After 16 years with the Broadmoor Police Department, former chief Dave Parenti never predicted he’d be unceremoniously dumped.
The police force, which employs less than a dozen full-time officers and patrols the unincorporated San Mateo County community three miles south of San Francisco, wedged between Skyline Boulevard and I-280, was like a “family” to him, he said in a recent interview.
On Christmas mornings, he would show up at 6 a.m. to cover his officers’ shifts so they could spend time with their families. When he was an officer short, the septuagenarian hopped into a car to work patrol himself in the community where two-thirds of the households own their own homes. He even earned the title “chief emeritus” for his years of service and dedication to the small-town police force.
Then, in June 2019, he handed the reins to former San Francisco Police Department Deputy Chief Michael Connolly, and the police department he knew transformed into a small outpost run like a personal fiefdom, with the hiring of Connolly’s old friends and alleged retaliation against those whom Connolly suspected of objecting to his management decisions. It was in this environment that Connolly fired Parenti, who had stayed with the department part-time to work cases and help with the transition. When Connolly terminated Parenti in July 2020, he allegedly accused the old chief of trying to steal his job.
Formerly the head of the San Francisco Police Department’s “Principled Policing Bureau,” Connolly became Broadmoor chief after three years of serving on the enclave’s police commission.
The position could be viewed as an SFPD officer’s public service in the community where he lives. But eventually, that morphed into a paid position, and it was after his transition from commissioner to chief in March 2019 that objections began. In a sworn complaint filed with the state Fair Political Practices Commission in August 2020, Syed Husain, a part-time reserve officer, described Connolly’s management as a “reign of terror.”
The complaint questions the ethics — and legality — of how Connolly took over as chief. And, once there, the complaint alleges, Connolly’s actions became untenable.
Husain and others allege that, as the new police chief, Connolly mismanaged department funds, created positions for his friends and gave them perks. Moreover, they contend, he retaliated against officers who blew the whistle. “Chief Connolly used taxpayer funds to pay his close friends and displayed significant favoritism toward them,” Husain alleged in his complaint filed on Aug. 10, 2020.
Speaking generally about the state of the Broadmoor Police Department under Connolly, Parenti agreed: “What’s being done in that department right now is a travesty.”
Authorities are investigating.
San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe confirmed that his office is investigating the “manner in which the police chief took office.”
Indeed, Connolly may have violated state law during a March 12, 2019, meeting in which the Broadmoor Police Commission, of which Connolly was then chairman, elected him to become chief. Critics allege that in pushing for his appointment as chief while sitting on the Police Commission, Connolly ran afoul of The Brown Act, a state law regulating government meetings, as well as political conflict-of-interest laws.
Husain alleged in his whistleblower complaint that Connolly forced a vote on the matter, even though it was not on the agenda — and did not properly recuse himself, despite having a clear financial interest in the outcome.
“If somebody stabs me in the back, I’m going to break their arm and use that knife in unthinkable ways.”
One month later, while already the anointed future chief and still a commissioner, Connolly voted on his future salary, as well as a 5 percent increase in taxes to Broadmoor residents. This revenue would find its way into the police department’s coffers, and would be spent largely at Connolly’s discretion.
“We continue to look at it,” Wagstaffe said, noting that his office has not yet “arrived at a conclusion,” though he hopes to reach one in a month or so.
If the San Mateo District Attorney concludes that Connolly violated the law, Wagstaffe said his office could bring criminal charges, seek to remove Connolly from his position, or refer the matter back to the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, where a whistleblower complaint about Connolly’s alleged ethics violation was initially filed and later referred to the DA.
In response to a detailed list of emailed questions for this article, Connolly acknowledged: “This is all under investigation by the San Mateo District Attorney.”
But, he added: “It would be improper to respond until that investigation is adjudicated.”
Wagstaffe, however, volunteered general thoughts about the current state of the Broadmoor Police Department and the commission that oversees it. “This commission and agency really needs … ” He paused, choosing his words carefully: “Someone needs to take a good look at this.”
“Is [the department] serving the community the best?” he added. “There’s an awful lot going on there.”
