Memorial Scheduled for Sergeant Brian V. McDonnell

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VOLUME 39, NUMBER 2 SAN FRANCISCO, FEBRUARY 2007 www.sfpoa.org c Official Publication Of The c SAN FRANCISCO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION Victim of Park Station Bombing Memorial Scheduled for Sergeant Brian V. McDonnell By Irene Michaud
Tenderloin Station For the officers of Park Station, the night of February 16, 1970 seemed
like a normal routine watch. Officers
Ron Martin #1324 and Al Arnaud #7
were outside inspecting their radio
car, which was parked at the side of
the station. Inside the station, it was
business as usual for Officers Robert
OSullivan #44, Gerald Doherty #1441,
and Edward Buckner #1484. Officer
Robert Fogarty* #255 was standing at
a desk talking to Officer Frank Rath
#549. Sergeant Paul Kotta #845 was
standing in the assembly room look-
ing at a vehicle hot sheet, and Sergeant
Brian V. McDonnell #1001 was stand-
ing in the doorway off the office and
the main squad room. At approximately 2244 hours, a pipe bomb exploded rocking the stillness
of the night in the Park District. The
force of the bombs explosion was
strong enough that the switchboard
at the Hall of Justice was busy receiv-
ing calls from frightened residents of
the Sunset and Richmond districts.
An unknown subject or subjects had
placed a bomb on the window ledge of
Park Station, where the above officers
were working. Officers Martin and Arnaud, who were standing several feet from the
window ledge, were knocked to the
ground and sustained injuries from
the flying glass. The blast, which at
the time was described by police of-
ficials, as the loudest and deadliest
detonated in San Francisco in recent
memory caused Officers Doherty and
Buckner to suffer hearing impair-
ment and shock. Sergeant Kotta was
knocked to the floor of the assembly
room unconscious. Officer Fogarty
had suffered multiple severe wounds
on his face, cheek and legs from the
flying fragments and glass. Officers
OSullivan and Rath were also injured
by the flying pieces of debris. Sergeant McDonnell caught the full force of the flying shrapnel, which
consisted of heavy metal staples and
lead bullets. As other officers tried
rendering aid to the fallen sergeant,
they could see that he sustained a
severed neck artery wound and severe
wounds to his eyes and neck. He was
transported to San Francisco General
Hospital, where doctors attempted valiantly to save his life. Two days
later, Sergeant Brian V. McDonnell
succumbed to his injuries and died on
February 18, 1970. Thirty-seven years have past since this tragic and senseless act of violence.
Members of the San Francisco Police
Officers Association have organized
a memorial to dedicate a plaque in
memory of Sergeant Brian V. McDon-
nell. All active and retired members
are welcome to attend this memorial,
which will be held at Park Station on
February 16, 2007 at noon. *Officer Fogarty died on January 12, 2007. He was retired from the SFPD one
year after the explosion due to disabling
injuries. He had joined the SFPD on April
1, 1950, continuing a long Fogarty family
tradition of service to the SFPD dating
back to 1901. Sergeant Brian V. McDonnell Joaquin Antonio Santos POA Mourns Death of Member from Northern Station The men and women of the San Francisco Police Officers Association extend sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Joaquin
Antonio Santos of Northern Station. Big Jack died unexpectedly on
January 12, 2007 while recovering from surgery. He was 39. Joaquin was a member of the 178th SFPD Academy Class. He served at the Tenderloin Task Force before transferring to Northern Station. He
leaves behind his wife Jennifer and their two children, Madeline age 6,
and Jack Michael age 3. Joaquin was the loving son of retired DC Joaquin
Santos and stepmother, SFPD Lt. Teri Barrett. Donations can be made to the Madeline and Jack Santos Scholarship Fund at the SF Police Credit Union, 2550 Irving St, SF, CA 94122. Presidents Message By Gary Delagnes,
SFPOA President A s I contemplate the four line
of duty deaths that we have
suffered over the past 2 years, in addition to several deaths that we
have seen away from the job, the lat-
est being the inexplicable passing of
Jack Santos Jr., it gives me pause and
time reflect on what this job is really
all about. In May of 1979, I stood on the steps of City Hall with less then 1 year as
a police officer I watched over 30 of
my fellow officers go down under a
barrage of bricks, rocks, and other
life threatening objects. The Police
administration would not release us
from our fixed posts on the steps of
City Hall for fear of an over reaction
by police officers to an out of control,
hostile crowd. Over 50 cops went DP
that night and I watched over ten ra-
dio cars burn to the ground while we
stood by and did nothing. I can still
remember the wailing of the sirens as
a result of those fires and that sound
will be forever imbedded in my mind.
