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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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Lisa has been the village bicycle for male cops going back to when she was a part time dispatcher at Pismo P.D. back in the late 1980’s. A promiscuous trim 19 year old female is a turn on for most men, but a promiscuous overweight cougar isn’t. Being promiscuous isn’t a crime, but using your position of power against employees who spurn your sexual advances might be. Is the Attorney General going to look into her practices or is some money going to be paid to the victims to just go away?


As for the Paso P.D. the city needs to fire Lisa and her hand puppet Capt. Burton and then hire someone from outside the county to come in and square the department away.


Paso has some real problems, but if the officers were motivated to be proactive on patrol and confront the crooks and scumbags cruising up and down Spring Street, the city would turn around in no time.


But if they ignore the problems inside the P.D. and on the streets of the city that place is going to turn into Salinas – south…


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Her name in the law enforcement community isn’t “Lisa Swallowed-many-men” for no reason…she is the reason that Paso has crime problems..the cops are told they cant be proactive and cant take care of business..she wants them out writing tickets and not going after tweakers stealing stuff from honest hard working folk…


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Perfect! She should be arrested as a violent mentally disturbed sex offender, charged, convicted and sent to prison where she can freely practice her sexual habits.

Now we wil see if the Paso Robles City Council has the huevos to fire her and make sure that she receives the least amount of benefits allowed. Or are we going to see the alternative where she will come up with some medical problem, take a leave of absence at full pay and then make a lucrative deal with the city to disappear.

Paso Robles we will all be watching. I hope you have the huevos.


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You really hit the nail on the head. It would be gravely wrong if the Paso City Council lacked the courage to have this situation fully investigated and to then take action on the findings. If trash like Solomon ends-up with a golden parachute, the taxpayers should revolt.


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I have to add a comment. Where do you think this would be if the sexual gender of the parties involved where reversed.

The answer to that would be Gloria Allred and the evening national news.


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Amen.


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There is nothing stopping the police chief from contacting Gloria Allred, it has nothing to do with gender and the roles being reversed.


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Rubbish


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This is absolutely atrocious!!! But I KNEW something was not right with the PRPD. I have been a resident of Paso Robles my entire life, and have always been taught that the police are here to serve and protect…I had to file for a restraining order from a crazy person back in may of 2009, officers Lux, and Hernendez where two of the officers that advised me to do so. It was granted in may 2009, and since then, I have had to call and report the restrained party, making death threats, trespassing on my property, theft of my mail, video taping and photographing, and so on and so forth. Every time I called the police (like i was advised to) they would simply brush the violations off and NEVER once made an arrest. I made several appointments with Chief Soloman, and have had two phone conversations with her. I explained that I felt that her officers where not doing their jobs and ultimately, because of that mine and my childrens lives where in danger. She promised that she would talk to some of the officers and that hopefully things would change. She told me to call her if I had any other issues, but when I tried contacting her she never returned my calls. Eventually I was forced to work with Victim witness and the D.A. regarding this matter.


It is really sad that these officers have been abused to the point that they are scared to do their jobs. If Chief Soloman had any bit of dignity or remorse for her actions she would STEP DOWN, but Im guessing from the report that I read, she is a narcissist, and feels she has done nothing wrong, or that she will not suffer any consequences.


Bottom Line…Instead of having them do their JOBS, Chief Soloman has been attempting to use these officers as stepping stones to a better life for herself, weather it be for sexual reasons or just the power alone. Meanwhile, victims in our community have gone unoticed, unheard and blatantly neglected. How sick!


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Where does the buck stop??????

We will see…..I have the feeling that the type of leadership our “Boys and Girls in Blue” have received has poisoned the ranks. If the boss lies, manipulates, and victimizes her reports any sense of trust, goodwill and integrity eventually is beaten out them. This becomes frightening when we are talking about our police as they are armed and have greater protections from prosecution than the public they are tasked with protecting.

Whoever steps up and does the right thing gets my vote next time around,


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Reply to swhite1982,


The experience you had with the Paso police failing to document reported incidents of harassment against you is not the fault of Lisa Solomon alone. The officers with whom you spoke are certainly first in line to be accountable for their acts or omissions. The reality is that if you are a female, the largely male police force view you as unimportant and expendable, and probably a liar. Why? Because you are a female. That is the culture of the county, and to a larger extent, the country as a whole.


The history of many statutes which require the police to file incident reports in domestic violence disturbances will illustrate the truth of the statement. Many of the anti-stalking laws, and laws which mandate the filing of a report where children are abused, or taken by non-custodial parents were enacted after family members were murdered. And the crimes were foreseeable, often preceded by years of documentation in one form or another, (such as hospital records,) where no charges were brought, or where police failed to remove the abuser from the premises for a cooling-off period.


What is the most frustrating for me, is to see the same lack of response or insight by women in law enforcement whom you would think must be more enlightened by virtue of their sex. Far from it. Instead of bringing new insight or solutions to the age old problems of domestic violence and sexual harassment, they tend to mimick the male response. This is a safe avenue for the “upward bound” to take. They are the “Unliberated.” They seem unable to think outside the box that is the predominate, outdated male model that “might is right” in all situations.


But the law of the jungle is just one form of power. If humanity on a global scale were to give into this rule, how long do you think we would last, as a species?


After reading this article, I got on the phone to the Paso PD. Just as I suspected, neither the police chief’s purported “Chief Administrative Assistant, Gail Wolf, nor the “Director of Human Resources for the PRPD Marlene Sanders could recall the last time the department had the statutorily mandated sexual harassment/hostile work environment training that is required by all government entities. This is training and education which is required on an annual basis for every employee of the agency.


