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'VideoGate' Officer Andrew Cohen Doesn't Hold Back
Officer Andrew Cohen made headlines in recent years for the videos he produced spoofing the SFPD. The videos were intended to be a humorous sendoff to former police captain Rick Bruce and poke fun at the officers at his station. They were also intended to be internal -- but they got out, and things got out of hand.
Cohen recently published a guest editorial over at Fog City Journal, discussing his recent court victory. His initial four-day suspension at the hands of Police Chief Heather Fong after the scandal broke was overturned, as it skirted department rules. Cohen is still waiting for a commission hearing that will determine if he's guilty of misconduct for posting the videos.
All of this is well documented. We wanted to take this opportunity with Cohen to ask about more than the "VideoGate" scandal, rather than just rehashing what most of us already know. We sought the 12-year-vet's opinion on the state of policing in the city, his perspective on local politics and political figures, and what comes next for him.
1) From your perspective, what are the major hurdles facing the police department today? Specifically, there's been much made about shootings, and our readership is constantly debating where the problem lies: lack of funding, lack of manpower, and/or ineffective deployment of the resources already in place. What's your take on those theories? Is there something else? Especially since you were stationed in the Bayview for so long, we're very interested in your perspective.
Shootings are a very difficult topic to cover. While many are quick to point the finger, normally in an attempt to lash out at a rival or disliked politician, there are also a number of activists who are motivated by sheer hopeful recognition of their respective causes. Meanwhile, the real victims, normally the quietist amongst them all, are the residents in the areas that are hardest hit by these senseless killings. In my experience, these are the folks who are scared to death, literally, of the retaliatory violence that is most certain to come if they are caught opening their mouths ("snitches get ditches"). And, as always, the lowly Police Officer will take the brunt of the blame simply due to the graphic adage, and Physics 101: “Shit rolls downhill”.
More -- much more -- from Cohen after the jump. Photo courtesy of Andrew Cohen.
The lack of manpower, although a huge issue in our department, seems not to be so much an issue when it comes to deterring a shooting. It seems that If somebody is hell bent on killing somebody else, their focus appears relatively unaffected by potential police presence. However, the lack of man power can have a direct effect after a shooting has occurred for reasons such as:
-- The response time,
-- The ability to capture the suspect, and
-- The ability to gather as much evidence as possible before it gets tainted, or more commonly, walks off.
But even if we had an overabundance of cops on the streets, that wouldn’t help us in the prosecuting of the murder suspects. We are always faced with the inability to get the witnesses to come forward and stand up against these thugs, and frankly, who can blame them. Fearing for their lives and a long history of not trusting the system is deeply rooted within many of these communities and to change this will take time and effort.
As for the "why" we have so many shootings in the City and the Bay Area? In my opinion, this is an intersection where social studies, economics, education and history collide. There is no one answer and the solution is complex, but I can say this: The SFPD is not in the position at this time to get in front of the problem, we are way too busy trying to handle what is already on our plate. This, coupled this with the political climate that directly affects each officer, and you get an absolutely dysfunctional system which is in dire need of an overhaul, from the Mayor on down. This last statement is one to which I know I share with many.
Areas like the Bayview and the Western Addition have been promised so much for so long, and the half-hearted attempts to follow up on these promises have caused great discontent and disillusion. If planting a few flowers and playing a little hoop in the Bayview is the Mayor’s idea of getting more in tune with this area, he should be embarrassed. Former Captain Rick Bruce was heading in the right direction. He was adamant about community outreach and programs for the kids. He saw the need to begin somewhere, fully aware of the long term goals of such programs. His concepts for integrating the police with the communities that we serve was right-on. After battling a contemptuous relationship with Chief Fong, he ended up retiring as a Captain of the Bayview; he should have been our Chief!
The more violent crime areas in our city need money, motivation and implementation. Jobs are essential for the youth and consistent positive reinforcement for services and education are long overdue. I’m sorry to have to continually bring it back to this topic, but think about how all the wasted money, time and energy spent on the VideoGate scandal could have benefited these communities.
Lastly, there is the basic elementary answer to this quandary: Human nature. There has always been, and, unfortunately there will always be violence within our communities. More population equals more density; equals more poverty; equals more violence.
