Malibu And 4 Nearby Cities Meet With Sheriff – Finally – As Demoted Captain Gets His Rank Back

[Note to listeners and readers: this item was broadcast Wednesday, and posted Thursday.  There are no KBUU newscasts scheduled for Thursday and Friday, as we have some maintenance tasks at the station.]

Malibu’s mayor and city manager met with County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and his command staff on Monday … an effort to salvage relations between the newly-elected sheriff and the five cities in western Los Angeles County that send him $25 million dollars a year for police services.

And KBUU News has learned that the captain who was demoted and removed from Malibu, as the result of complaints from certain Malibu activists, has been reinstated as captain.  But he will remain transferred out to a different post.

Villanueva has always said he was elected to blow up what he called a failing system. As far as Malibu and nearby cities are concerned … he has succeeded in completely blowing up relations between the sheriff’s office and the cities that hire him.

Malibu is not alone in its anger at for changes of command at the Malibu lost Hill Sheriff Station … had a special meeting yesterday of the regional council of governments … all four cities let loose with complaints.

Agoura Hills … Calabasas … Hidden Hills …. Westlake Village … Malibu.

Representatives from all five cities plus representatives from County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s office met for 90 minutes Villanueva and his command staff.

They said they were shocked to learn that yet another command staff turnover had occurred.

Villanueva had hired a new North Division Chief  …. and not informed the city governments.

Malibu mayor Karen Farrer.

NEWSCART 75453 FARRER MEETING

“We basically uniformly expressed our concerns over the numerous personnel changes and the abruptness of them and the appointments of new people at the station without input from the COG, which is a big change of how it’s been handled from the past.”

The COG is the Council of Governments…. made up of the five cities. 

The appointment of Lt. Chuck Becerra at Malibu Lost Hills …. as the acting captain … was especially grating.

Becerra had what’s especially getting interviewed for the Malibu Lost Hills captain job a half year ago … but was rejected by the city managers. 

The city officials say they were very less than pleased to hear that Becerra was reinstated as the police chief for the five cities.

The Calabasas city manager … Gary Lysik … Calabasas city manager Gary Lasic … said imposing a city police chief on the contract cities is not acceptable.

The meeting Monday … he says … was to law down the expectation that this wpn;t happen any more.

NEWSCART 75451 GARY LYSIK

GARY LYSIK: “It was basically for the sheriff to come to the realization that cities need to participate in the selection of a new captain.

“And at the end of that meeting that objective in my opinion was met.”

REPORTER: “Do you think his mind was changed when he met with you guys …. and saw that you were coming with fairly modest and reasonable expectations?”
LYSIK: “I actually believe it so … because going into it we received a phone call … each of the five city managers received a phone call … indicating the command change at Lost Hill Sheriff Station and the possibility that the sheriff would simply appoint a new replacement captain.

“At the end of that meeting after hearing in each of us speak for a while I believe he came to the new right conclusion that is important for each of the five cities to be involved in that selection process.”

Dr. Gary Lysik is the city manager of Calabasas.

The city managers are in a tough spot … they need to consult and concur with their city councils in five different cities.

They expect to draft a letter to the sheriff by Friday … to reiterate what they and he said at the Monday meeting.

But the fact remains …. the sheriff can simply continue to thumb his nose at the cities …

He is doing that to the county supervisors right now … and they control his budget.

Villanueva has received blistering criticism from county supervisors … for promoting cronies … for undoing reforms at the scandal-plagued jail … and for rehiring deputies who had been fired for misbehavior.

Villanueva says the firings were bad … that he has improved morale in the department … and that he was elected to shake things up.

Back in western L-A County … Malibu’s Karen Farrer says  the four other cities seem to be receptive to the concept of exploring … if the five western L-A County cities should dump the sheriff’s as city police agencies.

NEWSCART 75452 FARRER POLICE

“I think the group was receptive to it but it was not on today’s agenda so I think that will be on a future agenda.

“And we did reach consensus about sending a letter memorializing yesterdays meeting with the sheriff and the outcome of that and particularly regarding future cog input continued input into the interview process of captain.”

Malibu and the four other cities may find themselves powerless to tell the sheriff whom he should appoint as station captain … or whom should then be appointed as the liaison to each city.

The L A County Board of Supervisors is suing the sheriff … the sheriff has opened a criminal probe into the actions of the supervisors’ investigators who are supposed to be providing civilian oversight on the sheriff.

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And in the middle of all this … the sheriff’s captain who was dumped by Villanueva last week… and demoted … has been reinstated as a captain.

Three sources have confirmed to KBUU News that Captain Matthew Vader Horck has his captain’s bars back.

And the sheriff has reportedly apologized for demoting him … after a friend of the sheriff’s complained about the way that a reported sexual assault was being handled in Malibu.

Or allegedly … mishandled.

Cece Woods … who runs a blog and an occasional tabloid newspaper in Malibu … is a political advisor and close friend to the sheriff.

In her blog … she promised that heads will roll at the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff’s station … after she charged that the local deputies had bungled a sex assault case.

This was at the condominiums on Civic Center Way City manager Reva Feldman said yesterday that the internet-fueled rumors … amplified by Cece Woods … exaggerated the supposed crime.

Feldman says the case in question was a serious case … nonetheless.

A  transient in a young woman’s condo unit … who touched her inappropriately.

A serious matter.

But she said the Malibu deputies had apparently handled that probe by the book.

And the Vander Horck was not even aware that the case was escalating into some sort of major sex crime worry after the victim changed her story.

Villanueva was quoted by Woods as saying  “There will be consequences” shortly before Vander Horck was demoted and transferred out.

Those consequences have apparently been undone.