Translate this page  Paul Gallaher photo. The MSJC Menifee campus police office on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Friday, November 21st, 2008. Issue 47, Volume 12. Story Last Updated : Sep 10th. According to a Riverside County Government tort claim, three Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) police officers claim they were forced to quit under pressure for threatening to expose corruption in the department. Ron Navarreta, Chris Kuhl and Peter Gonzalez, former officers in the MSJC Police Department, are accusing the chief of the department, Kevin Segawa, and the second-in-command, Cpl. Mark Medina, of wrongful termination, breach of contract and breach of employer policies. A tort claim gives the county an opportunity to "fix" what the officers say is a problem in the department. The accusations involve three major acts the higher-ranking officers, Segawa and Medina, supposedly committed earlier this year, according to the tort claim. The first act accusation is that Segawa stole evidence, an act they claim Gonzalez was forced to resign for witnessing. The second accusation involves an extramarital affair Medina was allegedly having, on-campus while on duty, with a female MSJC employee. Navarreta spoke out about the purported misconduct and claims he was subsequently forced to quit. The third involves a false accusation supposedly made against Kuhl, leading to his resignation under pressure. "For a police department it’s just incredible what’s happening," said Michael Curran, the plaintiffs’ attorney.
College is investigating Phone calls to the college were referred to the campus spokesperson. "Mt. San Jacinto College District investigates any formal allegations of misconduct. All written and signed allegations are taken very seriously," said Karin Marriott, MSJC’s spokesperson. Marriott added that the college’s board of trustees rejected the demands in the tort claim on Nov. 13. Moreover, law prohibits the district from discussing an ongoing investigation, she said. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office would neither confirm nor deny that they are launching an investigation into the claims made by the plaintiffs.
The trainee Two weeks ago, Navarreta, Kuhl and Gonzalez sat at a restaurant table in Anaheim discussing their case. Each of the three men had relocated to the Menifee area to join the MSJC Police Department. Since resigning from their jobs with the college, they have moved to Orange and San Diego counties. "I lost my house over this," said Navarreta as he leaned forward and clenched his hands together. Two of the three purported wrongful terminations came after a new officer was hired, Kuhl claimed. The new officer joined the station in March. Just before he joined the department, Kuhl graduated from Field Training Officer School. The new man became his first trainee. "From my first day I knew things were not right," Kuhl recalled. "Immediately I started noticing problems, such as his officer safety skills." The trainee often forgot to search vehicles and suspects adequately. Moreover, when Kuhl pointed out his mistakes, the trainee lied and made excuses rather than noting the errors and improving on them, Kuhl said. After completing more than eight unsatisfactory evaluations for the trainee, Kuhl wrote a "recommendation of termination" to the chief. Despite the recommendation, the trainee remained on the force and began training under Medina. Then, the behavior of the other officers changed, Kuhl remembered. "People would walk out of the room when I came in," he said.
Following orders "What he didn’t know was [Segawa] ordered us to stay away from [Kuhl]," Navarreta said. The chief told the other officers Kuhl may have planted drugs on somebody, Navarreta added. Segawa called Navarreta into his office and asked him his thoughts on Kuhl, Navarreta said. Segawa told Navarreta, "If I’m going to make a move on this guy I need to do it while he’s still on probation," Navarreta stated in the tort. New officers joining the MSJC Police Department are on probation for eight months. During probation they can be terminated without reason, according to the plaintiffs. On June 2, two months before Kuhl’s probation period ended, Segawa reportedly called him into his office. He told Kuhl that citizens had filed numerous complaints about him and his performance reports were bad, Kuhl recalled of the exchange. Segawa said he could, however, make Kuhl’s bad reports and complaints "go away" if he resigned, Kuhl said. "I only accepted it because I was afraid I’d never get another job again," Kuhl said. "I though maybe I did screw up." The plaintiffs allege they have since learned there were no complaints in Kuhl’s file. In late September, Kuhl got a phone call from Navarreta. "We started talking and everything started to fall into place," Kuhl said. Navarreta says that after their shifts were through, he, the trainee, and another officer would sometimes hang out at a local bar. During more than one of these social occasions, the trainee made reference to a plan for keeping Kuhl from being hired by any other police department, Navarreta said. If Kuhl ever tried to get another job, when asked in a background check, the trainee said he would "make [stuff] up" to ensure Kuhl stayed jobless, Navarreta said. According to Navarreta, the trainee was upset about the negative reports and the recommendation for termination Kuhl had written. Kuhl now suspects the trainee lied to the chief to get him fired. The story, Kuhl speculated, was that he planted drugs.
The affair Navarreta’s problems began outside the police department on the college campus one evening Advertisement Navarreta, Kuhl and Jensen were standing outside the police station at the end of their shifts when a female MSJC employee, who worked in the college’s administration office, approached them. When she arrived, Medina quickly dismissed the officers, they say. "‘Okay, see you guys later,’ he told us," Navarreta recalled. The next day, Medina told Navarreta and another officer a graphic story about how he spent his evening with the woman having sex in the police station. Navarreta says an officer told him that Medina had sex with the woman numerous times while on duty and more than once had ordered him to stand guard during the acts. This angered Navarreta. He says he decided to talk to Medina, whom he considered a friend, about his affair. Medina was married at the time. "I had a big issue with that. He’s not only jeopardizing his own career but everyone’s career," Navarreta said. "He elevated it to a whole other level." Medina responded by warning Navarreta to be careful what he said while still on probation because convincing Segawa to fire him would be easy, Navarreta said. Despite the confrontation, Navarreta still considered Medina a friend and the feeling was mutual, he said. Another job lost On Sept. 24, Medina called Navarreta and told him the trainee had complained to the chief about Navarreta using racial slurs and sexually harassing him, Navarreta said. Later that day, Navarreta said Segawa persuaded him to resign. A few days later, Navarreta got a phone call from an officer who had also become his friend. He said the trainee admitted privately that Medina talked him into lying about Navarreta for knowing too much about his affair. "I hate to say it but whistleblowers aren’t treated nicely," Kuhl added to Navarreta’s story. "We knew too much and they needed to get rid of us."