An older cop standing next to me that
night looked over at me and said, Kid,
it cant get any worse then this. That was the now infamous White Night when rioting erupted follow-
ing the Dan White verdict. It was also
my first experience as a young police
officer observing the politics of city
government, and also the first time I
realized that many people do not see
us as human beings but as a tool by
which they can promote their own
personal agendas and try to rectify
their private discontent. When I returned to college in 1980, my senior thesis was titled, The Rea-
sons for Low Morale in a Major Met-
ropolitan Police Department. I have also found, through personal experience over the span of 29 years
that ones definition of morale can
change many times. As a membership, we have been through a lot over the past 3 years. We
have lost several comrades. We have
been subject to an inane disciplinary
process that subjects our officers to the
incompetence of the OCC; we watch
the weekly circus that is our police
commission playing to the crowd;
we observe the regular Chronicle hit
pieces on our hard-working officers;
and, most recently, we are now be-
ing subjected to the so-called Early
Intervention System that will further
demoralize our members. Not unlike 28 years
ago, we remain the
political pawns in
a gratuitous and
pandering political
system, and more to
the point, to elected
and appointed
officials who just
doesnt know what to
make of us. Not unlike 28 years ago, we remain the political pawns in a gratuitous and
pandering political system, and more
to the point, to elected and appointed
officials who just doesnt know what
to make of us. The messages sent by these ama- teur law enforcement know-it-alls are
confusing and conflicting. Most of the
messages are reactive, and are spurred
in a moment to mollify whichever of
the regular community nut jobs
happens to be pounding the podium
at the time. Lower the homicide rate they President Gary Delagnes See page 7 for OCC Audit report see PRESIDENTS MESSAGE, page 3 Page 2 POA Journal February 2007 MANAGING EDITOR Ray Shine ASSOCIATION OFFICE: (415) 861-5060 ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO: Editor, POA Journal, 800 Bryant St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103. No responsibility whatever is assumed by the POA Journal and/or the San Francisco Police Officers Association for unsolicited material. The POA Journal is the official publication of the San Francisco Police Officers Association. However, opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the SFPOA or the San Francisco Police Department. Members or readers submitting letters or articles to the editor are requested to observe these
simple rules:
Address letters to the Editors Mail Box, 800 Bryant St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Letters must be accompanied by the writers true name and address. The name, but not the street address, will be published with the letter. Unsigned letters and/or articles will not be used.
Writers are assured freedom of expression within necessary limits of space and good taste.
The editor reserves the right to add editors notes to any article submitted, if necessary.
