Comments on: Hensley firing remains controversial, attorneys fight in written correspondence

By: Filo Beto

Filo Beto — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 20:54:40 +0000

For some reason people fear the good Mayor Jones, be it he is an intimidating figure? Or maybe he has a little dirt on somebody or at least as much as they have on him? Fear of being labeled a racist should one openly speak out against him? He really hasn’t made Tulare great again.
The good Mayor Jones got what he wanted, apparently all or those against the chief theat the PD got what they wanted.
City Manager may sing and open up more to this. The City Attorney who is obviously on the good Mayor Jones’s ticket, she appears a little dumber by the day. She will most likely get her walking papers next.
None the less the people of Tulare are left holding the bag, wondering what shoe shall fall next?

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 15:35:07 +0000

In reply to Tularevava.

I agree with tularevava… Barbara I’d like to turn your logic on you… you say we don’t know what its like until it happens to one of our loved ones… well what if your loved one is the cop getting beat by a baton. I’m sorry that the officer felt his only option was to first tase him twice then mace him and lastly shoot him. And thats only what I saw on the video who knows that else happened before the video. I do agree that de-escalation should be used and I hope that they did try to de-escalate the situation. I hope no cop out there looks to their gun as their first line of defense.

By: kelly

kelly — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 22:20:15 +0000

Tulare has had two consecutive Chiefs placed on leave, about the only thing in common with the two is both Chiefs ultimately, after months on paid administrative leave no longer had the job. The differences are many, it seems when JB was placed on leave …it was for drinking and driving without consequences ( which wasnt the only known law broken by JB.) Still, until Valley Voice broke the news of the drunk driving , was JB forced to resign, this after months and months of paid leave. In the WH saga, months and months of paid leave and BAM! hes fired with no explaination..yes there were different city managers but it seems JB should have been given the boot pretty quickly and it seems WH should have been given more ability to defend himself. Who is in charge of the City Manager and by what set of rules and procedures if any are they to follow? Our police department is not even close to one that a community gets behind and there is a “them against us” vibe in Tulare . Has the constant growth of the department by the frequent hiring of new officers done anything to deter crime in Tulare…has it provided any positives? On the subject of our Mayor , Carlton Jones also visited Washington D.C. on a trip to represent Tulare ,I understand he went over his spending budget which left over funds in other city offical budgets covered, but his family also went on the trip too, did Jones go over his budget for that reason ? It looks like city officials in Tulare change the rules depending on what ever fits there needs at any given time. Anyway, Tulare shouldnt have a difficult time attracting a new Police Chief, where else can you work and get a paid six month vaction before you’re let go?

By: VickiGordon

VickiGordon — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 14:48:48 +0000

What I’d like to know is how was Jones voted in. Why was he the choice?

By: Thumbs Up to Tulare?

Thumbs Up to Tulare? — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 06:28:25 +0000

It seems the complicit city attorney and the others involved, knew all along exactly what they were doing…string the chief along, not allowing him his right to a hearing while he’s still employed, until they fire him. Then they don’t have to answer to their actions, because once the chief’s no longer an employee, he can’t have the hearing anyway.
The city attorney’s bio on the Goyette & Associates website identifies her as “…By placing great emphasis on effective communication and negotiation, Heather has been successful in preventing and overturning unjust and unwarranted disciplinary actions for many employees. When communication and negotiation is simply not enough to reach the desired outcome, Heather is equipped with the knowledge and litigation skills to fight for her clients in any form…” Really? I guess that doesn’t apply to someone that has served the city honorably for 27 years, and who the majority of citizens want to see reinstated, and it also doesn’t apply when you were basically hired by the prompting of the mayor and are essentially ‘working’ for him and another councilman, and not truly representing the city of Tulare. So I wonder who the new police chief will be, or at least who will try to be put in that position? Considering the information in the article, that’s not too hard to guess.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 14:05:16 +0000

In reply to Tularevava.

Officers should be trained and required to try de-escalation first.

By: Tularevava

Tularevava — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 03:44:49 +0000

Has anyone else noticed the common thread running through the ridiculous way this city is being run. Yep initials of CJ and he is Mayor. If you use a government credit card fraudulently, that is a crime. When your wife reimburses the city…it’s still a crime. I have several family members who’ve been City Council for California Cities similar to Tulare. The Council receives numerous classes and seminars where they are taught the law. Now whether these clowns actually attended, is a different matter.

By: Tularevava

Tularevava — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 03:39:17 +0000

In reply to Barbara.

There has been no investigation completed on the Reedom case. Until that time, all is speculation. I, however, think that someone who is high, takes an officers baton, is not brought down by two taser shots and mace, beat the officer with said baton causing broken bones, is the person at fault. You folks with the BLM movement, would rather both cops had been beaten to death than the perpetrator killed.

By: art

art — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 01:34:30 +0000

The only ones benefiting from this fiasco is the attorneys. The Mayor, Council and Police Dept. need to resolve this matter asap.

If there was misuse of credit cards by anyone, present the evidence and handle it appropriately.

If the Chief has lost support of his officers or community, then he has to go.

This gossip rumor mill schoolyard stuff has to end.

The police shooting mentioned could of been handled better. Officers were well aware of Mr. Reedom, they could of let him run and contain him. Brought in dogs or more officers,

Mr. Reedom’s family handled the loss a lot better than many would have.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 00:16:37 +0000

Getting back to the article at hand, City Attorney Heather Phillips and Mayor Carlton Jones along with their cohorts Vice Mayor Maritsa Castellanoz and Councilman Greg Nunley have all poisoned the well when it comes to former Chief Hensley. If they had any sense of fair play and decency they would all recuse themselves in this matter. Former Chief Hensley has asked for a public hearing and I think that most in Tulare stands with him on this. For Ms. Phillips and the council to continue to deny that request makes some to ask the question, “What are they really trying to cover up?” If it was just a matter of the Chief not being a good fit as an “at will employee” they had the ability to terminate his employment immediately. Why the charade of placing him on paid administrative leave for six months and eventually claiming to bring in a private investigator? Capt. Fred Ynclan and Lt. Jerod Boatman have also been placed on paid administrative leave for most of this time as well. Taxpayer money continues to be paid out left and right in massive amounts…..for what? Where is the accountability of this City Attorney and the City Council? It begs the question…..”Are we as a city terminating the wrong people?”