He did not elaborate, but said in an earlier interview: “There’s a lot of tension in that agency now.”
Connolly spent 29 years with the San Francisco Police Department. Less than two months after SFPD Chief Bill Scott took the reins in January 2017, he promoted Connolly from captain to deputy chief — an unusually high jump. Unlike his peers in the promotion spree, Connolly skipped the rank of commander.
Connolly headed up the SFPD’s “Professional Standards and Principled Policing Bureau,” where he oversaw the “compliance program” for the SFPD’s implementation of the U.S. Department of Justice’s 272 reform recommendations. During Connolly’s oversight, the SFPD completed a mere 4 percent of those reforms. Although the pace has sped up in recent years, the reforms are still not complete.
As Connolly remained in the highest ranks of the San Francisco Police Department, he also served as a Broadmoor Police Commissioner, elected by Broadmoor residents in January, 2016. He later served as the commission’s chair, until he took command of the Broadmoor Police Department in June, 2019. The police commission positions are unpaid, and Connolly left the SFPD in May 2019.
In his department profile, Connolly wrote that he’s lived in Broadmoor for some 26 years.
It was the manner in which Connolly became chief that prompted Syed Husain, a reserve officer, to file his sworn Fair Political Practices Commission whistleblower complaint in August, 2020. That is the complaint the FPPC subsequently passed to the San Mateo County DA to investigate.
According to Husain’s complaint, the appointment was tainted from the start.
In December 2018, Broadmoor Police Chief Arthur Stellini had announced his retirement, and Parenti was named interim chief as the department searched for a replacement. Parenti had served as chief from 2011 to 2014 and was subsequently given the title chief emeritus; he knew the ins and outs of the department.
That is when Connolly kicked off a “pressure campaign demanding that Chief Parenti recommend Commissioner Connolly, and only Commissioner Connolly, as the next Chief of Police for Broadmoor,” according to Husain’s complaint.
It is unclear if the position was publicly advertised or if any candidates responded.
But Parenti agreed that Connolly continually asked him to recommend him as chief. And, during a March 12, 2019, Police Commission meeting, Parenti relented.
Following a closed-session discussion, Connolly — who was then the commission’s chair — called the meeting back to order to address an item that was not on the agenda: the appointment of a police chief.
Parenti nominated him to take the post of police chief. Connolly did not recuse himself before the vote or leave the room, and his two fellow commissioners voted him in 2-0. Connolly then recused himself.
“But the motion has carried … for myself to be the next chief of Broadmoor,” Connolly proudly stated.
In his complaint, Husain asserts that this violated different regulations outlined in the Brown Act and state conflict-of-interest laws.
First, the Brown Act states that the commission cannot not initiate a vote on an item that is not on the agenda, which Connolly did. And second, according to California conflict of interest laws, officials cannot use their position to participate in any action in which they have a financial interest. At that time, the chief of Broadmoor earned well over $100,000 annually, and Connolly would become the beneficiary of that salary.
David Snyder, the executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, said he could not comment on the purported conflict-of-interest violations. But he did note that if the commission voted to approve Connolly as the next chief of Broadmoor without having placed the item on the agenda beforehand, then it violated the Brown Act.
And honoring the Brown Act is no trifle, he said: “It’s there to prevent dark-of-night actions by legislative bodies and designed to ensure that the public has notice about what their elected representatives plan to do, so they can show up both to observe and comment about the action.”
“Otherwise,” he added, “legislative bodies can meet in secret, and decide on a controversial issue … when no one is there.”
But the purported violations did not end.
At a May 14, 2019, meeting, Connolly — who would assume the post of chief in June, and was still acting as the commission’s chair — voted on the budget that would contain his $150,000 salary. The $2.6 million budget passed. And in a subsequent item during that meeting, Connolly voted to approve a 5 percent property tax increase for Broadmoor residents that would funnel money into the police department’s general fund.
The following year, Connolly’s salary increased to $160,000. He earned that salary on top of the roughly $264,000 yearly pension he received after his 29-year SFPD career.