Articles should be typed, double-spaced, or submitted via e-mail or on disk in Microsoft Word. SFPOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT ..............................................Gary Delagnes
VICE PRESIDENT .......................................Kevin Martin
SECRETARY ............................................. Tony Montoya
TREASURER ..........................................Martin Halloran
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS ................................... Chris Breen
Co. A.......................................Ed Browne, George Rosko
Co. B .......................................Mike Nevin, Bill Roualdes
Co. C ................................Derrick Jackson, Mike Moran
Co. D .............................. James H. Miller, Matt Rodgers
Co. E ................................... Tim Flaherty, John Van Koll
Co. F .....................................Patrick Burke, Peter Dacret Co. G ......................................Dean Sorgie, Dominic Yin
Co. H ............................Jennifer Marino, Michael Walsh
Co. I ............................................. Jody Kato, John Scully
Co. J ............... Theresa San Giacomo, Gavin McEachern
Co. K ...............Donald Moorehouse, Corrado Petruzella
TAC ..................................... Mark Madsen, Jason Sawyer
INVESTIGATIONS ................ Joe Engler, Pierre Martinez
HEADQUARTERS ..... Dennis Callaghan, Neville Gittens
NARCOTICS ...................... Lynne Atkinson, Larry Mack
AIRPORT BUREAU ............... Robert Belt, Bob Chapman
RETIRED ...........................................................Ray Allen PUBLISHED MONTHLY $10 PER YEAR OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION 800 BRYANT ST., 2nd FL., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 (415) 861-5060 www.sfpoa.org ADVERTISING: Contact Michael Popoff, Advertising Coordinator (415) 515-1862 sfpoa_ads@sbcglobal.net POSTMASTER: Send address changes to POA Journal, 800 Bryant St., 2nd Fl., San Francisco 94103. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA. The San Francisco Police Officers Association POA JOURNAL (USPS #882 320) SPORTS EDITOR Nick Shihadeh WEBMASTER Jason Hui San Francisco Police Officers Association Editorial Policy The POA Journal and the POA web site (www.sfpoa.org) are the official publications of the San Francisco Police Officers Association and are published to express the policies, ideals, and accomplishments of the Association. The following provisions that are specific to the publica- tion of the POA Journal shall also be applicable to publication of material on the POA web site to any extent that is practical. Publication of material in the POA Journal or on the POA web site does not necessarily include publication on or in both instruments of communication. Nor does the following editorial policy for the POA Journal preclude a different or contrary editorial policy for the POA web site. Member Opinions and Commentary: Unsolicited Written Material A member or group of members may submit unsolicited written material to the POA Journal that expresses his/her/their opinion(s) and concerns within the following limitations and guidelines: Such material must be addressed as a letter or mail using common salutations such as Dear POA, Editor, SFPOA Dear POA Members etc. Such material must be authored and signed by the member(s) making the submission. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Such material must be factually correct and presented in a respectful and civil manner. Such material can not be slanderous, unnecessarily inflammatory, sexist, racist, or other- wise offensive, nor can it be disparaging of any member or bring upon them unwarranted accusation or rebuke, either express or implied. Such material can be forwarded to the editor by electronic mail, US Mail, inter-departmental mail or other written communication, or delivered in person to the editor or to any person in the POA office. Upon receipt of such material, the editor shall cause it to be published in the next regular printing of the POA Journal, or in a future issue designated by the submitting member provided that the content complies with all the provisions of this policy. Such material will not necessarily appear in more than one issue of the POA Journal. Such material will be published in a designated section that shall be clearly titled as Let- ters to the Editor, Letters to the Journal, Mail or other similar title indicating that the material included therein is the express opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily that of the SFPOA or any of its elected or appointed officers. Depending upon considerations of timeliness and space, the editor reserves the right to withhold publication of such material for as many as two issues. The editor also reserves the right to decline to publish material beyond a date wherein the context of the material is no longer timely. All such material is subject to editing for grammar and punctuation. Portions of a sub- mission may be omitted for considerations of space so long as the general context of the material is not significantly diminished or altered. The editor may select portions of a submission to be highlighted in a common editorial manner such as pull quotes, sub-heads, or kickers. Other Submitted Material All other written, photographic, or graphic material must be: Specifically solicited by the editor; Or be unsolicited material that may be published at the discretion of the editor, and in accordance with other applicable sections of this editorial policy and Article XI, Section 8(e) of the by-laws. POA Board of Directors Meeting January 17, 2007 Sergeant At Arms Breen called the meeting to order at 1310 hours, fol-
lowed by the Pledge of Allegiance and
roll call of the Board of Directors. After roll call, President Delagnes called for a moment of silence for Of-
ficer Bryan Tuvera and Officer Joaquin
Santos. Appreciation Plaques On the recommendation of the Executive Board, the POA presented
Harry Dorfman (District At-
torneys Office) and Inspec-
tors Joe Toomey and Holly
Pera (Homicide) appreciation
plaques for all their hard work
during the investigation and
prosecution of Officer Isaac
Espinozas murderer. Approval of Minutes Pierre Martinez (Inv) made a motion that was seconded
by Bob Belt (Airport) to accept
the December 2006 Minutes.
