files Charges
Posted on: 10/04/2016
A police officer is expected to be a trustable and reliable person in society. The police are not only responsible for protecting the people of their local area but also upholding the law to set an example for the rest of the community.
However, where are people supposed to look for protection and safety if the police department is found involved with crimes and unethical actions?
There have been uncountable events across the globe where officers and personnel belonging to respectable departments have been found involved in questionable actions. Although, whenever such a situation arises, it spreads fear and insecurity throughout the community living in the local area. There was a time when a job with a uniform was much appreciated and respected among people, but such events have created much apprehension among people. There are many people that no longer believe in the transparency of such jobs and the people associated with them.
Recently, a similar event in Livermore has freshened up the apprehension about police departments and officers working there among the local community. A Livermore police officer, Dan Black, was suspected to be involved in sexual activities with an underage sex worker, namely Celeste Guap. The original statement about the event was released by the administration of the Livermore police department on 30th June.
The officer was ordered to take leave from his job while the investigation found the truth behind the accusation and resolved the issue. The police department conducted an internal investigation while another independent investigation was begun by the DA’s office of the Alameda County.
Such events that have involved police officers in sexual crimes have been becoming common as some other police officers of the East Bay area were found with similar allegations. Police officers from Oakland, San Francisco, and Richmond were found involved with similar crimes.
What Does the Chief Say?
Michael Harris, who is the chief of the Livermore police department, has issued a statement where he said it is very important to him what his officers get into, whether they are on or off duty. He believes that such events can greatly impact the trust of the society in the police and the image of the police in a very negative manner. He says he expects his officers, regardless of being men or women, to consider these kinds of happenings seriously. He also expects them to serve the people of the community with honor.
The Actions Taken by Nancy O’Malley
Nancy O’Malley is the district attorney in Oakland and had taken it as her duty to prosecute these police officers if she can find justified evidence against them. O’Malley’s office has been involved in these investigations since May and has been trying hard to resolve these issues quickly.
O’Malley’s had not only been putting in efforts to find evidence but also took it upon themselves to ensure that the young and underage girl was taken care of during this entire investigation and shown much-needed sensitivity as she was exploited.
Livermore Police Officer gets Charged
On 17th September, O’Malley finally charged the Livermore police officer with criminal charges for sexually exploiting a teenager. The Livermore police officer is named Dan Black, and he is 49 years old. Following the investigation and the criminal charges, Dan resigned from his post in the police department. He has been charged with two counts of engaging in prostitution, two counts of being engaged in lewd acts and one count of letting a person less than 21 years of age consume alcohol. These criminal activities allegedly took place in Berkeley in April, after the police officer had bought the young woman dinner.
Besides Black, an Oakland police officer, Leroy Johnson, has also been charged with not reporting child abuse of young woman whose name has not been revealed and is being referred to as Jane Doe. She has turned 19 now and had complained to Johnson about being engaged in sexual activities with Oakland officers through a Facebook message. This had taken place back in September last year. Still, five other officers are under investigation for similar activities.
All these events are sickening for the general community and have brought immense shame to the respectable job of a police officer. These types of happenings always spread uncertainty across the community. This is especially very troubling as it involves underage people.
This particular event raises a couple of questions. One question on what actions are the police department taking to prevent such events and the other on how these underage kids fall into the traps of such criminal situations and what are concerned authorities doing for them?
The actions of a small group of people should not be used to judge the larger group. The police departments are still responsible for the safety and protection of their local community, and many police officers are serving with maximum ethical behavior. It is quite disappointing that the actions of a few bring so much negative attention to those who have no link to these criminal activities. Moreover, it becomes difficult for respectable police officers to serve the community after such issues as the people refuse to put their trust in them. There should be a proper follow-up program about how the police department acts after such events take place. On the other hand, government and concerned authorities should take actions toward protecting underage boys and girls so they can be protected from criminal exploitation.
Finally, being a member of the general society, it is the duty of each person to keep themselves alert about such situations and inform relevant people. This can go a long way in making a community that is safer for all ages.