Broadmoor is an unincorporated area of San Mateo County with fewer than 5,000 residents. It is less than a square mile of territory ensconced within the borders of Daly City, and its ranch-style homes sell for a median price of $1.1 million. It is 40 percent white, 40 percent Asian and 20 percent Latinx.
And Broadmoor is unique: It claims California’s only “Police Protection District” — a Police Department and commission that taxes residents directly for its services.
Broadmoor is also unique because, traditionally, it receives extra help from around 20 so-called “reserve officers,” largely unpaid volunteer cops who work part-time. For the most part, they are legally entitled to perform many of the same duties as full-time police officers — such as making arrests and using deadly force — as they are trained and certified by the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.
Despite the 5 percent tax increase that Connolly and the commission initiated in May 2019, the Broadmoor Police Department was hardly flush. Its budget is small: $2.6 million in 2019, and $2.8 million in 2020.
But after Connolly became the chief, spending increased. Although this may have been due in part to an increase in the department’s insurance premiums — over which Connolly appeared to have little control — that left little room for extra spending.
So it raised eyebrows when, over the course of a year, expenses started rolling in.
An analysis of Broadmoor Police Department financial records shows Connolly has indeed vastly outspent his predecessor, Parenti. From December 2019 to June 2020, Connolly spent $789,707 more than Parenti spent during the same period the year before, the records show.
Much of this new spending — nearly $200,000 — has gone to part-time salaries and perks for two of Connolly’s SFPD friends, who he has brought in. Within a year of becoming chief, Connolly spent more than $3,300 on new badges, including a $402 badge for himself, according to department records.
The spending also included new decals for the cars, new uniforms for the new officers and tens of thousands of dollars on repairs for the vehicles, according to department records. Some new vehicles — four Ford Explorers, together costing more than $107,000 — have raised the most questions, especially as they were claimed by officers who hardly use them for official police business.
One of the Explorers, a $24,660 purchase, went to Connolly solely for “off-duty” use. (Husain’s company, Octane Motorsport, sold that Explorer to the Broadmoor Police Department, records show.) While on duty, he drove a Chevy Tahoe, according to sources and department records.
Two other Explorers went to Connolly’s newly hired commander, Patrick Tobin — one for on-duty use, and one for “off-duty” use.
Moreover, Connolly created two top positions that went to old colleagues from the SFPD — Tobin and Ronald Banta.
Mission Local has previously reported on Tobin. He is a defendant in an ongoing lawsuit that accuses him of harassing a gay SFPD officer for his sexuality. Years before the lawsuit, when Tobin was working in the Mission, he was suspended in 2001 for intentionally dropping off two young people in rival gang territory, which led to one of the teenagers being stabbed with a screwdriver. The next day, Tobin assaulted a youth for hanging out in a park after dark.
According to Husain’s complaint, Connolly, then a commissioner, “strong-armed” then-Chief Stellini into hiring Tobin as a reserve officer shortly after Tobin’s retirement from the SFPD in June, 2017. He did this, the complaint alleges, despite the department having “significant concerns given Mr. Tobin’s very public disciplinary history.” Stellini relented, Husain alleges.
Stellini declined to comment for this article. Husain also declined to be interviewed.
On taking command of Broadmoor in June 2019, Connolly immediately promoted Tobin to the rank of “commander” — a new position that came with a part-time salary of around $60,000. Tobin received his off-duty car this February — meaning he only uses the car to drive to and from work, and sometimes weekend family outings, according to sources.
In April, 2020, Connolly then hired Banta, a former lieutenant who retired from the SFPD a year earlier. Although Banta does not appear to have Tobin’s very public disciplinary history, he appears to have played a role in covering up a SFPD lieutenant’s potential involvement in a 2003 kidnapping, the San Francisco Chronicle reported at the time.
Banta‘s part-time salary in 2020 was $52,800. It is unclear if he also has an off-duty vehicle.
The notion that anyone from Connolly’s rank-and-file would question his financial management seemed to rankle the chief.