"The ice cream incident" The last allegation on the tort claim states that Chief Segawa destroyed evidence. This scenario is what the three former MSJC officers call "the ice cream incident." In April, Segawa and plaintiff Peter Gonzalez were patrolling the area of Menifee near the school when they saw a man pushing an ice cream cart, Gonzalez recalled. Segawa, who was driving, pulled the patrol car over. They found the man lacked a vendor’s license and suspected he may have been in the country without documents. After turning the suspect over to immigration officials, the officers took the cart as evidence, Gonzalez said. Usual police procedure requires that the officers photograph and destroy the ice cream due to its perishable nature, Gonzalez said. Instead, Segawa ordered Gonzalez to help him put the ice cream into several trash bags and load them into his patrol SUV, Gonzalez recalled. The two men then drove to Segawa’s home and Gonzalez watched the chief load the ice cream into his two freezers and then give what would not fit to his neighbor, he said. "It was like three felonies I was watching," he said. Despite the supposed theft of the ice cream, he considered the act serious. He valued the ice cream at more than $400. "If it were $400 worth of [cocaine] or a few $100 bills, people would take it more seriously," he said. "If anything, the fact that it was ice cream underscores [Segawa’s] criminal nature," Navarreta added. "If you can’t trust him with a cart of ice cream, how can we trust him with a kilo of cocaine or a gun?" On the way back, the chief offered some of the ice cream to Gonzalez, he said, who declined. "After that, there was a big change in his demeanor," he said. Segawa became formal and distant, he explained. More than two weeks after the incident, Gonzalez turned in his resignation because he felt uncomfortable with Segawa’s actions. When Gonzalez arrived at the station several days later to pick up his personal belongings from his locker, he found the lock cut. Though Segawa was out of the office, his door was ajar and he saw his belongings sitting in a corner of his office. The belongings included an assault rifle, a handgun, a bulletproof vest and officer’s uniform. He noticed a complete lack of security, including the fact that the window facing the school’s parking lot was open. Gonzalez also noticed the only thing missing was the notebook in which he recorded details of his arrests, including the ice cream incident. Angered, Gonzalez demanded an explanation for the cut lock. Segawa told him he did it to get the officer’s badge and ID, which were department property.
After filing the tort claim last month, the three officers expect the county to respond within the next two weeks. If the county fails to respond, the plaintiffs will take their case to court, said Curran. "The MSJC Police Department is a certified police department and has the same powers as a city police department," Marriott said. "It is responsible primarily for MSJC district property but has statewide authority." Segawa reports to Irma Ramos, the college’s vice president of human resources, district safety and security. Annually, the college pays for the police station with $1 million from its general fund.
60 comments for "Former officers accuse college police chief of corruption"5:18 am Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 1. Ann says :I think its a sad day when we cant trust the police. I was raised to always respect the law. But when I read things like this I get mad. 5:18 am Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 2. Rob says :It is about time these young officer's bring to light the misconduct they were exposed to. At some point a jury will hold these "Senior Officer's" accountable for the retaliation and injustice they have been served. It exists in other departments and these officer's are also bringing their negative experiences to light. Kuhl, Gonzalez and Navarreta should be saluted and will be rewarded for this terrible injustice. God Bless you and your families.  6:15 pm Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 3. NICK says :THESE SENIOR OFFICER'S ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW. THIS IS HAPPENING FAR TOO OFTEN AND NEW POLICE OFFICER'S NEED TO COME FORWARD AND SEEK JUSTICE. IT TURNS MY STOMACH EVERY TIME I READ A STORY LIKE THIS. IF YOU CAN NOT TRUST THE LEADERSHIP OFA DEPARTMENT, WHO CAN YOU TRUST ? THESE THREE OFFICER'S NEED TO HANG IN THERE AND KNOW THEIR STORIES WILL NOW BE TOLD AND HEARD. KEEP US INFORMED OF THE STATUS OF YOUR CASE AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHERE YOUR ATTRNEY IS LOCATED. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES. 6:15 pm Sun, Nov 23rd, 2008 4. Adrian says :As a former police officer, it does not surprise me to see this happen. I had a similar sitaution happen to me, now I am in law school with the hopes of fighting police misconduct. People will never know how many capable, moral police officers are forced to leave the job because of incompetent supervisors. 6:32 pm Mon, Nov 24th, 2008 5. Ryan M. says :Michael Curran Curran & Curran Law 1211 W. Vista Way Vista, CA 92083 Telephone: (760) 477-8188 Facsimile: (760) 758-1746 www.curranlawoffices.com 6:33 pm Mon, Nov 24th, 2008 6. Bill Hadley says :My immediate concerns are with regards to the cases in the past, if these senior officiers credibility is distroyed how can we know if they lied in the past to convict people. Wasn't there a case a while back where illegal video taping occured at the campus, these idiots were probably involved with this also, having sex in the police station where sensitive information and evidence are stored is unforgivable, and to make matters worse one of the junior officers was made to stand guard, thank goodness no crimes where happening during this time. I cannot believe that this is happening in this little department of misfits. Patrol and protect the campus, leave the city and county to the professionals. 6:33 pm Mon, Nov 24th, 2008 7. Trustee Motte says :The comment by "Ann on this article was not made by me. I do trust police and respect the law. According to law everyone has the right to due process. 