Police chief accused of sexually assaulting her officers

January 26, 2012

Lisa Solomon

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN

Law enforcement officers have names for the girls offering them sex on the beat: Badge Bunny. Holster Sniffer. Uniform Jumper. Handcuff Hugger. In Paso Robles, brethren in blue have one more: The Chief.

A flurry of complaints and mounting grievances alleging sexual misconduct, illegal management practices and retaliation have been lodged against Paso Robles’ first female chief of police, Lisa Solomon. Those known to have made accusations against the chief include five current and former police officers, as well as a growing record of non-sworn police department personnel.

The criticisms against Solomon include allegations of sexual assaults, many committed in the presence of others, repeated affairs with a list of subordinates, and bearing a child out of wedlock fathered by a former lieutenant in the department.

The city has retained the services of an outside investigator to look into the numerous complaints, officers say. Solomon, 43, is married to a San Luis Obispo police officer. She has not responded to detailed emails from CalCoastNews asking for comment.

Numerous officers and department staffers contend that crossing Solomon is dangerous. They say their boss threatens them with trumped-up criminal charges if they rebuff her advances or question her management practices.

After Officer T.J. McCall reported to the city claiming Solomon grabbed his penis while he sat in her car, city officials hired an outside investigator to interview officers about other allegations of unwanted sexual contact.

Former officer Dave Hernandez said he told the investigator of an instance in 2007 when Solomon also touched him inappropriately. In August, Hernandez and another officer in full uniform entered a saloon then called the Crooked Kilt, to do a bar check.

Solomon, who had been out on the dance floor, approached Hernandez in a room full of people and allegedly pushed the officer’s face into her breasts.

“She grabbed my head and pushed it between her breasts,” Hernandez said. “I was shocked.”

Last month, the investigator asked Hernandez why he had not reported the incident back in 2007. He told the investigator he was afraid Solomon would have had him fired if he told, Hernandez said.

“Her MO (method of operation) is to make criminal charges against anyone who crosses her,” Hernandez said. “She will do whatever she can with her power.”

In June 2011, Hernandez, then the union steward, said he complained to City Manager Jim App that Solomon had hired another sergeant at a time when the department was low on officers and heavy in command staff.

In what officers say is typical in the North County department, the chief and several of her top level officers allegedly retaliated against Hernandez and began writing him up for issues such as speeding while transporting a drunk man who was bashing his feet against the back of his seat to the San Luis Obispo County Jail.

In this case, Solomon set out to charge him with negligent operation of a vehicle and being discourteous to a member of the public. Hernandez resigned Jan. 11 and is contemplating filing a civil lawsuit suit against the city.

In 2008, Solomon required all members of the command staff to attend a team-building workshop at the Carmel Valley Lodge during Super Bowl weekend. While there, Solomon allegedly sexually assaulted two officers, according to four officers who told CalCoastNews they were present at the time.

The men, several of whom first told reporters of the incident more than two years ago, have asked to remain unnamed, fearing retaliation.

During the Super Bowl, the officers put work aside and watched the game. After drinking heavily for several hours, Solomon said it was time to get back to work and ordered the seven attending officers to the hot tub for a mandatory meeting, the officers related.

Shortly after they suited up and sat down in the tub, Solomon said, according to the men, “You wanna see boobs?” She removed her top and allegedly rubbed her breast in a commander’s face, officers said.

She then scooted up close to Sgt. Brennen Lux, slid her hand into his shorts and grabbed his penis, the officers said. Lux quickly got out of the hot tub and jumped into the unheated pool.

Solomon then reportedly turned her focus on Lt. Tim Murphy, whom she also groped, the officers said.

The following day, Solomon reportedly warned her command staff that information about the incident was not to leave the conference room they had rented at the retreat.

After Lux rebuffed her advances repeatedly and began questioning the chief about her policies, Solomon began taking actions against him, officers said. She wrote up her former “golden boy” for issues such as speeding to a report of a three-month-old who was not breathing, and speeding to assist another officer who was grappling with a suspect. Lux was a combat Marine and 15-year law enforcement veteran.

In Nov. 2011, Solomon terminated Lux for allegedly committing battery, use of excessive force, and unlawful detention during the arrest of a combative suspect.