Motion went to voice vote and
passed with no opposition. Early Intervention System Deputy Chief Keohane and Lieutenant Brown gave
an overview of the admin-
istrations proposal on the
early intervention system.
The presentation was fol-
lowed by a lengthy question
and answer session. One
thing Deputy Chief Keohane
made clear was that the Early
Intervention System cannot
be accessed for disciplinary
proceedings. Once Deputy Chief Keo- hane and Lieutenant Brown
left, POA General Counsel
John Tennant provided each
board member with the final
language presented by the
City Attorneys Office regarding the
Early Intervention System. Counsel
Tennant then briefed the board on
various options on how the POA may proceed with regards to the Early
Intervention System. At the conclu-
sion, the Board of Directors was told
to return to their respected units and
educate their members on what was
discussed during the meeting. Once
armed with feedback from their re-
spective members, the POA will call a
special board meeting asking for the
Board of Directors to vote on how the
POA should proceed with regards to
the proposal. Presidents Message President Delagnes reported that the contract negotiations committee
will start negotiations on January 22, 2007. President Delagnes also briefed
the board that the committees for the
DROP and Airport Pension are moving
ahead and preparing for placement on
the ballot in November 2007. On a more somber note, President Delagnes reminded members that we
lost three members in The Line of
Duty during 2006. President Delagnes
also encouraged all members to make
every effort to attend the Peace Of-
ficer Memorials in Sacramento and
Washington DC. The memorials take
place in May and as the memorials
near, members will be kept apprised of
specific dates, times and locations. Treasurers Report Prior to Treasurer Hallorans presen- tation, Joe Fong (Vice) addressed the
Board of Directors regarding Officer Robert Ng (Airport) who fell ill last
month. Joe was pleased to announce
that Robert has left the ICU and that
Robert has transferred to St. Marys
Hospital for rehabilitation. Joe further
advised that a trust fund has been
established at the SFPCU for Robert
and his family. The trust fund infor-
mation was distributed by way of POA
bulletin which Treasurer Halloran sent
out last month. Joe has asked that the
POA make a monetary donation to
the trust fund. After Joes presentation
was complete, George Rosko (Co. A)
made a motion to donate $2000.00 to the trust fund. The motion was
seconded by Kevin Martin (VP) and
Derrick Jackson (Co. C). The motion
went to a voice vote and passed with
no opposition. Treasurer Halloran went over the 2006 budget and announced that the
POA was $429,414.86 under budget.
Treasurer Halloran then presented the
2007 budget to the Board of Direc-
tors. Bob Chapman (Airport) made a
motion to approve the 2007 budget.
The motion was seconded by Gavin
McEachern (TTF) and passed with no
opposition by way of voice vote. Treasurer Halloran then went over the results and recommendations
regarding the 2004 and 2005 audit.
Once Treasurer Halloran finished his
presentation, Derrick Jackson (Co. C)
made a motion to accept the results
and recommendations of the audit.
The motion was seconded by Tim
Flaherty (Co. E) and Theresa San Gia-
como (TTF). The motion went to voice
vote and passed with no opposition. Meeting was adjourned at 1615 hours. Respectfully Submitted, Tony Montoya POA Secretary President Gary Delagnes presents an ap-
preciation plaque to Harry Dorfman of
the District Attorneys Office. Homicide Inspectors Holly Pera, right,
and Joe Toomey, below, with Gary
Delagnes. 2007 POA Journal Deadlines Advertising Editorial March 2/14 2/16 April 3/14 3/16 May 4/18 4/20 Notice The February Board of Direc- tors/General membership meet-
ing scheduled for February 21,
2007 has been rescheduled for
the following week. The Febru- ary Board Meeting will be on
Wednesday February 28, 2007.