5:27 am Tue, Nov 25th, 2008 8. Jennifer says :With any job, there are the good employees and the not so good employees. It makes me upset to hear that someone in the place of such authority like Chief Segawa would take advantage of this and bully and manipulate other officers because of his rank. Not only does it make him look bad, but it unfortunatly, makes his officers that currently work for him look bad as well (to the students and general public). When these officers make stops or write citations people may not give them the respect or trust that they deserve. This is sad because everyones reputation gets tarnished even though they dont deserve it. The officers that deserve the pat on the back are the guys that have come forward. Great job! My respect is to you. And to the current officers, keep up the good work! 5:28 am Tue, Nov 25th, 2008 9. ROB says :TO TRUSTEE MOTTE: YOU ARE 100 PERCENT CORRECT WHEN YOU SAID, "ACCORDING TO THE LAW EVERYONE HAS THR RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS." I PROMISE YOU THAT THE THREE OFFICER'S CONCERNED HAD THEIR "DUE PROCESS RIGHTS" VIOLATED TIME AND AGAIN. I WOULD BET NOT ONE OF THESE OFFICER'S WERE OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION TO RESIGN. THESE THREE WERE PART OF A UNION WHO FOR OBVIOUS REASONS WERE NOT GIVEN PROPER LEGAL ADVICE. HAD THEY RECEIVED BASIC LEGAL ADVICE, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE RESIGNED. THIS DEPARTMENT THOUGHT BECAUSE THESE WERE "AT WILL" EMPLOYEES, THIS WOULD ALL JUST GO AWAY. THEY WERE WRONG. THANK GOD, ALONG THE WAY SOMEONE TOLD THEM, THE ONLY WAY TO GET JUSTICE IS TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY (NON-UNION) OUTSIDE THIS DEPARTMENT. ATTORNEY CURRAN WILL NOW DIG DEEP AND OBTAIN ANSWERS WHICH WERE COVERED UP WITHIN THIS DEPARTMENT. NO ONE WILL HOLD A JOB OR POSITION OVER HIS HEAD AS THEY DID TO THE THREE OFFICER'S. THINK ABOUT IT, WHY WOULD ALL THREE JUST GO AWAY VOLUNTARILY ??? THEY LEFT BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS A CHANCE TO GO TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT. I AM SURE THEY ARE NOW FINDING OUT THEY HAVE BEEN "BLACKBALLED." THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE CORRUPT SENIOR OFFICER'S WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TRUST TO SERVE AND PROTECT. NO ONE KNOWS THIS CASE BETTER THAN THE THREE OFFICER'S CONCERNED. THE TRUTH WILL PREVAIL AND THIS WILL BE THE END OF THIS TARNISHED LEADERSHIP AND THIS DEPARTMENT. REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO CHECK THE CHECKER. IN THIS CASE NO ONE DID AND THIS FINE SCHOOL WILL PAY HEAVILY FOR THOSE TWO CRIMINALS. 5:28 am Tue, Nov 25th, 2008 10. Joseph J. says :I have a question for Adrian, you stated that you are a former police officer, how long does an investigation of this type typically take? As a concerned citizen and a parent of a student attending MSJC I feel as though this isn't going to be settled any time soon, I truly believe in due process, but this seems to be headed towards being "swept under the rug" status. I have read that the college administration cannot comment on an active investigation which is understandable, although I would like to know who is heading up this investigation and truly hope they can be neutral and fair to all parties involved in a timely manner. 5:32 am Tue, Nov 25th, 2008 11. Nick says :While you wait for justice to prevail, the three officer's should read Walking With The Devil: What Bad Cops Don't Want You To Know and Good Cops Won't Tell You: The Police Code Of Silence, Michael W. Quinn Also read, Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Expose Of The Dark Side Of Policing, Norm Stamper. I'm sorry, but this is what happened to the three of you. You violated "The Code of Silence" because you all have high moral standards. Do your homework and live this until you are paid in full. Your former "Leaders" will leave in disgrace and one day you will again be able to walk with your heads held high. You are honorable men who did what you were trained to do in the academy. There are many others like you who have gone down the same path and received justice. God Bless You and your families. 2:37 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 12. Mark M. says :Unfortunately, Joseph, your hopes that the college is conducting a "neutral" and "fair" investigation are for nothing. In fact, the college has their own attorneys (Zampi and Associates) conducting their own internal investigation. I don’t know abut you, but I can’t see how they could possibly be fair or neutral. When (not if) this things goes to court how do you think this will look to a jury? Especially since the standard used to decide who wins is something called the “preponderance of the evidence." This is a MUCH LOWER standard than the typical "beyond a reasonable doubt" that we are all use to hearing on t.v. Beyond a preponderance of the evidence pretty much means 51% of the jury needs to believe what the officers are alleging. With those odds, combined with the facts of the case (statements made by neutral persons who have confirmed all the allegations, the departments “past practice” of abuse of other college employees – including non-police officers, the clear bias of the college attorneys investigating the allegations), you can bet the farm those three victim officers will prevail. Unfortunately, they still have to go through hell until then. Think about it: With the current state of the economy, the rising unemployment rate and lack of jobs in the market I can’t even begin to imagine what these three officers are going through simply for doing the right thing; especially with the holidays here. Those “senior” officers are absolutely disgusting (so is that one who lied-Myers I think I read on one of the blogs)! http://menifeelive.com/bb/showthread.php?tid=77 2:38 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 13. Irma R. says :It’s funny how things work out! Thanks to the recent news article in the "Press Enterprise" and "Valley News," there are now rumblings around MSJC that there are at least two other ex MSJC employees who are alleging Kevin Segawa did the same to them as was done to the three officers. I guess these floks are going after Kevin and the rest of the fools at the executive level of the college. And no, these folks were NOT cops at the college. So can you guess what the allegations are? Yup, you guessed it! Coercing and threatening employees with termination. Shocking, illegal and plumb SHAMEFUL! Anyone ever hear of the old saying.."Where there is smoke, there is fire." How could anyone with half a brain even begin to think that Kevin, the corporal and Ryan Myers (the liar) are not guilty of the allegations now that others have come forward and are in NO WAY connected with the PD or the other three victims (I mean officers). 2:38 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 14. Nickyrr says :There's been a lot of crimes on the parking lot. Particularly breakins, and motorcycle gettting stolen. Maybe these a-holes should do their job after all i pay 30 bucks for parking permit. 