One instance of this came on July 21, 2020, a day after Connolly fired Parenti. According to an Aug. 11, 2020, letter sent by attorney Scott Emblidge to the Broadmoor Police Commission on behalf of a client he did not name, Connolly met with two reserve officers. During the three-hour discussion, the reserve officers discussed their concerns that, since Connolly took over as chief, the reserves were being treated unfairly, along with other concerns about how he was managing the department.
Sources say that the two officers were Husain and T.J. Knivston.
Connolly purportedly observed that the issues they brought up were suspiciously similar to those under examination in a public records request Connolly had received weeks earlier from Emblidge, according to Emblidge’s letter. And, at the end of the meeting, Connolly allegedly warned the officers: “If somebody stabs me in the back, I’m going to break their arm and use that knife in unthinkable ways.”
Emblidge wrote in his letter that Connolly’s comments toward the two officers — as well as his firing Parenti a day earlier — were potentially “unlawful” and the commission should hire legal counsel and investigate.
“Is this the type of police chief you believe is the best for Broadmoor?” he wrote.
None of the three commissioners to whom the letter was addressed would comment. Commissioner James Kucharszky said he was not immediately available to comment and deferred to San Mateo’s Office of the County Council, a representative of which did not return messages.
Although he nominated Connolly for police chief, Parenti failed to avoid his wrath. Once Connolly came on in June 2019, Parenti stayed to assist with the transition and to work a few cases as an investigator.
Then, one morning in July, 2020, he showed up at work, sat down to log into his computer and discovered he was locked out. At Connolly’s request, he met with the police chief in a conference room. The chief’s two former SFPD pals, Tobin and Banta, were also present, Parenti recalls.
Connolly grilled Parenti about a letter he received weeks earlier from Emblidge requesting a wide range of department financial documents.
“I told him I had nothing to do with the request,” Parenti recalled, and Emblidge confirmed he did not in his Aug. 11, 2020 letter. But Connolly, Parenti said, did not believe him.
“You want to be the chief,” Parenti recalls Connolly telling him repeatedly during the meeting. “You want my job.”
Parenti says that, of course, he did not want the job. He had already held the position twice.
The meeting ended with Connolly firing Parenti and telling the former chief, he “could not be trusted.”
As Parenti walked out of the office, Connolly and his men inspected the items he carried out, including Parenti’s gun, which he owned. “I was treated like a criminal,” Parenti said. “I was there for 16 years and that’s the way they treated me.”
Knowing that I lived in Broadmoor Village (BV) over seven decades ago, a good friend and former LEO who follows law enforcement stories sent this to me. I lived at the corner of 87th and Washington next to what is now an apartment complex. I attended Garden Village, Ben Franklin (when it had only four classrooms) and then Holy Angels, class of ’59. I was well known to Chief Ray Bollinger who I seemed to run into at least once a week as he always seemed to be on patrol. My Chronicle paper route went up 87th over to Fairlawn Court and on up to that top street (forgot the name) where I made a left to head on down MacArthur and back home. My afternoon Call-Bulletin route took me from home up Washington to Sweetwater and in-between.
I am very disappointed to have read this apparently well-researched story and I am assuming that if there is anything incorrect, the reported parties would have launched a libel suit against the author and paper.
Obviously this is not the BV I fondly remember. My question is, where is the response from the BV taxpayers in all of this? Only 53 responses (54 with mine) and how many of them are BV’s residents?
I tried to find a BV town council page, but in BV’s political boundary ‘uniqueness’ it doesn’t have one so my question is “how is a police chief…or any town employee for that matter…hired w/o citizens’ approval?”.
Another question is “How did that 5% tax increase come into play. Did the citizens not have a vote in that matter? If not, then why not?”.
Finally, having served on a city council for the city of Colfax, CA from 2008-2012, I am well aware of the seriousness of violating the Brown Act. WHY were the results of that meeting allowed to take place when that issue was not agendized?
An old philosopher long ago stated, “When man is not involved in government, he deserves the government he gets”…this is paraphrased because I cannot recall the exact words that Plato stated centuries ago.