Please mark your calendar. February 2007 POA Journal Page 3 Board of Directors Meeting Roll Call Wednesday, January 17, 2007 President Gary Delagnes P Vice President Kevin Martin P
Secretary Tony Montoya P Treasurer Marty Halloran P Sergeant-At-Arms
Chris Breen P Editor Ray Shine P Co. A Ed Browne P George Rosko P Co. B Mike Nevin P Bill Roualdes P Co. C Mike Moran P Derrick Jackson P Co. D James H. Miller P Matt Rodgers P Co. E Tim Flaherty P John Van Koll P Co. F Patrick Burke P Peter Dacre P Co. G Dean Sorgie P Dominic Yin P Co. H Jennifer Marino E Mike Walsh P Co. I John Scully P Jody Kato E Co. K Don Moorehouse E Corrado Petruzella E Hdqtr. Dennis Callaghan P Neville Gittens A Narcotics Larry Mack E Lynne Atkinson P Tactical Mark Madsen P Jason Sawyer P Invest. Pierre Martinez P Joseph Engler E TTF Gavin McEachern P Theresa San Giacomo P Airport Robert Belt P Bob Chapman P Retired Ray Allen P Calendar of Events Mark your calendars for the following meetings and events by the POA and its friends and supporters. All dates and times are subject to last minute changes,
so always contact the event coordinator to confirm dates and times. If you have an event you would like posted on our calendar, contact the editor at journal@
sfpoa.org. Regularly Scheduled Meetings or Events Event Location Date & Time Coordinator Meeting,
Veteran Police Officers Association 3255 Folsom, SF Second Tues. of Every Month, 11:00 AM Larry Barsetti (415) 566-5985 larry175@ix.netcom.com Meeting,
Widows & Orphans Aid Association Ingleside Police Station, Second Tues. of Every Month, 2:00 PM Mark Hurley (415) 681-3660 Community Rm POA General Membership Meeting POA Building Third Wed. of Every Month, 1:00 PM POA Office, (415) 861-5060 Meeting, Retired Employees of CCSF Irish Cultural Center Second Wed. of Every Month, 1:00 PM Sara Johnson (415) 681-5949 Retiree Range Re-qualification SFPD Pistol Range First Fri. of each Month, 07301130 Range Staff (415) 587-2274 Specially Scheduled Events POA Election Via US Mail January 22 February 9, 2007 POA Office Staff (415) 861-5060 Station and Unit Representatives
Foothill Fuzz Luncheon Casa Ramos Restaurant Thursday, February 15, 2007 Rene LaPrevotte (530) 295-0946 6840 Greenleaf Dr., Placerville 11:30 am rlaprevotte@comcast.net Memorial Honoring Park Police Station Friday, February 16, 2007 Val Kirwan (415) 614-3400 Sgt. McDonnell Noon Reunion Dinner/Service Celebration Broadway Prime Wednesday March 14, 2007 Cynthia Kulstad (415) 553-1537 128th SFPD Academy Class 1316 Broadway, Burlingame 6th Annual Guns & Hoses San Francisco Tennis Club Saturday April 28, 2007 Robin Matthews (415) 553-1093 Charity Tennis Tournament 5th at Townsend, SF call, but for Gods sake dont profile
anyone! Saturate into our beleaguered neighborhoods they plea, but for
Gods sake dont arrest a dispropor-
tionate numbers of our community! Help us deal with the homeless- ness, and the drug dealing, and unsafe
streets they insist, but heavens, dont
amass too many OCC complaints,
because that can work against you for
promotions and transfer to specialized
units. Every crook is told to make a com- plaint against the cops at OCC to help
his or her defense. This is the world we
live in, and these are the cards we are
dealt. It is a Thin Blue Line! Police
work is a walking, talking contradic-
tion where society says, make our
problems go away, but we really dont
want to know how you do it. Who
else could understand the absurdity of it all other then the people that do
this job everyday? I used to think that morale was something that should be created by
city governments, or police admin-
istrations. What I found in my own
career is that it is much more practi-
cally tied to my personal life. Police
work is your job, but because of the
psychologically debilitating effects of
our chosen profession, we must find
solace away from the insanity. People often ask me why cops move to far away places like Oregon, Wash-
ington, Idaho, or Nevada upon retire-
ment and I reply that they have lived
30 years of crime, political intrigue,
and seeming futility. They have suf-
fered more fools then any one should
have to endure, and they simply want
to get away and see clearer horizons. I have found love and contentment in my own life. I dont depend on any-
body but myself for my morale or my
happiness. It must come from within. If you are going to be successful in
this profession over the long haul, you
have to revel in the small victories and
disregard the ponderousness of it all.