2:39 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 15. Robert says :To Joseph J: I know of an officer who reported misconduct to department personnel. This was after he was warned by Senior Officer's to not say anything, because of retaliation. As another person mentioned above, it is covered up and swept under the rug. This same officer, in spite of the warnings, went on to report the same misconduct to the departments Internal Affairs. A half-ass, cover-up investigation was conducted by one of their own. Basic witnesses were never questioned and some subject Officer's testimony was never tape recorded. He went on file a formal complaint with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After almost two years, and the department providing misleading information to the Federal Investigator, a Right to Sue Letter was issued to this individual. He has filed a lawsuit against the Department that will finally bring to light the injustice and corruptness he and many other Officer's have been exposed to. Many times these young, inexperienced Officer's just walk away with their tails tucked away. It is time to stand up and show the public that many of the Senior Officer's have no moral compass. Hopefully, the College Investigator does the right thing and is not influenced by others. Because at some point Attorney Curran will receive all of this discovery information. You can bet he already has the answers to this disaster and will hold each individual accountable. As you have read above, the public is angry and they will be much more upset when the entire story comes out. At a minimum these Officer's should be reinstated and the others made to resign or terminated. The three Officer's are men of honor and were paying attention to all the hours of ethics training they received in the Academy. Somewhere along the line the Chief forgot the old saying, "Anticipate, Never React." God Bless the three Officre's. 2:39 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 16. Police Academy Grad says :A friend of mine was roommates with Ryan Myers in Murrieta and went to the police academy with him. In fact, after reading about all the nonsense going on at the college police department he knew right away that Ryan was one of the officers involved. So whats whith the myspace? What kind of police officer is on that site? http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fus...D=17509284 2:39 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 17. Brenda W. says :Has there been any updates regarding these aligations? What is the current status of the department, are there any officers left to protect the districts interests? Where is the Chief in all this, has there been any type of public statement, any type of assurance that the department is still operational and that the campuses are safe and secure? Please don't loose sight of the fact that there are students who depend on a safe campus. Looking for information, Brenda W. 2:40 pm Wed, Nov 26th, 2008 18. Adrian says :Hey, Joe A proper investigation can take some time. I know of officers who waited anywhere between 3 to 5 years to finally receive justice from the court system It all depends on the department doing the investigation and the city. I never received a proper investigation when forced to leave my department. After leaving my department was I advised of my rights by senior officers and outside counsel. My union who I paid dues to during my time failed to help me and would not even return my calls. I just lost all faith in the department and the city to check themselves and properly conduct an investigation. If you want justice, you have to have an outsider look at the facts because the department will sweep it under the rug. Joe there are many good and qualified officers who get bullied out of their jobs for speaking up about other officers. Not a day goes by where I would rather be out protecting and serving people then being in law school. I live with this everyday and may never get justice, but I hope these officers can prevail. 5:59 pm Thu, Nov 27th, 2008 19. Nick says :Does anyone know where Sagawa came from and what his rank was before becoming a Police Chief ??? On top of the crimes he comitted after stopping "the ice cream guy", someone needs to check the Departments Policy and Procedure Manual to see if Sagawa violated the guys civil rights when he called the Border Patrol. Yes, Sagawa was correct in that a minor crime was comitted in that no vendor license was in the posession of the Vendor. But, does the Manual also state, that until a "possible illegal immigrant" has comitted a Misdemeanor or Felony, Police are not responsible for enforcing Immigration Laws (as he did) ??? It appears this guy dropped the ball in many areas. Mark M. and Irma R. and others are right on and appear to have good information. Please share this with Attorney Curran and help the three Officer's gain Justice. They have a long road to go seeing that the original tort was already rejected. The smart and right thing to do is to give them back their jobs. However, this will not happen and the sad thing is it may take 3-5 years before this ever goes to court. The three former Officer's have to know there are strength in numbers and they will someday receive their justice. God Bless you and your families. 6:01 pm Thu, Nov 27th, 2008 20. TellingTheTruth says :In the recent article posted in the Valley News, MSJC spokesperson Karin Marriott said, “Mt. San Jacinto College District investigates any formal allegations of misconduct. All written and signed allegations are taken very seriously.” Are you kidding me?! What a JOKE and outright lie! Here are a couple examples: In addition to the formal complaint indicated above by Morelies, there are two other complaints that have essentially been ignored by the chief and HR(Specifically Irma Ramos-HR Exec). 1) on Sept 25th one officer (Officer Ryan Myers)attempted to assault another officer (Scott Jensen). Jensen made a FORMAL complaint that was, in fact, sent to Chief Kevin Segawa, Irma Ramos (another incompetent and insecure manager that is clearly out of her league) and Roger Shultz (College pres). To date there has been no resolution and no investigation. In fact, Jensen was told by Kevin to drop the complaint. Jensen is in fear for his safety when around Myers and is still forced to work with him anyway. To add insult to injury, Myers has said to Jensen that Kevin and Irma quote " have my back" and that his complaint is going no where. Great management again by Kevin (what a fool)! Ironically enough, Myers is the same officer that lied to Kevin about two of the formers officer (Navarreta and Kuhl) and got them fired. Prior to all this it was well documented that Myers was not only an incompetent officer, but had no integrity and lied on official police reports. Presently, the departments ONLY officers remaining are Jensen and Myers (if you can call him an officer). Jensen has honor and integrity. In light of being under tremendous pressure by the cheif not to cooperate with Attorney Michael Curran, he has done the right thing and told the truth; even though he's still on probation himself! Well done Jensen! You are a tribute to Law Enforcement! 