I last visited BV in 2009 in conjunction with Holy Angels’ Class of ’59 50th Class Reunion. It was fun to see the homes of some of my former classmates – the Zanones, Shields and Marconis in Garden Village, Jerry Dorn, the Mischaks, Cordanos, Bolanders and others whose names escape me at this moment.
I wish the current police chief, department and incoming commissioners well in getting BV back to some resemblance of the unique and closely-knit community that I experienced as a 7-14 year-old.
Ken Delfino
Keystone, SD
This saddens me. I knew Ron Banta & Mike C. We all wet to the the P.A.L. Law Enforcement Cadet Program (SFPD) at the same time together during High School. They both meant well.
Sounds like a number of these “officers” should not only return funds to the taxpayers but also spend significant time in state prison.
I remember when the residents of Broadmoor voted for a tax hike for the BPD. I’m
wondering how Connelly thinks he can decide himself to raise taxes. The people were in
charge of the status of BPD and whether we wanted to keep it. We need to stop the custom of hiring SFPD retirees who are in it for additional pension monies after short
service to Broadmoor. And Connely hiring his buddies for their benefit of additional pension money is corrupt. Why cant we hire a young fresh Chief without monetary ambitions and cronism affecting his office? Things were good before Parenti and the rest of these bums.
There was always a few “Good Men.” Small agencies are always toughest on each other. Broadmoor had a steady supply of officers in a pool that was known to each other. That could have been a part of the problem. Perhaps hiring practices may have to change.
Geez get a room you guys. Looks like somebody had a nerve struck. Deflection is MC’s M/O. He did this all the time at SFPD and made a lot of enemies along the way. Some ADD meds could help with focusing on the main story bud. A 1090 violation could be charged as a felony which could result in him losing his pension so he has a lot to deflect. Guys like this are the reason why defunding the police is becoming a thing. The taxpayers aren’t paying you to sit on social media all day so get back to work and wait patiently for a taste of your own medicine. It’s time for all those years of not being able to accept responsibility for actions to finally catch up. Theres a reason why SFPD brass kept MC away from HQ at all costs and it drove MC crazy to be away from the action. Banta and Tobin aren’t bad guys and I hope they realize this guy is going to take them down with him. It’s not worth it. (Lets see how many triggered comments roll in)
I am retired SFPD officer and new from others about the problems in the Broodmoor P.D. It seemed to be two things! At times it was a dumping ground for officers under fire who had friends there. And at times it was a convenient place to go when you were about ready to retire. Many of those hired in were controversial. It does not surprise me that friends will take care of friends. It seemed the “good old boy” network never died.
In response to John, you have to be realistic in dealing with the Bay Area.
It’s obviously an extremely expensive and challenging environment to live in for the long term
Bringing some guy/ gal in from for example Arizona will take a massive quality of life downgrade
Good luck keeping anyone there not from the Bay Area for more than a few years.
For example, certain high end director or chief positions at Campus PDs in the bay have more turnover than apple pie
Tech,1 percent earners and old money runs the show in the Bay Area.
The Calvary will not be arriving from outside the Bay Area. They will be forced / priced out at a accelerated rate
The city of Broadmoor needs to FIRE ALL its police managers and hire NEW independent managers from outside the bay area to have a CLEAN police dept. the Broadmoor police dept is full of DIRTY cops and it does not benefit the community.
All Broadmoor cops are arrogant and carry and cavalier attitude
Also, if BPD went under in favor of the San Mateo Sheriffs, your calls for service would experience a significant drop off as SMSO is stretched thin.
Just give the responsibility to Colma or Daly City.
Those two agencies commonly assist Broadmoor Officers when they are short staffed
I’d would say keep the Police Department in place due to its historic past in San Mateo County.
Work through these issues.
(I’m a former reserve from 5 years ago)
Here’s a fun fact – Connolly tried to apply to Colma PD as a Chief and lost it to a Captain from San Mateo Sheriff’s Office, then he applied to Tiburon as Chief and lost that to a City of San Mateo Lieutenant. If Connolly is doing such a great job why is he trying to leave Broadmoor? Also, if he’s so qualified why can’t he get hired anywhere else? At the rate he is going he’ll lose the next job to a sergeant. You have an incompetent Chief, an incompetent department, and are a laughing stock in the whole county. Pathetic.
