Gerry Serrano, president of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, is out at City Hall, officials announced this week.
“Mr. Serrano has been separated from city service pending retirement pursuant to a confidential personnel matter,” Paul Eakins, the city’s public affairs information officer, said in an email. He declined to give more information.
Serrano and the Police Officers Association did not respond to requests for comment.
Serrano and the Police Officers Association have filed several lawsuits against city staff alleging retaliation, spying and labor code violations, among other complaints. Serrano has also been in conflict with city leaders over the amount of his pension.
“The reign of intimidation, undue influence and abuse of power appear to finally be ending with the imminent departure of Santa Ana’s Police Officer Association president,” said Vicente Sarmiento, who was the city’s mayor before winning the Second District seat on the OC Board of Supervisors last year.
Sarmiento added in his statement that for the past eight years, he witnessed “city staff time, funds and morale wasted” to appease Serrano. “My hope is that our community can begin to heal and restore the trust that was profoundly harmed between law enforcement and residents,” Sarmiento said.
Under Serrano’s leadership, the police union, in 2019, led recall efforts against two city councilmembers who voted against police raises. Earlier this year the union moved to recall councilmembers Jessie Lopez and Thai Viet Phan.
Petition signatures for the recall against Lopez have been filed, and the City Council was expected to discuss the special election details at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Signatures seeking a recall vote for Phan have yet to be submitted to the city clerk’s office.
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