2) a second incident involves another female MSJC employee also being sexually harassed by Corporal Mark Medina. Still no investigation on that one, Ann. This also was reported to SEVERAL people (including Kevin). I know its shocking that Medina would be involved in ANOTHER incident involving sexual misconduct. Again, way to go Kevin! Again, Karen Marriott says: "Presently, the District has not been named as a defendant in any tort claim or lawsuit regarding matters involving the police department, nor has any complaint regarding the police department or its officers actually been filed.” Do you really think that no lawsuit has been filed against the college in the midst of all this? Call Attorney Michael Curran of Curran and Curran law offices and verify that the college IS NAMED! The public is OBVIOULSY being lied to by Karin MArriott: Curran and Curran 1211 West Vista Way Vista, Ca 92083 Phone: (760) 477-8188 2:04 pm Fri, Nov 28th, 2008 21. Robert says :What absolute CHAOS !!! Who the HELL is running this asylum ??? This is Damage Control at it's worst. Where is the leadership at MSJC ??? In case you have not noticed, you are quickly losing all CREDIBILITY with the community !!! Why has no one (Shultz) from MSJC not stepped forward to address this damaging information ??? You have to know that much of it is valid !!! Apparently the HR person too is behind much of this on going cover up. At a minimum, why has Sagawa, Meyers and Medina not been suspended pending the outcome of this "so called" investigation ??? After all, with three or four individuals left, they do not seem to be running the department anyway. It is time to ask Hemet PD, Riverside SO or another agency for assistance. Roger Shultz, there is some damaging information which is going to fall back in your lap and this appears to have been going on for a long time. I can not believe that someone as educated as yourself has no common sense !!! But then again look at the type of people you have hired and allowed to destroy your institution. Apparently you were not checking your checkers. Shame on you !!! I believe you better start looking for employment elsewhere before it is to late for you too. "Telling the Truth" and many others appear to have very damaging facts against personnel at MSJC. It is past due for action to be taken here. Stop ruining the lives of people who have the moral compass and courage to do the right thing. If you do this, someday you will be proud and realize it was the right thing to do. Peter S. please tell me I am wrong, but why have I not seen an article on this story in the Press Enterprise ? This is a story which must be known throughout this county. Roger Schultz you have the power to fix this NOW !!! 2:11 pm Fri, Nov 28th, 2008 22. Editor Shannon says :Gail Wesson with the Press-Enterprise did a story on this on Nov. 18. 4:33 pm Sun, Nov 30th, 2008 23. Don Joe says :I was an Officer with Mt. San Jacinto. There is a lot of problems there. One thing is right the Chief is hideing a lot of stuff. I hope it will all come out soon. I was asked to resigh. Corporal Medina is not a good Supervisor. He abuses his authority. 4:33 pm Sun, Nov 30th, 2008 24. Nice job MSJCPD says :Why dose the college need a police dept anyway, now that we are a city the sheriffs dept can patrol, doesn’t MSJC have security guards also? I say get rid of the MSJCPD and save the college lots of money cause the PD obviously isn't doing the job they were hired to do anyway so they won't be missed, the only thing the MSJCPD should be patrolling is the college and the immediate area around the college. 10:50 pm Mon, Dec 1st, 2008 25. Joseph J. says :Can anyone confirm or deny a claim that the former Vice President of Human Resources for Mt. San Jacinto College who retired late last year is currently a principle partner in the law firm who is tasked with investigating these alligations on behalf of the district. 6:07 am Wed, Dec 3rd, 2008 26. Bill D. says :No organization can objectively investigate itself. At a minimum level of authority the County should be involved (and perhaps they are). There would appear to be grounds for the State as well as the Feds to be involved as well. 6:07 am Wed, Dec 3rd, 2008 27. The Mad Parent says :Joseph J., there is NO DOUBT that Dr. John Tyler (former Pres @ MSJC) is a partner of the very same law firm tasked with "investigating" the malfeasance perpetrated by Chief Kevin Segawa, Crp. Mark Medina and Ofcr. Ryan Myers. Does anyone else see a problem with this? http://www.thetylerzampigroup.com/ 8:26 pm Wed, Dec 3rd, 2008 28. ROB says :THIS IS ABSOLUTE PROOF THESE PEOPLE THINK EVERYONE ELSE ARE IDIOTS AND THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW. WE CAN ALL BE SURE THIS WILL BE A COVER-UP INVESTIGATION WITH ONE OF THEIR PUPPETS IN PLACE. THEY WILL MAKE THIS CASE FAR EASIER TO WIN FOR ATTORNEY CURRAN. FOLKS NEED TO CONTINUE UPDATING THIS SITE WITH ALL OF THIS CRITICAL INFORMATION YOU HAVE. I AM SO ANGRY AT ALL THE CORRUPTNESS WHICH EXISTS WITH THE PEOPLE WE TRUST TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AGAIN, WHERE DID SAGAWA COME FROM AND WHAT IS HIS STORY ?? 6:07 pm Thu, Dec 4th, 2008 29. jm says :Rob-I have been keeping up on the some of the comments that people have written about these officers. I remember reading up on Segawa on menifeelive blogs. Unfortunatly, the last time I checked it was closed because people started getting to honest about some of these guys and their past. Try too check it again to see if its up and running. 6:07 pm Thu, Dec 4th, 2008 30. Paul says :Kevin Segawa has an interesting past. 1- Fired from the LAPD after 8 months! 2- No college education. Come on people atleast get an A.A. online or something. 3- Zero, no management experience prior to being handed the Chief job by Dr. Jon Tyler. Yes, the same Dr. Tyler who is now partners with Joe Zampi the attorney who is not supposedly investigating Kevin Segawa! Hmmm....see a conflict of interest? Kevin's time is coming, more allegations are soon to be released. 