Police Chief Ignored Improprieties in Drug Unit, South Gate Officers Charge

Three South Gate police officers who were once part of a high-profile narcotics task force have charged their police chief with failing to investigate improprieties in the unit, and say they may demand a federal or state inquiry.

The three officers, who say they resigned from the Southeast Cities Against Narcotics unit after blowing the whistle on investigators who withheld and used property seized from suspects, allege that Chief Ronald George protected the investigators.

A six-month internal investigation by the South Gate city attorney cleared George of criminal wrongdoing, but the officers insist that the investigation is biased because the chief also doubles as city manager.

Police union officials say the alleged mishandling of the unit, which had a hand in the nation’s largest cocaine bust, was caused by a lack of leadership in the department.

The task force dissolved last year in the wake of the departure of the whistle-blowers, and the union last week took a vote of no confidence in George, a 30-year veteran of the department.

After a vote Tuesday by the South Gate City Council to support the chief, Sylvia E. Kellison, a lawyer for the three officers, said they may file a lawsuit against the city or take their case to a grand jury, state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren or the U.S. Department of Justice.

George said he felt vindicated by the council vote and dismissed the union’s attacks as a power play.

The unit, consisting of narcotics investigators from South Gate, Bell, Maywood, Downey and Vernon, seized $14 million in cash, $100 million worth of cocaine and property ranging from televisions to cars during its two-year existence. In two separate narcotics cases, the three South Gate officers, according to their lawyer, discovered that a handful of investigators from other departments had failed to catalog $5,000 worth of cellular phones, VCRs, video cameras and stereos.