Dont expect to change the world, just
change one persons life one time, and
realize you have accomplished a lot.
Find somebody to love and hold on
tight because in the end they are the
only ones that really matter. This job wears you down both phys- ically and mentally and sometimes
you dont even realize it. I have been a
cop for over half my life. My body and
mind have paid a price, but I wouldnt
do anything different because I have
met the greatest people, and taken part
in an honorable profession, and thats
enough for me. My advice is to find a good partner, both at work and in your personal life.
Find an assignment that makes you
feel good. Develop a good sense of
humor so you can deal with the crazy
politics in San Francisco. We can get
you money, pensions, and working
conditions. We have your back on
discipline and safety issues, but I cant
change the crazy politics in this town,
or this department. Keep your head up and take care of yourself. As the tragic death of Jack
Santos, Jr. clearly demonstrates, life is
precious and short, and anything can
happen. Make the most of what you
have. Appreciate those around you,
and believe in yourself and the work
you do for the people of this city. Youll
never regret it. SFPD will honor two members Police Officer Memorials Scheduled in May By Val Kirwan I hope by now that most of you are making plans to attend the Police
Officer Memorials in Sacramento and
Washington D.C. Sadly, our depart-
ment will be honoring two of our own
who were killed in the line of duty in
2006.* The following are the dates for
the memorials. *Although we also lost Daryl Tsujimo- to in a line-of-duty death, the memorials
are only for officers who were killed by the
unlawful actions of another. Sacramento Candle Vigil:
Wednesday, May, 2007 at dusk.
Enrollment Ceremony:
Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 10:30
Please note day change. In the past, the
enrollment ceremony was held on a
Friday. Washington D.C. Candlelight Vigil: Sunday, May 13,
2007 at 8:00 PM At the National Law
Enforcement Memorial. Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales will be par-
ticipating in the ceremony.
Emerald Society Pipe and Drum
March: Monday, May 14, 2007 at
4:430 PM. Assemble at New Jersey
and F street. (Outside the Holiday
Inn Hotel)
Annual National Peace Officers
Memorial Services: Tuesday, May 15,
2007 at noon: West front of the United
States Capital. President George W.
Bush will be speaking and meeting
with the surviving families of our
fallen officers. California has the unfortunate distinction (again) of losing the most
officers in the line of duty in a year.
Even more unfortunate is the fact
that we will be adding two of our
own SFPD officers names to the walls.
Next month I will be providing more
details and a schedule of events for
both memorials. Stay safe. Presidents Message continued from page 1 Page 4 POA Journal February 2007 W idoWs and o rphans a id a ssociation PO Box 880034, San Francisco, CA 94188-0034 Established 1878 u Telephone 415.681.3660 January 9, 2007 The regular meeting of the Widows and Orphans Aid Association of the
San Francisco Police Department was
called to order by President Michael
Kemmitt at 2:05 PM in the Conference
Room of Ingleside Station. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Led by President Michael Kemmitt. ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS: Pres- ent: President Michael Kemmitt, Vice
President Rene LaPrevotte, Treasurer
Jim Sturken, Secretary Mark Hurley,
Trustees John Centurioni, Dave Fon-
tana, Fred Pardeila and Joe Garrity.
Excused: Matt Gardner. MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER MEETING: Motion by Centurioni,
seconded by Garrity that the minutes
be approved as published. Motion
carried. BILLS: Treasurer Sturken presented the usual bills. Motion by Fontana,
seconded by LaPrevotte that the bills
be paid. Motion carried. We Had Two Deaths This Past
Month: BRYAN TUVERA, 28 years, killed in the line of duty. Bryan was born
in South San Francisco and attended
South San Francisco High School.
