The California Attorney General’s Office has declined to initiate criminal charges against Police Chief David Valentin following a Santa Ana Police Officers Association request for an investigation, city leaders announced.
Corey Glave, attorney for the police union, sent five letters to OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer in January 2022 requesting an investigation. Spitzer referred the allegations to the state’s attorney general for review due to a conflict of interest. A spokesperson for Spitzer’s office declined to comment.
The Attorney General’s Office sent written determination on July 14 that criminal charges are not warranted and that it would take no further action, according to the announcement released by the Santa Ana Police Department.
The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to requests for a copy of its letter.
“The reckless and baseless allegations by Glave, and his clients, against me threaten public confidence and jeopardize public safety,” Valentin said in a statement. “The outcome of the comprehensive review confirms neither I, nor SAPD, has engaged in any criminal conduct or any misconduct that would warrant a criminal investigation. We will continue to stay the course to protect and serve the Santa Ana community in an ethical, legal and empathetic manner.”
Gerry Serrano, president of the police officers association, did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did Glave.
Serrano has been at odds with Valentin and other city officials over a number of issues. Serrano and the Police Officers Association have filed several lawsuits against the police chief and other city staff members alleging retaliation, spying and labor code violations, among other complaints.
Another point of contention between Serrano and the city has to do with his requests to add an additional city job to his association work, which would boost his pension on retirement – the California Public Employees’ Retirement System calculates…
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