Brody's Notes... Palm Springs Police Chief Who Made Ant-Gay Slur & Apologized Announces Retirement

Palm Springs, California, police chief David Dominguez   Photo via The Desert Sun

By Mark Singer (Washington DC) JAN 6 | The City Of Palm Springs, California police chief who came under withering criticism for comments he made and the conduct of his officers during a controversial public sex sting operation in the city's Warm Sands neighborhood, announced yesterday he was retiring. Chief David Dominguez told reporters in a press conference:

“After careful consideration of the recent debates surrounding the Warm Sands Law Enforcement Operation, I believe this decision is in the best interest of my family, my health, the department and the city,” Dominguez said Wednesday. With all the debate going on regarding the Warm Sands operation, I felt it was the right time for me. It has been a privilege to be the Chief of Police and work with the professional men, women and volunteers in the Police Department who are extremely dedicated to the community.”

In an undercover police sting in June of 2009, responding to public complaints of sexual misconduct in public in the city's Warm Sands neighborhood, nineteen men were arrested on charges of public sex crimes and lewd acts as the result of the police department's operation. All of those arrested have been charged under California Penal Code 314, which, upon conviction, requires them to register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives on a computerized data base visible only to law enforcement officers.
During court testimony, it was revealed that several undercover officers were recorded uttering an offensive gay slur during the operation which prompted the city to conduct department-wide sensitivity training.
The training was augmented with an internal review of police procedure during that undercover operation, in which it was disclosed that Chief Dominguez also was named among those accused of making offensive remarks. He then publicly apologized last week for what the Chief deemed an “inappropriate comment.”
Reaction from the LGBTQ community was swift upon learning of the Chief's retirement:
“I think this is the honorable thing for him to do for Palm Springs,” said resident Thomas Van Etten, a member of the police Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Outreach Committee who has criticized police during the sting. “The healing can begin now.”
The local newspaper, The Desert Sun, in its coverage reports:

Though a specific date for Dominguez's retirement has not been disclosed, the 55-year-old chief is expected to step down in the next two weeks, City Manager David Ready said.

“I'm pleased the chief put the city — the health of the city, the good of the city — ahead of his own personal interests,” Mayor Pro Tem Lee Weigel said. “I think he did the right thing, and because of that I think the city has an opportunity to move ahead with the other important business it has to do.”

Councilman Rick Hutcheson added “at this point we have to go forward and learn the lessons that are to be learned from this.”

“I certainly appreciate his time here; the programs he instigated — and I want to thank him for his time,” Councilman Chris Mills said.

Dominguez's final annual salary was $178,896, said Perry Madison, the city's human resources director.

According to his contract, because Dominguez voluntarily retired, he is not eligible to receive his five-month severance, which would have totaled to about $85,000.

“Sometimes in life there are mistakes that cannot be fixed, and it's a sign of maturity for someone to acknowledge that they may have made one of those mistakes,” said resident Robert Stone of Dominguez's retirement.

Stone, who is one of the founding members of the Warm Sands Neighborhood Organization and a Warm Sands Advisory Committee member, told The Desert Sun on Dec. 31 that Dominguez had been “less than truthful” with the advisory committee since the sex sting.