Awad was there when Stellini was Chief let’s get that straight first. As a former officer who worked there, who left to another agency, I can tell you that Parenti, and Stellini were great Chiefs. Awad was just as guilty as Morton and Mckenna because they both were making fun of each other. I know for a fact that Stellini knew nothing of what was going on. This all has nothing to do with what is going on now, the new Chief Connolly has violated the brown act in may ways, and forced himself into becoming the Chief. Connolly can be the greatest guy in the world, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he broke the law for his benefit. If you think its okay to do that, it would be no different then letting your neighbor go for murder just because he’s a nice guy, or a good person. Sorry to say the law is the law in this one and there is no grey area.
Parenti was in those commission meetings and he was very aware of the alleged laws that were being broken. He had 16 years in the department and is very familiar with how The Brown Act works. Yet he allowed alleged Brown Act violations to be made by NOT saying “this may be a violation” during the meetings. He did not say one word about violations at the time, yet has a problem later? In my opinion, Parenti should have held himself to a higher standard and instead of being afraid he was going to be fired for speaking up, he should have stepped up.
Interesting how Parenti was able to collect a pension from his first career, a pension from CalPers from being chief, then a full time salary as chief of Broadmoor (2nd time as chief) after Stellini retired. CalPers doesn’t take kindly to people who manipulate their post retirement pensions. Oh..and the kicker, he made more money as Chief of Broadmoor than Connelly is making now – yet he cries foul on Connelly’s salary.
Parenti and Stellini were just as bad but the fact remains that they are no longer on the BPD or its commission. Broadmoor needs to deal with its current problems as they are, rather than rehashing their origins or wishing things stayed the way they were.
You are correct, the problem is Connelly is having to answer for the sins of his forefathers! It is apparent that that each chief needed a lesson in the Browns Act. Parenti and Stellini violated this act a few times over and then some. Connelly is at least being as transparent as he legally can at the moment and has been turning Mayberry into a real Police Department.
Mary Herrera – Perhaps Broadmoor WAS dealing with ONE of their problems when they fired Parenti. According to Parenti, Connelly said he was being fired because he could not trust him. If Parenti was so concerned about Connelly’s appointment maybe he should have acted immediately to advise the commissioners they were breaking the law since he was in the meetings with them? Perhaps mistakes were made by junior commissioners as far as Brown’s Act, yet Parenti KNEW there were violations and did not advise council of these violations? This does not make sense.
Parenti’s sins don’t seem relevant to the current Brown Act allegations, the subsequent increase in spending, and the hiring of Connolly’s friends at inflated salaries.
There for sure is a story in Broadmoor. If the author took the time to dig deep into the players for Example Dave Parenti. You would find an interesting trail.
The company he keeps are also not exactly upstanding. I am all for the truth coming out because that would prove the current Chief is doing a great job cleaning up and throwing out the trash. But it does not matter what any of the key board worriers say. Julian is an award winning Journalist. If he digs in deep to the players you will find the story. But he better hurry as they are trying to clean their footprint by sealing documents and paying BING & GOOGLE to remove their names off the internet. Good thing everything was printed before it was lost. This story on the Chief is all Smoke & mirrors. Dig Deep Julian
Yes! dig deeper julian!A quick google search of Dave Parenti revealed… this… https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Peninsula-s-Mayberry-rocked-by-police-6484102.php and https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/13/former-officer-alleges-islamophobia-in-broadmoor-police/
I can tell you this much, Parenti was the worst chief for Broadmoor.