He went on to San Francisco State
University and earned a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Criminal Justice. Bryan
entered the Police Academy in July of
2002. His first assignment was South-
ern Station for six months before being
assigned to Park. He worked at Park
for a year before going to Taraval. He
was a very active cop. After cornering
an escaped felon who broke into a
garage in the Taraval in the darkness,
Officer Tuvera was shot as he closed
in on the suspect. The suspect also
died. Officer Tuvera left his wife of
two months, also a San Francisco Po-
lice Officer, and many, many friends.
In the short time of his police career,
he was awarded numerous Captains
Commendations. ROBERT J. HANKINS, 71 years. Bob was born in Washington D.C. He
was educated and entered the United
States Marine Corps upon graduating
from High School. After his tour in
the Marine Corps, he found himself
on the West Coast. He came to San
Francisco and was employed with
Muni as a Cable Car Gripman before
he entered the Police Academy in
1959. His first assignment after the
Police Academy was Mission Station.
He then was assigned to Potrero, then
Richmond Stations. He then was
assigned to Traffic Solo Motorcycle
detail. He spent 15 years on the bikes
before being assigned to CSTF. He made Sergeant and remained at TAC
for the rest of his career. Bob was also
one of the original members of the San
Francisco Police Department Bagpipe
and Drum Band. Bob, a true Scott, was
considered their finest piper and was
very proud of the way people came
from all over to enjoy their playing
and marching. Bob retired in 1987 and
with his wife moved back east, Bobs
wife passed away unexpectly and just
a short time later Bob passed away. Bob
was awarded several Captains Comps
and a Bronze Medal of Valor for his
arrest of an armed robbery suspect
who had to be physically forced to
drop his gun. SUSPENSIONS: Pursuant to Section 4 of Article III of the Constitution.
(Non-payment of dues for one year)
Tina Bonjour, Patricia Hanson, Joan
House, Shannon Kirchner nee Currie,
Javier Munoz, Timothy Nichols, Chris
Schaefer and Martin Wallace. Presi-
dent Kemmitt ordered them removed
from the roles of membership. REPORT OF TRUSTEES: Mr. Shane Hiller, Mr. Jerome Paolini and Ms. Pam
Royer our investment team from Wells
Fargo Bank gave us a very long and ac-
curate breakdown of the performance
of our account. In the last month we
made $49,591.00. In the last year our
account is up $835,707. Our Officers
and Trustees are very happy with the
results. Our account value on January
I, 2007 was $8,459,042 we have made
all our obligations and are starting
to realize that our asset allocations
and balance of our stocks @ 30%,
International @ 15%, Real Estate @
3.5%, Fixed Income @40% Alternative
Inves1ments 10.76% and Cash .93 %.
Is really paying off. NEW BUSINESS: Past President Fred Pardella swore in the new of-
ficers and trustees for 2007. President
Rene LaPrevotte, Vice President Dave
Fontana. Secretary Mark Hurley and
Trustees Matt Gardner. These Officers
will join Treasurer Jim Sturken and
Trustees Joe Garrity, Fred Pardella and
John Centurioni. ADJOURNMENT: President Rene LaPrevotte had a moment of silence
for Bryan Tuvera and Bob Hankins
and also all our members of the armed
services in conflicts all over the world.
He set the next meeting for Tuesday
February 13, 2007 at 2 PM in the
conference room of Ingleside Station.