Hernandez, the watch commander at the time, said he saw the video of the arrest and contends that Solomon trumped up the charges in a failed attempt to have the officer charged with a crime. And while Solomon sent reports of the alleged assault to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office, charges were never filed.

Lux is also contemplating filing a civil lawsuit against the city and Solomon.

Several former employees said they informed city management of the alleged problems in the department during exit interviews, but their concerns were ignored.

City Manager Jim App declined to comment on the alleged investigation. He also demurred when asked why Solomon was not on administrative leave, a question several of her officers are also asking.

When City Attorney Iris Ping Yang was asked if she was aware of an investigation into Solomon’s behavior, she said, “I can’t tell you. I have no comment to make.”

Mayor Duane Picanco said he was surprised by the assertions: “That’s news to me,” he said. “And I mean that.”

And while most of Solomon’s threats of criminal charges against her employees are never filed, or result in the district attorney’s office refusing to prosecute, several employees have been criminally charged after crossing Solomon. Officers say Solomon and a few top-level commanders regularly search videos of employees they are looking to get rid of in an attempt to claim excessive force, and check the employee’s computers for unlawful access of driving records, a misdemeanor.

In 2010, Solomon was allegedly looking to get rid of Officer Jeff Bromby. After the district attorney’s office rebuffed attempts to have the officer charged with theft for helping his girlfriend remove items from an elderly relative’s home, she was successful in having him charged with unauthorized access to driving records.

A few years ago, dispatcher Deleena Rankin began making mistakes at work. Though unknown at the time, she was suffering from a brain tumor.

Solomon went to the dispatcher and asked her to resign or face criminal charges for pulling the driving record of a former boyfriend, Rankin said. And while officers contend Solomon would usually follow through on her promise to not file charges if the employee agreed to resign, in this case Solomon asked the district attorney to file charges on the dispatcher after she resigned. The court sentenced Rankin to one year of probation.

“It was common practice (pulling driving records without a legal reason). Sgt. Dave Buffard looked his son up, and the chief also had her son looked up,” Rankin said. “I had been a dispatcher for 29 years.”

Officer Jon Tatro, the current police officer association president, recently filed a lawsuit against the department regarding the chief’s implementation of illegal ticket quotas.  Ticket quotas are illegal under state law because they can pressure police to write bogus tickets to meet the goal, something Tatro refused to do.

Union officials are currently considering a vote of no confidence against the controversial chief.

Solomon was appointed chief of the 30,000-resident city in 2007. She was the first woman to hold positions of sergeant, lieutenant and captain in the department.

During her 20-year career in Paso Robles, she has been past president of the North County Women’s Shelter and chair of the San Luis Obispo County Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Program.

Clarification: The incident with Solomon allegedly touching McCall occurred in her car, not his. The incident was reported to the city, but not through a formal grievance. Jon Tatro’s Los Angeles attorneys sent the lawsuit for filing and have not yet received confirmation.


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I’d like to hear statements from SARP and the Women’s Center. And the city. And the police department. And the council. And the chief.


This is what Paso Robles City Manager Jim App had to Say about Lisa after her gun fiasco:


“She knows I wasn’t happy, but I have to measure those kind of things, and in this case, it was that she had 7,000 days in (21) years of solid service with the Police Department,” App said. “And those 7,000 days outweighed this one mistake.”


What will Jim App say this time?

If this story is true, Lisa has to go. She has ruined many careers using her public position for her personal purposes.


She should have been canned for this illegal weapons violation — ESPECIALLY because she is the chief!


If there is truth in these allegations, and our local officials hope the citizens to maintain any sort of confidence in them and our local institutions, then we get a new Chief of Police. City Manager, City Council please start thinking to bring some talented real leadership in to clean up this mess and restore respectability and trust. We can probably offset the cost with reduced legal payouts…..I wonder how much of our money you guy’s have dropped down that rat hole. Moving forward please remember “Justice denied breeds contempt for the institutions created to ensure that justice is done”


“During her 20-year career in Paso Robles, she has been past president of the North County Women’s Shelter and chair of the San Luis Obispo County Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Program.”