6:07 pm Thu, Dec 4th, 2008 31. Bill D. says :Crime(s) committed "under color of authority" are serious felonies. This ain't Mayberry, Andy - told you not to make Barney your PIO. 7:12 am Fri, Dec 5th, 2008 32. Ron. says :Paul, I find it interesting that Segawa was fired after 8 months with LAPD, the reason being he was found quilty of domestic violence against his wife, There's no denying it Segawa(All your dirty secrets are coming out). In these times of extreme economic issues I truly wonder how you sleep at night knowing that you have cost the district hundreds of thousands in the awards these officiers will recieve from your lack of leadership and integrity. To you Medina, you have not only shamed yourself, but the badge and the honor that comes with it. It must really hurt knowing that Segawa ultimately left you out to dry, all alone(good luck). To Ann Motte, I'm truly surprised at your lack of attention to these matters, as the only sane voice of the board of trustees I would have hoped that you would have handled this swiftly and avoided the damages and costs that the district will suffer. The district may have to lay off employees to offset these damages caused by Segawa. Congratulations President Schultz, MSJC is getting great press and attention, I can see the students lining up to join classes at MT. MICKEY MOUSE 7:13 am Fri, Dec 5th, 2008 33. Jon says :The site (Menifeelive) is down, but you can get the truth at www.annmotte.com, she is not going to let this happen to her district. Step up Segawa and save others, be a man for once in your life. 7:13 am Fri, Dec 5th, 2008 34. George says :I HAVE A QUESTION, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WHY IS THE CHIEF NOT ON THE SAME ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AS MEDINA? PLEASE TELL ME IF THIS SEEMS STRANGE, HOW IS HE DIFFERENT? THE ADMINISTRATION IS TELLING THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE THAT THEY DO NOT PLAY FAIR AND THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE ABOVE THE LAWS. THIS IS TRULY A PUNCH IN THE STOMACH TO ALL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES. HAS THE DISTRICT LOST THEIR MINDS? I WOULD INVITE THE PUBLIC TO STOP BY THE POLICE DEPT OFFICES AND SEE JUST WHAT A JOKE THIS DEPARTMENT TRULY IS, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT NO ONE IS WATCHING THE CAMPUS, THEY ARE COOPED UP PLANNING THEIR DEFENSE SPEECHES. IT IS SAD TO SEE THAT SEGAWA IS STILL TOOLING AROUND IN A FORTY THOUSAND DOLLAR VEHICLE, WHILE HIS OTHER CAR IS BEING OUT FITTED WITH THE LATEST GADGETS THAT HE WILL NEVER GET TO USE. 7:13 am Fri, Dec 5th, 2008 35. ROB says :JM- JUST AS YOU SAID, THERE IS NOT ONE WORD ABOUT THIS ABORTION ON MENIFEELIVE. JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE COVERUP WHICH IS NOW IN FULL FORCE. PAUL- YOU CONFIRMED WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT SAGAWA AND HIS PAST. DID THIS GUY GET HIRED FOR HALF PRICE AND WHEN DID HE START AT MSJC ? IT HAS ALL CAUGHT UP AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR "MORE ALLEGATIONS TO BE RELEASED." 3:56 pm Fri, Dec 5th, 2008 36. STEVE says :YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD ROB, HERE IS THE NEW ARTICLE THAT JUST CAME OUT TODAY WITH MORE ALLEGATIONS. http://www.myvalleynews.com/story.php?story_id=34522 4:08 am Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 37. Old School says :Sounds like its time to bring back public hangings. 4:08 am Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 38. Outsider says :It seems like all comments are posted by people within the school district and people who do not like police officers in the first place. It is truly a shameful police department. I am glad that justice will come to those that think they are above the law. Comment for Bill Hadely: all police officers in the state of California have the same power under the penal code, they go through the same training and certification, they just work for different departments with different jurisdiction. Get your facts right. "Patrol and protect the campus, leave the city and county to the professionals". 5:21 pm Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 39. Paul says :Kevin Segawa is a complete coward. Has anyone heard a peep from this guy? Nope. Is he that arrogant where he believes he is above defending himself against these allegation? More likely he will not publicly deny them because he KNOWS they are true! Wouldnt an innocent person be publicly demanding an outside investigation? I sure would! However, a guilty person would simply hide and hope it all goes away. Still waiting to publicly hear from you Kevin Segawa......... 5:22 pm Sun, Dec 7th, 2008 40. Fed up says :I completely understand if the local authorities need back up and the campus police are the immediate dept to assist and vis versa, but it truly seems that these guys are bored out of their minds. They have the need to venture off campus to find problems so they can play cop. This boredom has gotten the best of them and they have become restless, they needed this scandal to bring some attention to the pathetic dept of misfits. Unfortunately, this is going to not only hurt the dept, but the entire district. These guys are so bored they have begun harassing employees and doing Human Resources duties, maybe they can branch out and start helping other departments as well. 8:17 am Fri, Dec 12th, 2008 41. Wesley says :And then there were none. Segawa fired one his last remaining officers today for reasons that are unknown at this time, I'm sure he had a good reason, maybe the officer was stealing #2 pencils from the office. Good job Segawa, Ryan your next. 4:24 am Sun, Dec 14th, 2008 42. Truthseeker says :Check out the lawsuit filed online: http://public-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/OpenAccess/civil/civildetails.asp?casenumber=514819&courtcode=A&dsn=&casetype=RIC 6:52 am Mon, Dec 15th, 2008 43. Embarrassed MSJC Employee says :I have been following this case but I have one question. Why is Officer Myers being attacked and named in the civil lawsuit? Maybe I missed that part of it all, but what did he do? 6:52 am Mon, Dec 15th, 2008 44. Wesley says :who's responsibility is it to investigate the claim that Segawa stole evidence(ice cream)? This isn't something the District can do, this is a law enforcement matter, has the District Attorney been involved? It's truly sad to know that this whole department will be dissolved very soon because of poor management from the top down. 7:41 am Tue, Dec 16th, 2008 45. Former Chief says :To Embarrassed MSJC Employee- those of you who remember the Menifeelive.com blog may remember that it was Ryan Myers who helped get this entire story out into the open. Essentially, Myers and Medina colluded to get former officer Navarreta fired. It was Navarreta who initiated the law suit against MSJC, Medina and Myers (for slander). It was later learned that Myers also lied to get former officer Kuhl fired. But that was only after Kuhl, who was Myers training officer, recommended to chief Segawa that he (Myers) be terminated due to several issues. The most severe issue involved his lack of truthfulness when completing official police reports. Myers also had a hand in the termination of Officer Jensen after attempting to attack him. Most people loose sight of Myers in this thing due to the fact he's a little guy compared to the chief and the corporal, but don’t kid yourself. He's the direct cause of all this coming out! So the fire4d officer should actually be thanking Myers. Myers is going to make the four officers VERY RICH! And at the same time Myers, Medina and Segawa will be on the unemployment line. 10:26 am Mon, Dec 22nd, 2008 46. Jim says :Sad that the people involved in the original department formation knew so little about community college policing. Community college policing is 90 percent security and 10 percent law enforcement. More time and a greater effort should have been spent locating and hiring a Police Chief with years of background in city, county, state or federal law enforcement with command college policing experience, Community colleges don’t have the resources to train their command officers and campus police officers properly, therefore they need to hire officers that have years of law enforcement experience behind them and bring with them that experience that would help form the base of their department. Retired police officers within our department have proven to be an invaluable asset to our college community. Young men and woman right out of the academy just don’t have the experience nor get the supervision needed in a college policing environment to avoid problems that MSJC is experiencing. As for the Chief, if what I read about his background is true, no POST department in CA. (that I know of) would have considered him for employment. 