Meeting adjourned at 3:20 PM. Fraternally, Mark Hurley Secretary General Counsels Corner Cultivating Honor By John Tennant,
SFPOA General Counsel T he ink was barely dry on last
months call for respect for our
police when events transpired that depending on ones viewpoint
either confirm or mock what I had
written. San Francisco Police Officer
Bryan Tuvera heroically gives his life
in the line of duty on December 22-
23. The killer of San Francisco Police
Officer Isaac Espinoza is convicted
of second-degree murder, requiring
a sentence of life without parole if a
police officer is the victim, and the de-
fense attorney vows to appeal on equal
protection grounds. The defendant
charged with the murder of San Jose
Police Officer Jeffrey Fontana still goes
untried more than five years after the
shooting. (And to these must be added
the tragic, non-work related death of
a young San Francisco officer, Joaquin
Antonio Santos, of which I have just
learned as I pen this article.) Honor is out of
fashion these days.
If ever there were a
watchword for the
present time, it would
surely be success, not
honor. One necessarily struggles for a way to make sense of the cruelties of fate
that too often visit themselves on
our cities finest. Prose hardly seems
adequate to the task, but as words are
the sole tool a lawyer possesses, they
will have to do, meager as they may be.
Of some comfort is the suggestion by a
famous historian that since we think
mostly in words, they will take on the
property of serving as an armour. The word that comes foremost to mind in a non-sworn citizens (i.e.,
yours trulys) feeble attempts to assess
the heroism of the individual officers
mentioned above is honor. Honor
is out of fashion these days. If ever
there were a watchword for the pres-
ent time, it would surely be success,
not honor. Who are todays heroes? Bill Gates? Tiger Woods? Brad Pitt? Yes, perhaps
they and others like them attract
most of our attention and admiration.
But success is the word that best de-
scribes their achievements, not honor.
Sadly, we live in an age obsessed with
success but not honor. Plato observed that a society will cultivate what it honors. This maxim
led noted clergyman William Sloane
Coffin to remark that When we got
started as a country, we had no more
than three million people less
than Los Angeles County today. Yet we turned out Washington, Jefferson,
Franklin, Adams, Hamilton you can
name a list as long as your arm. How
many people on the public stage can
you name today who are the caliber of
those first men? And why arent there
more? Because whats honored in the
country will be cultivated there. Or
how come those itty, bitty Italian city-
states turned out one fantastic painter
and sculptor after another? Because
every kid couldnt wait to get his mitt
on a paint brush. Whats honored in
the country will be cultivated there.
We have fantastic athletes. Yet we have
mediocre politicians, and the clergy
is pretty mediocre also. Whats hon-
ored in a country will be cultivated
there. Service on behalf of civil society is not honored today to a degree even
remotely approaching the accolades
heaped on successful athletes, celebri-
ties, and billionaire businessmen. It is
certainly not my intent to condemn
those persons accomplishments root
and branch. I, too, recognize the
tremendously important roles that
sports, entertainment, and business
play in American life and welfare. But those pursuits dont hold a can- dle to the heroism exemplified by the
men described in the first paragraph
of this article. Society needs more men
and women of their ilk. Society needs
to cultivate what those mens lives and
spirits embodied: Honor. At a time when recruitment levels of new police officers are at an all-time
low, no more urgent task confronts us.
If our society does not take dramatic
steps to cultivate anew that particular
and increasingly rare quality of honor
that calls one to serve as a police of-
ficer, we shall all be the worse for it. And, thus, Platos observation is al- most turned back on itself. If he is, in-
deed, right that a society shall cultivate
what it honors, then what American
society at present needs to cultivate is
honor itself. That is how the memories
of Officers Tuvera, Espinoza, Fontana,
Santos and all our police officers who
have given and continue to give their
lives for American civil society will be
justly served. Roll The Union On . . . General Counsel John Tennant, February 2007 POA Journal Page 5 Community Service Committee By Marty Halloran,
Chairman I n an ongoing effort to keep the
membership advised of activities
at the POA I will make every at- tempt to provide the minutes of the
Community Service Committee. The
committee meets approximately every
six weeks and as always we discuss and
vote on requests for donations submit-
ted to the POA. The majority of the
requests are submitted from non-profit
organizations in and around San Fran-
cisco. Many of these organizations de-
pend greatly on associations like ours
so that they may provide assistance to
the sick, elderly, and the youth of our community. The Community Service Commit- tee Fund has been designated as a fed-
eral tax exempt 501

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