I have to ask myself why Lisa doesn’t realize that groping an employees genitals and rubbing her breasts in their face is demeaning to them? Its obvious that she loves to party and I have no doubt that many of the men she has entertained love it but there is a difference between consensual drunken foolishness and sexual exploitation through intimidation. If it’s an employee, then they feel like they don’t have much choice in the matter and that is NOT CONSENSUAL, even if they don’t voice an obvious objection, it’s an assault.


Why would she want to force herself on an employee and degrade them as if nothing about them is respected or sacred ? I bet she is surprised about these complaints and doesn’t believe that her actions actually served to offend or truly embarrass these men who are dependent on their jobs to earn a living and support their families. I bet she thinks they’re just after her because they’re envious of her position as Chief of Police. If I’m right, I suggest that she simply reverse the tables and she will know how these guy’s feel.


Do some soul searching Lisa, I sincerely hope that you didn’t know better because if you knew what you were really doing, then you’re a very scary person to be on the streets while engaged in a trusted position of authority. God Bless You


Why you ask? Because she is a Selfish Bully and is probably scheming a plan to retaliate against her whistleblowers.


Cindy,


“If I’m right, I suggest that she simply reverse the tables and she will know how these guy’s feel.”


That’s the gist of the story, she wouldn’t mind it at all! Get it?


She would mind it very much if she were the employee rather than in a position of power and control. I can almost guarantee that. she would feel extremely humiliated and personally violated if her boss went around pulling out his penis and waving it in her face or placing his hands between her legs despite her lack of romantic interest. . No matter how much she enjoys these casual carnal exploits, if the roles were reversed and she was not in a position to object, it would be devastating to her sense of dignity and self respect ( also I suspect that she is the dominatrix type so it would be double devastating to have the roles reversed in her case) seriously!


Any time there is fear of retaliation due to dependency on the approval of the perpetrator and in this case, ones ability to earn a living, it’s an assault in more way’s than one. To make this all the worse, I have no doubt these guy’s spent a great deal of time contemplating filing sexual harassment. complaints. I’m sure it’s embarrassing to complain about being sexually abused by a woman even if she is the boss……


Cindy,


You’re still NOT getting it!!! Barring your plethora of assertions, like assuming she is now a dominatrix, wow, that’s reaching out there AGAIN, isn’t it, Lisa is the type that would love this type of acts from her MALE superior!


Albeit, she would no more file any sexual harrassment suits if the tables were turned; than you would stop making so many unfounded assertions! Your dominatrix assertion takes the cake, seriously!


plethora of assertions? If you don’t recognize the obvious, which is that “she is into CONTROL” or are unaware that those types of issues generally carry into all aspects of our lives, then I can’t explain it to you. Perhaps you should read the article again as well as my post that you have taken the opportunity to diss as usual, while hoping to get a rise out of me in the process (yeah that’s an assertion).


I said that I “suspect” she is of that ” type” and that can encompass a wide array of roles that one might posture. There is a different between suspecting and asserting. No doubt you’re anxious to find out, let us know ………


She has the most power in the alleged sexual harassment incidents. That makes her the dominant one. Hence, the dominatrix category.


Although good dominatrix’s usually don’t have to go looking for love slaves.


It’s not walk-in-the-park for a woman to have to file a complaint detailing the sexual assaults she has suffered by her boss, either.


Wow! What a piece of work this Chief is. I am really surprised she is not on Admin. leave. The city knows of these things and she is still in charge? Talk about liability exposure! The City has to respond and get her out of this position of authority while this is investigated! If she does something now, the City should just write a blank check to the next Victim.


Slowtime,


Subsequent to hiring on with the Paso Robles Police Department, “eradicate ignorance” and I will volunteer to be the next victims. Don’t worry, upon being paid great sums of money after our law suits, we’ll share our booty, no pun intended, with all of the CCN alumni!


It will be one BIG and memorable party to be held at Cindy’s house!!!


Great! But are you sure you two can handle the bad treatment? Boobs in the face and penis play? With HER!? I would say not.


Slowtime,


I have to question your assumption of being “handled” as being bad treatment! Huh?


Conversly, it’s if SHE could handle it! Brother Ted has quite a reputation, other than his unquestionable religious knowledge, so it would be sad because “eradicate ignornace” would probably never get his turn. :(


Brother Ted, do not forget your Christly duties ! I know that it is quite easy to become excited when the ‘Fruits of Eve” are dangled so appealingly, but do NOT STRAY from the WORD !