6:30 am Thu, Dec 25th, 2008 47. Former Cop says :http://www.myvalleynews.com/story.php?story_id=34522 6:14 pm Sat, Dec 27th, 2008 48. Wesley says :Jim, your absolutely right. Segawa was hired in order to save the District money, it's ironic how this has turned out. This will cost the District money due to the lack of managerial experience Segawa has, he is truly a discrace to the department and the district, Irma Ramos is not a person of her word. She has been protecting Segawa for some time now, one can only speculate as to why.. 3:50 pm Wed, Jan 21st, 2009 49. 92584 says :http://www.latimes.com/business/careers/work/la-me-inglewoodsex28-2008dec28,0,1371852.story 5:45 pm Wed, Jan 21st, 2009 50. NoFan of 92584 says :Kevin, isint it bad enough that you have broken nearly every policmans code of conduct, labor law, moral and ethical rule, now you leak defamatory information to the LA Times about one of your officers (that you hired) that is private and protected under law? When are you going to learn? If this guy didnt already have a concrete case against you for retalliation...he sure does now! Here is a copy of the email he sent to the LA Times after the above story broke: Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 1:51:17 PM Subject: Inglewood police officers have been embroiled in sex-related scandals Mr. Leonard and Ms. Kim, My name is Ron Navarreta and I am outraged to be the subject of your alleged \"breaking news\" story prominently displayed in the December 28, 2008 edition of the LA Times inaccurately relating events of 2004 and the manner in which you inaccurately portrayed me and the Inglewood Police Department as a whole. By this letter and the more complete accurate information I am providing herein, I am giving you the opportunity to print a similarly prominently displayed retraction or, at a minimum, a follow-up story that includes the accurate and complete facts that you obviously did not research before printing your sensationalized headline and story. Furthermore, I am informed and believe your source divulged private official information protected by law. How you received even partial information regarding my employment history with the Inglewood Police Department, is also a serious concern. It is apparent that the (likely soon to be) ex-Chief of Police for the Mt. San Jacinto College Police Department, Kevin Segawa, violated the law when he allegedly partially informed you about my work history, likely in retaliation for my current wrongful termination claims pending against him and the College. First and foremost, it is uncontradicted and in the record that there was NO EVIDENCE that I ever received the alleged pornographic images you reference. Specifically, the FBI agent handling the investigation testified in her sworn testimony that there was NO EVIDENCE that the email from the sender was actually received by a computer that I had access to. The then police chief, Ron Banks, also testified that there was no evidence that I received any child pornography. To this day I vigorously deny ever receiving any such image or engaging in any kind of child pornography. Your article irresponsibly suggests otherwise. The title you chose for your article (\"Inglewood police officers have been embroiled in sex-related scandals\") sensationalizes and unfairly suggests that I was involved in a \"sex scandal.\" In fact, there was no \"sex\" of any kind alleged in my case. To compound matters you chose to site alleged allegations involving actual sex by other officers (i.e. Manzi story) and inappropriately place me in this false and defamatory light. You also failed to report in my 13 year career with the Inglewood Police Department, I was NEVER accused of any inappropriate conduct (sexual or otherwise) on or off duty. Chief Banks testified to this in my case. Your article also failed to note the indisputable fact that during the same time of the allegations in 2004, an AOL employee stole 92 MILLION screen names (and other information) of current AOL members and sold that information to SPAMMERS for profit. This crime and subsequent investigation was on going for sometime until the suspect was arrested in late June 2004. This fact was well publicized in local papers and confirmed by the Department Of Justice. This would account for the creation of the \"PlyGRoUndObsver\" screen name that somehow became associated with my AOL account; a screen name that was NOT MINE! You might wish to read a relevant article on the subject located at; http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/privacy/story/0,10801,94059,00.html?nas=SEC2-94059 Your article also inaccurately stated that FBI agents were unable to examine the computers I allegedly used because they had been sold or reported stolen. In fact, the FBI DID examine the only personal computer that I had access to in that time period. NO ILLEGAL IMAGES/INFORMATION WAS FOUND! This is on the record in my case and undisputed. The \"sold or reported stolen\" computers you reference in your article are comprised of one computer that I sold 6-12 months before I was even contacted by the FBI and work laptop computer that did not belong to me. That laptop was owned and used by my then girlfriend. She was interviewed by the FBI and confirmed that she had NEVER seen any illegal images on her laptop computer. She added that it was her opinion that I was not and could not be connected in any way with child porn. Her laptop was stolen from our apartment (along with other electronic items) when we were away. A report was made with the Anaheim Police Department. Finally, your article states that I lied to the FBI and Inglewood PD. That is false! In fact, the record clearly states that I cooperated fully with the FBI investigation (I did not even exercise my right to counsel) and even invited them into my apartment when they made a surprise