According to Ms. Wolfe, it is the responsibility of the Director of Human Resources who is responsible to see that the training is provided. According to Sanders–though she was unable to state the last time the training was actually given–“they have attorneys who give the training.” Yeah, right. That’s why it’s a secret, right?


The first step to regain your equal rights and equal protections and equal opportunity to work in a safe environment, and to be free from hostility and threats of violence is training in the laws of the workplace.


It appears, even the women of law enforcements are puppets of the good old boys that pull the strings and they lack the respect for their own gender, most likely because they were never taught to view themselves as equals. Instead what they have learned is to mimick the men, and to continue the ancient power strategies of using their sexuality to advance. And when that doesn’t work, just lie, evade and connive. Keep it up, women of law enforcement. Just keep digging that hole until you lose every bit of ground that your more liberated predecessors have gained for you.


For anyone who cares to fact-check, here are their numbers:

HR Director Marlene Sanders: 805-227-7232

Chief Administrative Officer Gail Wolfe: 805-227-7520


As for Lisa Solomon, Chief of the Paso Robles Police Dept., I was not able to get through to her or even leave a voice mail. Given the deceptive (yet always “polite”) responses of her administrative staff, I doubt she was even apprised of the phone call. Ms. Solomon appears to be cut off from any aid, as is so often the case with victims of an abusive and hostile work environment. But I still find it hard to accept that other women in her office isolating her as well.


So, as long as this appears to be the case, I will forward my communication to Ms. Solomon through the press, and in public forums. My advice, Ms. Solomon, is to “woman up.” Make sure your own voice is heard. As long as you are going to be skewered, and your 21 year career in law enforcement is now placed in jeopardy, you might as well state publicly what you would like your department to be. What is your mission statement? And how will you achieve it? Finally, and most importantly,


WHEN WILL YOU REQUIRE THE LAW TO BE UPHELD BY MANDATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT/HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE DEPARTMENT?


I’m sitting on a very large box of case law and statutes on the subject and I am willing to help you design an effective 40 HOUR TRAINING COURSE at no cost. This is the first step to bringing both the men and women in your department out of the stone age and into the 21st Century. Until then, good luck, and remember to keep the lines of communication open.


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The sexual harassment training is the RESPONSIBILITY of the HR director. It doesn’t matter if ”they have attorneys who give the training”, it is the HR directors responsibility to schedule the training. It isn’t some attorneys responsibility to contact the HR department and check to see if they need a refresher course, are in compliance with the annual requirements or ask if they have enough toilet paper. Nothing but more incompetence at the expense of the tax payers. What the hell is the problem with these public servants and their constant incompetence? The cities seem to be rampant with this problem and yet we are told that we have to offer high salaries and lucrative benefits to get the best of the best.


By the way, did I hear correctly when someone said that Lisa Solomon’s annual salary is 200K?? She is the highest paid LEO in the county. App must really admire her performance.


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Oh yay! A training course for the crime VICTIMS designed for FREE by an anonymous Internet misandrist! Tell the victims how wrong they are. The criminal was just mimicking them, therefore they need to shape up. Now there’s a training course worth the dumpster. I can guarantee your idea of training would have a reverse effect. Poor Ms. Solomon! Cut off from your aid and solace, victimized by these evil male officers.


Who knew Gloria Allred posts on CCN?


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Good job once again, CCN. This is precisely the sort of crap that used to go unreported. I don’t know how trash like Solomon got to where she did but the unregistered handgun incident of a few years ago should have been enough by itself to end her law enforcement career…


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And why did/does it go unreported? Ask that of the people over at “The SLO Rag”. Take them to task with your subscriptions and advertising. And support CCN.


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The Trib is a lost cause. Its print circulation will be dead soon enough…


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Well it sounds like it is time to ask Lisa to go. Hey she’ll be fine. Between her dancing on table tops and now hanging out in bars pushing her boobs in guys faces, she already is qualified for her next job. Pole dancer/stripper.


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Yuk. Strippers dont get much work after age 30. She is a wanna be.

I just found this piece Velie and Blackburn did in 2008. Swallowman has had this reputation this long and she is still here? Wow.

http://calcoastnews.com/2008/09/commentary-girl-chief-gone-wild/


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slowtime,


You perceive that any woman over 30 is not worthy of stripping?! In my ministry, I have had to take a missionary position many times in trying to spread the word of God to these harlots of Babylon that frequent and perform at these strip joints! I am only there to save them from the sulfur lakes of hell!


In doing so, I cannot help but see these women in their “natural form”, so to speak, and I dare say that I’ve seen some women that are in their 30’s that are far better than their underlings!


Of course, I do this type of ministry in the name of our Christian God!


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How very commendable of you, it must have been a rough task. I commend your dedication and hard work at spreading the word of God. I’m sure that you have saved many Babylon sisters (good Steely Dan song BTW) from the entering the gates of hell.


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Another Republican seems to be getting a pass on sexual misconduct out in ‘red neck’ territory.

Why hasn’t she been fired? They are THINKING about reprimanding her?

Give me a break!


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Another perk for government employees. ;)


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Cal Coast News, learn how to investigate instead of just posting a rag and letting everyone jump around with opinions. Ok, so I’ll throw you a bone in the guise of anonymity to help YOU do your JOB as reporters: Try looking at her history….five husbands all from the police employment ranks of Paso PD! You don’t see her ex’s still working there. Of course current hubby got a nice transfer to slopd…ya, nothing smelly there. Tell me that none of that happened while on the clock? or on the.. sounds like … Or maybe you can find out how many employees she’s had terminated, resigned, or just plain quit. Too bad you could not find out how many receive counseling under her “management” for stress. Sounds like the table dancer has been running loose for a long time. Yup, sure sounds like none of this fits her style or MO as the cops call it.


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