The majority of Arvin Police officers are not happy with the leadership of their police chief. Fourteen police officers from the Arvin Police Officer's Association wrote a vote of no confidence letter about Chief Tommy Tunson to the Arvin City Council.
The officers are asking for Tunson to be removed from his position.
Chief Tunson says it caught him off guard. He's been sick. He says he plans to talk to the officers, hoping to get on the same page.
In the small city of Arvin, many police officers hope their presence communicates their role to instill public safety. But behind the wall of this tiny police department, internal communication is failing. Mayor Pro Tem, Jose Flores says,"I do have a very high concern in regards to the officers' concerns." Those concerns are expressed in this vote of no confidence letter. A letter in which officers criticize current policies. Like needing approval from a supervisor for certain arrests. The department's failure to form a narcotic investigation team. They criticize Chief Tunson's leadership abilities and lack of response to personnel complaints.
Chief Tunson says the letter took him by surprise. Tunson says, "Most of them I hired, brought them in, gave them their chance in law enforcement, so at first it was very difficult to hear." Tunson issued a letter of his own responding to the criticism. Tunson says, "they are inaccurate and based on information and innuendos my focus is on the safety of the Arvin residents."
Lt. Olan Armstrong has worked for Arvin Police, 32 years and he's seen 12 police chiefs come and go. Armstrong supports Tunson. Armstrong says, "I've probably had as many disagreements with him as anybody else has and uh probably complained about as much as anybody else but right is right."
The matter is now in the hands of the city manager, who will investigate, conduct a review, then offer finds to Arvin City Council. Armstrong says, "So I don't know where it's going I hope however it turns out it helps our department."
The Arvin City Manager will address the council about the Police Chief sometime next year.