Yes please dig deeper. You’ll find that both these stories tie right back into Connolly. Connolly had the search warrant written in the “Mayberry” story and used that to weasel his way into taking over Wayne Johnson’s seat on the commission. Then he conned the insurance company into paying off Johnson in his civil rights trial while Connolly was a commissioner – these are all things the police commission handles and approves. To top it off, the islamaphobia issue also ties right back to Connolly. As the chair of the commission he directed the firing of that officer who ultimately sued. Rumor is multiple officers are planning to sue Connolly for discriminating and harassing based on their ethnicity. The common denominator here is Connolly. This man has no business wearing a badge. At the end of the day he can attack previous chiefs, other officers, members of the public, but NONE of those people were elected officials – only he was and he abused his elected office to get himself paid. Apparently he has a hard time grasping that but he will in due time. He can fool the public but he can’t fool a jury of 12. He needs to be jailed, stripped of his badge, and stripped of his pension.
This is 100% true. Mike admitted the issues with the Johnson warrant to me and told me that the insurance company would take care of it back in 2015. Had Johnson not died, I doubt the suit would have settled so cheaply.
SH/VK I am sure all your statements are based on facts and can be presented in black and white with all back up. At the end of the day that is what will be the proof needed to sniff out the true crooked people. God don’t like ugly!
The Administration has been corrupt at this department for years, going back to Former Chief Love, former Board members and yes even including Parenti himself. This entire agency needs to go under and be taken over by a he County of San Mateo. The residents truly have no idea what they are paying for in their annual tax subsidy. Hey Parenti…reap what you sow…
Let’s communicate the truth Andrea. The lawsuits that were settled while Connolly has been chief were filed on the Parenti and Stellini watch. Feel free to Google Parenti, Stellini, Mayberry RFD in Broadmoor and you will see the dates and parties involved. Take a step further and Google the other clown in the article and review his current case of many that is open in San Francisco. It’s very apparent these actors are the ones with little character, and have things to hide. I am looking forward to see what the DA has on all parties being investigated. Smoke and mirrors is what is happening now in my humble opinion.
To be fair, running a effective police department in the Bay Area is no easy task
Millbrae PD- went belly up / inherited by the sheriffs
San Carlos PD- went belly up/ inherited by the sheriffs
Most of those Reserve Officers are hardly even there. They don’t get paid
The current leadership, in all fairness, probably had to make some moves financially to stay operational and afloat.
I’m not trying to discredit the other posts, but it’s good to look at both sides of the issue, especially operating in one of the most expensive counties in the USA 🇺🇸
I am happy Mission Local posted your comment. I too have commented twice but my comments have not made it.
San Carlos PD closed down because the city council wanted to save 2 million a year. The residents continue to complain and I think the majority of want their own police back.
Problem is with SF police Dept is right before a cop retires if they like you they promote you. Your pension if work for the city ( any job , plumber, electrician, police, fireman) is based on your last 2 years .
So you get promoted and get a fat pension, full benefits which include medical, eye and dental.
So 10 police retire at high rate but then the budget can only handle hiring 6 new police…
I know this happens in SF.
Great article – definitely sounds like a brown act violation to start with.
I don’t understand the relevance of constituents wanting it back. They can’t afford it and don’t need it. Government budget decisions shouldn’t be based off people’s selfish desires to have a police force willing to meddle in petty disputes between neighbors.
Most small departments find it preferable and more ethical to allow the sheriff to take over rather than continuing to raise taxes on their constituents to pay for an incompetent and inefficient police force.
This article is true and spot on. Why is it that the Chief, Commander and Captain don’t show up to work until after 10 am? The previous Chiefs were there at 6 am and didn’t leave until 5 pm, and actually worked. They didn’t have a full staff so they can sit behind a desk and do nothing. The previous Chiefs never left the district to have coffee, they patronized local businesses, this chief and his staff go to Soul Grind in Pacifica. What if there was an emergency and they had to get back to the District? Highway one is only 2 lanes, if there way any sort of traffic it could take up to an hour to get there. Someone really needs to look into this administration. Maybe the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office should take it over!
I’d like to see John G’s piece on the SFPD published by this journal. I know Joe is aware of it. John and I were victimized by the same law firm: Gonzalez and Leigh. Are you willing to take on the progressive icons and their dealings with the SF power structure?
It has been my misfortune to know Dave Parenti and I would not believe a word that Dave Parenti says. This is obviously a smear job by a bitter malcontent and his cronies. Mike Connolly is a man of integrity being maligned by a jealous wannabe cop.