Job 31:17 ” If I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless …”


Share your bread, Ted.


Hebrews 13:16 ” And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased. ”

1Corinthians 9:10 “Or is he speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. ”


Please God, Ted …and share the plow so that others might enjoy the furrowed field !


“Party at Cindy’s house” !!! Actualy you picked the right spot, Cindy has a big spa out back and a big house to party in. Share the booty, come one, come all. Change that to , “everybody’s invited”. I know what fun Ted will have if I don’t clarify the invite!! LOL


“Mayor Duane Picanco said he was surprised by the assertions: “That’s news to me,” he said. “And I mean that”


And there lies the problem. I have never seen a more clueless city official. To my friends in the No. County, why on earth would you vote for a such a goofball? I don’t blame you though, our city has also made the mistake of voting in goofballs. I understand how they can fool us but that guy needs to go.


Typoqueen,


I am going to step across the line and make an assertion. Yikes, this is scary, but here it goes! Maybe Duane was on the receiving end as well, and didn’t want to make waves?


Ted, you hit the nail on the head, except that most of us suspected that Lisa either had something on her boss, Jim App, or that he was the one getting sexual favors.


The City Council members have trusted Jim App’s judgement in the face of all common sense. Lisa could have been fired when she filed personal bankruptcy, or when she left her loaded gun in her unlocked car and it was stolen. Instead, she apparently received pay raises because she is the highest paid employee in the city. She makes more than her boss Jim App, the City Manager. He is also the one who should have put her on administrative leave (a standard procedure) while she is being investigated, but he didn’t do that.


In his dreams, he couldn’t stay awake long enough to make waves or be on the receiving end. I’m not fond of this guy (as you can tell). I’ve watched this guy and he has the attention span of a door knob. If he were competent then he would have already known about this long before the press found out. He should have been working to solve the issue. But as usual he was probably sleeping through the complaints that should have been left on his desk. The mayor hears about all this type of stuff long before anyone else does and he says that it’s news to him.


How deftly you’ve steered the blame to a male. Brilliant


The person who holds the most powerful position in the organization is the one who is at fault. Doesn’t matter if it is a man, woman, or aardvark. If you have more power, you should be taking care of problems and setting a good example to your subordinate.


I know that makes me sound like I’m 112 years old, but that’s how the law looks at it, as well.


You’re right, ignorance is no excuse. If Picano IS indeed truly ignorant of what’s going on then he should resign because he clearly is not in touch with the community he is supposed to be serving.


What a story!


Solomon is a predator. I imagine it took quite a bit for the officers to come forward. Well done.


I feel bad for the citizens of Paso Robles; they can no longer trust that the department is there to serve them and act in their best interests.


I’m wondering why App would leave the city so exposed?


Scarlet,


“….. leave the city so exposed/” Ha, ha, we got it!


Glad you liked that, Ted….


City Manager Jim App is a COWARD. He has heard about Chief Lisa’s unprofessional and embarrassing behavior for years. After Dennis Cassidy groomed her to be his replacement, nobody stood up publically and said NO! She’s not qualified! So now here we are, years later, stuck w/a karaoke-singing, gun-losing public disgrace.


Jim App and the City Councilmen had better act ASAP or this is gonna get way worse!


A predator!


She’s a Blondasaurus>/i>?


Well, that explains a lot. [[INSERT LEWD BLOND JOKE HERE]]


Just in case, she’ll probably take an early retirement.


Lisa Solomon is kinda cute. Is the Paso Robles Police Department hiring at this time?


Wow Ted. We agree on something. Hell is freezing over.


Lisa I surrender, take me to the tub.


When she was appointed to this position, I told one of her ex’s this day would come and he agreed.


Robert 1


After the unregistered loaded gun incident, I, too, talked to one of her ex’s. He said that he had tried to warn her about her flamboyant behavior.


She was not qualified for the position in the first place (she had only worked in one police department–Paso, and had no “chief” experience).


If she isn’t fired this time, the next incident will be worse. After all, she works in a department where everyone carries guns, and where people are sent out on dangerous assignments.


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