visit. The \"lied to the FBI and Inglewood Investigators\" portion of your article was based upon (Quoting from the record) “variances between the FBI’s paraphrased summary of its non-recorded interview with Grievant, without presence of counsel, compared to the recorded interview of Grievant during the Internal Affairs interview of Grievant with the presence of counsel and culminating in a verbatim transcript.” I would strongly suggest you discuss these very serious matters with your editors and legal counsel. If you do not retract your story or print a follow up that contains these facts and corrects the false light and defamatory nature of your story you will be a party to an invasion of privacy and defamation lawsuit along with Chief Kevin Segawa. A copy of this email is also being sent to my attorney, Michael Curran of Curran and Curran Law. I am hopeful you will act more responsibly in the future. Please advise me of your intentions. You can contact me directly at (714) 4XX-XXXX. Ron Navarreta 3:54 pm Mon, Jan 26th, 2009 51. Goodguy says :I am a former law enforcement veeran with over 20 years experience. I have a few issues here with what has been said. First off, under the police officer's bill of rights and the government code, nothing can be placed in an officer's personnel file without the employee being notified and signing it. This is called "stuffing the file" and it is illegal. I went through this once and the sgt. involved was reprimanded for it. How can any peace officer not know about complaints against him. He or she has the right to see or review their said file at any time. If a department determines that some information is deemed "secret" they have to qualify why. I find it hard to believe some of the allegations against Medina and Segawa. These were probationary emplyees, as well as a reserve officer from what I have read. Don't get me wrong, one thing I have learned is that politics exist in every police agency, local, state and federal etc. The accusations cannot be commented on and I find it difficult that none of these individuals recorded these conversations, which peace officers are allowed to do under state law. I know for a fact that RSO had enacted a policy in their general orders that prohibits deputies from recording other department members secretively. This was due to a deputy recording the abuse by his training officer and administrator. This keeps the truth from coming out I can assure you. I have noticed that some of this litigants have such wild tales, that I would like to see how they justify their allegaitons. It is easy to bash someone's reputation, but it is harder to justify it. I have been wathcing this closely and the end result should interesting. We all know that all personnel records are confidential and cannot be discussed. Taking into account all of the facts are what is needed. The difficult thing about police work itself is not the work, but the persons you work with. This is very true when comes to administrators who can make your life miserable. It can also be said that an overly agressive partner can also makes things difficult. I worked for 7 years straight without one citizen's complaint. Even though I arrested numerous persons and on occassion had to use force. I had feloow cops look at my record with amazement. I was a training officer for numerous cops and classified employees and I can tell you you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If these officers had any type of serious gripe, there a well established procedure in place to make their grievences known. I am for getting this mess cleaned up and the PD back to doing their jobs, instead of being reading this nonsense. Cops have a difficult job and they knew that when they signed up. 9:11 am Mon, Feb 9th, 2009 52. True says :Good guy, thank you for your public service. With your experience, i would expect that your are correct with your comments. I do however think that you might be a little off when you say "litigants have such wild tales, that I would like to see how they justify their allegaitons. It is easy to bash someone's reputation, but it is harder to justify it." If this was just 1 employee complaing, I would agree with you. I have been following this story from the beginning and there is now 4 police officers and 1 civilian employee going after the college. That doessnt sound like "wild tales" to me. I would expect that some of thier story is backed up by photographs or video. That would be really good for them. If any of this story is true, and i expect that it all is, the college is going to be paying a very large settlement to all of these people. 4:41 pm Tue, Apr 21st, 2009 53. Vic says :This story is looking more and more true. More bloggers are coming out with relevant and timely information. Apparently Chief Kevin Segawa is under investigation by the Riverside County DA's Office (Integrity Unit). Take a look at this for more details: http://msjcpolicecoverup.blogspot.com/ 5:47 pm Mon, Apr 27th, 2009 54. Annie says :What a surprise... A corrupt cop! Could it be? 8:36 am Thu, Jun 25th, 2009 55. charletond says :deep reducing observed indicates program relatively 9:20 am Fri, Jul 10th, 2009 56. jeramieedm says :positive data cost oscillation study ongoing world 6:52 pm Fri, Jul 17th, 2009 57. Ray M says :Can anyone confirm that Kevin Segawa has been placed on leave from his position as Cheif pending an investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department? Reports have surfaced claiming that search warrants were served on Kevin's office and residence. Calls to the MSJC Administrative office's have fallen on deaf ears. This is truly a sad day for the college. Congratulations Sheriff's Department, finally get rid of this cancer and help restore order to the fledgling dept. 11:29 am Sat, Oct 3rd, 2009 58. i know says :Yes Kevin was put on "leave" immediately after the District Attorneys office raided the police station and disarmed him. There is an interim chief in place who is retired from riverside sheriffs department. According to the word the Menifee campus; kevin will not be returning. 4:55 pm Mon, Dec 7th, 2009 59. I know says :Kevin Segawa has now been arrested and put in jail. See Annmotte.com for detailed information. It is safe to say that the former officers were justified in their claims against the collge district. 5:32 pm Fri, Jan 22nd, 2010 60. jerry says :Yah...I was arrested by these guys Sagawa and Medina on campus with 5 felonies when I did'nt do anything. They wanted to keep me quiet by arresting me. They tried to have my friends car towed for a kick back from the towing company. When I threatened to complaint they felonized me...believe that crap! But you know what...look who has felonies now hahaha!! I hear they don't like cops in jail...hope they nail them both!! |
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