The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood Daily News on a Weekly Basis - Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - December 1, 2016 Snoop Dogg Returns to Inglewood for Turkey Giveaway They were handing out turkeys left and right on November 21 at The Forum. (Inset) For the third straight year, Snoop Dogg (standing in front of The Forum between Mayor James T. Butts and Councilman Alex Padilla) gave back to the community by providing free turkeys to those less fortunate. Photos Provided by the City of Inglewood Council Approves Destruction of Internal Affairs Records By Cristian Vasquez On Tuesday, Mayor James T. Butts and members of the Inglewood City Council agreed on a resolution to destroy specific Internal Affairs Records as part of the standard practice of removing records from file. The approved records for destruction will be dated Jan. 1, 1992-Dec. 31, 2010 and are from the Inglewood Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, which has already reviewed the files involving older cases. Based on Government Code Section 34090 and California Penal Code Section 832.5(b), the City has the authority to destroy specific records as long as those are kept on file for no less than five years and are no longer needed in any pending litigation. However during the public comment portion of the meeting, one local resident questioned the destruction of Internal Affairs records pertaining to the time period chosen. “It’s kind of interesting to pick those specific years--I think those are the years that some really not-so-happy things happened in our community,” Diane Sambrano said. “It would be best if you actually have them [files] for the world to view and keep that transparency concept that you are willing to stand up for. Unfortunately, by trying to destroy, you are saying we aren’t going to share, we aren’t going to tell.” In the past there have been similar files destroyed, through the traditional practice of shredding, but with prior approval from either the Police Chief, City Attorney and Council members. The most recent review of files by the Police Department discovered that several documents were being kept that have exceeded the legal mandate for retention. “They involve Internal Affairs Documents where the public would not be able to see those documents anyways,” Inglewood City Attorney Kenneth R. Campos said. “In addition to that, I believe that about five years ago the City adopted a record retention policy that included the destruction of these documents. To be cautious, the City Attorney recommended that the Inglewood Police Department provide this to the City Council in order to provide a sense of transparency so everyone can see.” Among the files approved for destruction are citizen complaints, as well as Internal Affairs Investigations between January 1, 2008-December 31, 2010; Internal Affairs complaints between January 1, 1992-December 31, 2007; miscellaneous complaints from January 1, 2008-December 31, 2010; and Pitchess motions dated from January 1, 1992-December 31, 2010. Based on internal policy and “relevant code sections” the Police Department is authorized to destroy any documents that are dated before January 1, 2011, as well as five years old. “The reality is that under the laws of the State of California and in accordance to AB301, that the City can just destroy these records as a matter of course,” Mayor Butts said. “This is an extra step of transparency that we’re taking to put it on the Council agenda and keeping with our policy.” While California law and penal code mandate that Internal Affairs files related to potential litigation be kept for at least two years after any administrative action has been taken, all of the files approved for destruction were at least five years old. “The identified documents do not fall within these categories and have been approved for destruction by City Attorney and Chief of Police,” concludes the staff report signed by City Manager Artie Fields. Community Invited to Holiday Tree Lighting The City of Inglewood welcomes residents to its Third Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony set for tonight (Thursday, December 1) at 6 p.m. The yearly festivity will take place at the newly refurbished Fabulous Forum, located at 3900 W. Manchester Boulevard. The entire community is encouraged to attend this special family-friendly event and join with Mayor Butts, members of the City Council and other City officials in ushering in the holidays. Inglewood’s first tree lighting event drew an estimated 4,000 people. Last year that number grew and it is expected that the new local tradition will attract even more community members. The evening’s festivities will include live entertainment, as well as refreshments for all and a holiday visit from special guest Santa Claus. Persons interested in additional informa - tion can contact the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Department by calling (310) 412-8750. • Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................2 Classifieds............................3 Community Briefs...............2 Food.......................................5 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Legals............................4, 6-7 Pets........................................8 Police Reports.....................3 Sports....................................4 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 66˚/48˚ Saturday Sunny 68˚/50˚ Sunday Sunny 68˚/51˚
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