2) We suspect that you're not likely a huge fan of Mayor Newsom, as you believe that he, along with Police Chief Fong, exercised poor/hasty judgement in responding to the video you produced in 2005, which was meant to be a comedic, internal enterprise. What sort of mayoral candidate are you and, if you feel comfortable speaking for them, your peers on the force looking for? Do you have any specific candidates in mind for the next election, or, barring that, can you point to a few qualities/priorities you believe a mayoral candidate should possess?
In the past 12 plus years as a Police Officer for the City of Saint Francis, I have been uncomfortably familiarized with the political workings of the underworld within the SFPD, as well as many parts of City Hall. I have learned great lessons and I have witnessed great atrocities. There isn’t enough bandwidth on the SFist server for me to spew all that I have been privy to, but, as a life-long Berkeley-an born into a relatively liberal and open minded home, I consider myself to have the ability to see beyond the BS and rise above the temptations to get caught up in the back-room dealings. Perhaps this is why I am in the predicament that I find myself in at the moment.
No, there is no hiding my disdain for Mayor Newsom’s political tactics, and my absolute disrespect for Chief Fong and Deputy Chief Keohane is at par. When judgment day comes upon us -- referring of course to the date-to-be-announced Police Commission hearing that I, along with six others still face -- it will be these three unqualified politicos, and perhaps a handful of others, who will have to answer to the tax payers of this city. So, with this said, while I am unqualified to suggest who might make a good Mayor for this city, I feel that I AM qualified to argue who should NOT be; he’s the one playing hoop and using the cops as his political pawns. We need a person similar to that of former Mayor Willie Brown. He was believable because he never claimed to be perfect. He enjoyed his city and he celebrated it. He was NOT being groomed for any other political position, probably because he had already filled most of them in his career. He was respected and he was well liked. He was “fatherly”. In contrast, when I see Gavin, I see my little bratty brother who is gonna go tell mom if he gets upset. This is NOT the candidate for me. I am quite grateful that I am not a voter in SF.
As far as who should be the Chief of Police? Somebody . . . anybody who has walked in the shoes of a beat officer for some length of time. Someone who won’t bend under pressure and will ALWAYS support their troops. Somebody with leadership skills and a smidgen of political savvy. A Chief who understands the need for an intimate relationship with the media and who is not afraid to step up to the mic. This department has seen the likes of this type of Chief and, as I stated earlier, sorely missed its chance with Captain Bruce. Now, I can only speak for myself on this one, but I would throw my hat in the ring for the likes of Dep. Chief Greg Suhr. Don’t tell him I said so.
3) We understand that your current situation may still take a while to sort itself out -- but we're wondering what comes next for you? Do you intend to stay with the SFPD in some capacity if possible? Pursue other interests? After 12+ years as a cop in the city, we imagine that it wouldn't be easy to leave the department.
My future seems clear at the moment, but so many possibilities could sway me off course. I am still a disgruntled member of the Records Room and I am the only one of the 24 suspended officers who is yet to get my gun and star returned. I am no longer considered a credible, unbiased Police Officer thanks to the irresponsible, adjective-slinging Mayor during his famous December ’05 press conference and therefore will never be a street cop again. I will fight this fight until the end, and in the end, the word "exoneration" must appear somewhere in the verdict. In the end, the Mayor and the Chief will have cost the taxpayers a substantial sum of money for their sloppy, hasty and inappropriate handling of this video debacle. In the end, the pieces to this puzzle will be put into place and all of the co-conspirators and related supporters who were involved in this mess will be shamed and held accountable. Then, when the new dawn is upon us, the sun will rise and with it, a new Chief who will come to me and say, “Cohen, I want you to be responsible for…(drum roll please)…..my Public Affairs Unit. With that, I will say "yes," stay on-board and do what I have been doing for most of my career: Championing the Rank and File officers of the SFPD and beyond. What a fitting ending to this unforgettable saga.
Oro En Paz, Fierro En Guerra
Andrew, we suspected you'd have plenty to say, and you certainly did not disappoint. We hope your perspective can inform the debates we often have on this very board. Thanks again.