Greg knowing Mike means you know how crooked he is! Why would he choose not to comment, and tell the reporter that he is under investigation? The cat is now out of the bag, and one can only hope that the DA does there job. Numbers don’t lie, and this administration is the worst broadmoor has ever seen!
You’re probably one of the reserves that want to be a cop and joined the profession for the wrong reasons. From my understanding the reserves don’t even come in and when the reserves do they just drive around and waste gas. The numbers don’t lie you’re RIGHT! also the neglect from Parenti made Chief Connolly do what he had to do to maintain the PD at standard.
This is for the person who identified himself as “you don’t even know”, why don’t you just come out and tell us you are one of the people who are behind the scandal,”Connelly, Tobin, Banta, ect.”, that comment was so informative, but again that is not the point of the article, the point of the article is how Connelly and his goons got into office, Broke the law! That’s right there’s a chief who thinks he’s above the law and I hope he gets arrested!
Is this you? http://www.zpub.com/sf/sfpd-corrales.html Birds of a feather flock together I guess. From my experience Chief Love, then Parenti, and then Stellini ran an outstanding operation that Broadmoor residents could be proud of. The quality of service has severely declined ever since Connolly took over and now it is clear why – he and his fellow SF brass are leaching off the taxpayers. Give us what our tax dollars are paying for or lets just get the Sheriffs office to take over. We need real cops again.
Mission Local always does a fantastic job at digging deep to keep our police and government accountable. It is a shame that this is the calibre of leadership SFPD develops especially in such turbulent times. It really makes us think about the people who are still at the helm of SFPD. We need more journalists like this to expose this type of corruption. Kudos for exposing this.
This is sad and sickening; and does not speak well of there SFPD culture.
But how does Broadmore get around the Prop 13 limits for raising property taxes? It was stated a 5% increase, instead of $XXX per parcel.
Just outstanding reporting! Keep it up!
Absolutely PATHETIC! Just check the questionable careers of the people he’s hired. That’s all you need to know.. One individual was involved in a fight and shooting with his own stepson and had to resign his northbay campus police chief position……and Tobin has always been a complete jerk…just check his consistent citizen complaint filings while working for SFPD one of which was referenced in the article, and now he’s a Commander…it’s laughable! Banta is no angel either. The tax paying residents of Broadmoor deserves better !! The arrogance of power.
Which “north bay campus police” position? Which officer?
To say that Ron Banta was involved in the coverup of a kidnapping is the worst kind of disingenuous writing. “Involved” in this case meant blowing the whistle on the entire event. He was literally the one person who did the right thing.
Is anybody shocked that the same kind of behavior alleged in other SF city departments (favoritism, excessive perks etc) might show up in former SFPD brass after they leave the safety of the SF “family”?
Connolly doesn’t sound like an upstanding guy.
⬆️ Understatement of the year.
Sound like the connolly was paranoid and had some personal quilt of his own self and use Parenti as a scrapegoat . The police chief was questioned of his abuse of power in the handling of taxpayers funds in what seems unethical and breaking the rules of state’s law ?
Why does an unincorporated square mile of land need it’s own police force when it should be policed by county deputies as it is unincorporated?
Do we have another Bell on our hands?
I’m sure Joe E. will get to the bottom of this….
Unincorporated areas are typically policed by sheriffs and not PD’s.
Interestingly the happiest people I know live in the unincorporated parts of the Bay Area because their property taxes are much lower – parcel tax initiatives are never approved there.
$264,000 a year pension from the SFPD? Besides the small town corruption – THAT is the main takeaway. That’s where reform is needed…
Agreed but even when Detroit declared bankruptcy it struggled to cram down those bloated public sector pension liabilities.
In the Bay Area it is ten times worse, potentially. And it is not just sworn officers, but thousands of talentless office workers sucking on the public teat.
Sounds like Connelly may have had some dirt on Parenti and knew he could get him out easily. Attorney Emblidge is a top notch lawyer with over thirty seven years practicing law.