SAN BERNARDINO >> A tentative agreement between the city and the police union that both sides trumpeted months ago has broken down, according to union president Steve Turner.
“This contract would have brought much-needed stability to the San Bernardino Police Department, attracted and retained quality officers, and been a major first step to reduce crime throughout our city,” Turner, a detective, said in a prepared statement released Wednesday. “Sadly, the city at the last minute chose to turn its back on what would have been an historic agreement.”
Turner did not return phone calls Wednesday or Thursday.
The city’s response came in the form of a brief email from City Manager Allen Parker, who said he had been meeting with a police union representative Wednesday evening.
“Because of the gag order from the bankruptcy mediator, we cannot respond with specifics,” Parker said. “I can state that we are still in negotiations with the Police Officers Association and are continuing to meet in good faith in order to resolve any outstanding issue(s).”
Earlier, Councilman Fred Shorett had referred to Parker’s email as the official response but expanded somewhat.
“We believed we had a deal,” Shorett said by phone. “We will be continuing to negotiate in good faith as we have been all along, and we invite the (police union) to the table as we have been doing all along. There obviously is some misinterpretation or some concerns on their side. It’s not on our side.”
The city and the San Bernardino Police Officers Association announced in federal bankruptcy court in Riverside in August that they had reached a tentative long-term deal that was ironed out in mediation sessions and subject to a judicial gag order. The City Council and union membership then separately approved the terms of the contract.
“San Bernardino’s Police Officers overwhelmingly approved this contract and had been patiently waiting for the city to implement the terms that were agreed upon,” Turner said. “Unfortunately, the city informed us that they would interpret the terms of the agreement that was reached with us in good faith at the bargaining table in a way that was completely unacceptable.”
Turner couldn’t be reached to clarify what the differing interpretations were, but he went on to blast city officials for continuing “to be the city that never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”
“While the failure of the city to acknowledge the meaning of the terms consistent with the agreed upon language is a loss for both the City and San Bernardino’s police officers, the ones who will suffer most from this ongoing lack of leadership at City Hall are the residents of this city,” his statement said. “They will continue to suffer from rising crime, lack of jobs, and the effects of bankruptcy while Mayor (Carey) Davis and his team do nothing to make residents safer or attract job-creating business to San Bernardino.”
Davis and several officials seen as being part of his “team” either declined to comment on those statements or didn’t return phone calls.