General (14)
Susana Barrios
From:Stephanie Mercadante <burglin.stephanie@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 25, 2026 6:14 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] On Behalf of Mike Robbins, District 2, Councilmember Carlos Leon
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
For public comment on August 25, 2026:
At a recent Los Amigos meeting, Chief Manny Cid characterized Anaheim Police Department's
overtime controversy as involving systematic or managerial oversight shortcomings, saying there
wasn't necessarily specific culpability attributable to any one person.
But just because Chief Cid says it, doesn't make it true.
A system failure does not erase individual responsibility.
If an officer submitted inaccurate time records, that's an individual issue.
If someone knowingly approved overtime that wasn't legitimate, that's an individual issue.
And if officers manipulated an overtime system for their own financial benefit, calling the system
poorly managed doesn't make the underlying conduct disappear.
System failure and individual misconduct are not mutually exclusive.
And it is definitely a leadership failure to pretend potential individual misconduct never
happened.
Former Chief Rick Armendariz apparently saw enough to request an audit of Jose Duran and
Tony Lee's timesheets.
So what did that audit find? And why does Chief Cid appear so reluctant to discuss individual
culpability? That brings us to Anaheim Police Association President Jose Duran. Chief Cid, what
exactly is your relationship with Jose Duran?
Are you friends?
Do you socialize outside of work?
And if you have a close personal relationship, have you recused yourself from decisions
involving the investigation of Duran's overtime?
Because this is about independence.
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When a chief has responsibility for reviewing potential misconduct involving someone with whom
he has a close personal relationship, the public has every right to question whether that
relationship could affect the investigation.
Would Anaheim allow someone to investigate a close friend and simply tell the public, Don't
worry, I can be objective?
And who else reviewed this investigation?
If former City Manager Jim Vanderpool and Human Resources Director Linda Andal participated in
reviewing the investigation or determining its outcome, the public has every right to question the
integrity and independence of that decision-making process as well. We're talking about officers
receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime. Taxpayers deserve to know: Who financially
benefited from any improper practices?
If Chief Cid has a close personal relationship with someone whose conduct requires investigation,
perhaps Chief Cid shouldn't be deciding whether that person's conduct warrants further investigation.
That's not an accusation. That's common sense. Anaheim cannot investigate potential police
misconduct through the lens of friendship. Follow the timecards. Follow the approvals. Follow the
money. And let a truly independent investigation determine individual responsibility.
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