There’s a new chief in town and he comes with a ton of baggage.
Ramon Batista, Jr., announced today as head of the Santa Monica Police Department, resigned from his last job as police chief in Mesa, Arizona amid an overwhelming vote of no confidence from the local police union.
He was reportedly paid $89,000 to not discuss his reason for stepping down.
“The chief is a liberal snowflake who cares more about public image than his officers,” one former employee said at the time. “He is a cancer on this department. His policies endanger officers and his conduct proves he has no spine.”
Batista, a married grandfather, has 30 plus years of law enforcement experience but hasn’t held a job since 2019.
He was recently turned down for the job of Top Cop in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Batista will take over for Interim Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks effective Monday, October 18 and receive an annual salary of $298,788 plus benefits.
A prepared statement from Santa Monica City Manager David White, describes Batista as “a tenured law enforcement professional who built strong community relationships in both of the communities he has served with outstanding performance.”
But one former Mesa PD officer was quoted by the Arizona Republic in 2019 as saying: “The dishonest and disturbing behavior by Chief Batista has brought disgrace and discredit to a once excellent police department.
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“The lack of leadership by the Chief has sent this department into a spiraling pit of the worst morale it has ever seen. The Chief runs this once great police department like a dictator and not a leader to be looked up to.
“I am ashamed to call myself a Mesa police officer with the current executive staff and more so with the current Chief of Police!”
Batista served as assistant chief in Tucson before being appointed police chief in Mesa in 2017.
He presided over 760 officers during a highly public trial in which one of his rank and file stood trial for the death of an unarmed black man.
Per AZ Central:
Multiple officers previously told The Arizona Republic their support of Batista wavered after he publicly condemned multiple Mesa officers involved in two use-of-force incidents.
One video showed officers kneeing and punching an unarmed man repeatedly. In the other, two officers were seen roughing up a 15-year-old armed-robbery suspect after the boy was handcuffed.
Batista called the actions unacceptable and pledged change during a news conference last June. The comments were made before Scottsdale police investigated the cases and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office ultimately decided not to file any charges against the officers involved.
Batista and his department were also faced with allegations that current and former female officers were treated unfairly.
Vicki Hixson, a retired detective, told a local TV news station that she was forced out of her job after 21 years and called “emotional” by her superior because she was a woman. Hickson says she brought her complaint to Batista, who refused to investigate it.
In March 2019, all Mesa Police employees were surveyed to “assess our current scenario and identify gaps that could be remedied,” a police union official told AZ Central.
Eighty-four percent ranked the overall morale of the department as poor.
“He’s no longer welcome in the Mesa Police Department,” Nate Gafvert, president of Mesa Police Association, asserted. “He’s no longer welcome in our home and we would like him to leave.”
In response, Batista released the following statement:
“The Mesa Police Department’s mission is and always has been to protect and serve the people of Mesa. We work together with City leaders and the community to prevent and reduce crime and to ensure justice by building trust, showing respect and preserving human rights.
“As a command staff, we are committed to leading this department and supporting its officers as they carry out their duties. Together we have experienced tremendous growth and faced challenges that in the end will make us better. We will continue to build stronger relationships within the department and throughout the community.
“I am proud to serve the City of Mesa as the Police Chief and to lead the men and women of the Mesa Police Department.”
We have reached out to the City of Santa Monica for comment and will update if one is provided.
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