Seven members of the Bishop Police Department released a lengthy “Letter of No Confidence in Bishop Police Chief Chris Carter” – detailing alleged misdeeds by Chief Carter and other City of Bishop officials.
Brent Gillespie, Mark Gutierrez, Doug Mairs, David Jepson, Jared Waasdorp, Bryan Rossy and Mike Mairs signed their names to the press release that was distributed to the Bishop City Council, Sierra Wave Media and other Eastern Sierra media outlets.
There are 11 sworn officers of the Bishop Police Department, not counting Chief Carter and police dispatchers.
In July, Chief Carter announced his plans to retire at the end of September.
Sierra Wave Media contacted the Bishop Police Department for comment from Chief Carter, but he is on vacation. All calls were referred to Bishop City Administrator Jim Tatum. Tatum told Sierra Wave Media the City of Bishop had no comment at this time, but would respond to the letter.
Click on the following link for the complete text of the letter:
Letter of No Confidence in Bishop Police Chief Chris Carter
As a veteran I believe the Colonel could have provided things for Bishop that are in short supply. I believe that the 7 officers, chief, the city administrator lack. I wonder how many of these folks have served their country. 10 leadership qualities from fortune 500 Ceo’s with Military Backgrounds… Read more »
Situations involving law enforcement and or local government, can often be tricky. Unfortunately, Abuse of power, and retaliation happens much more than most of us are aware of, and because of this, there are times when it may not be wise to reveal your identity. I know this from personal… Read more »
Small town justice at its finest. And it’s even worse in Bridgeport.
If you don’t value your own opinion enough to stand behind it, how do you expect anyone else to ? We’re all entitled to our opinions, and I,for one, have absolutely no problem when someone doesn’t agree with mine or vice-versa. I just don’t choose to hide behind a bogus… Read more »
Well stated Rick. Using a pseudonym to add factual content to a discussion, I understand. It can be of real value to the process. Using a pseudonym to snipe, or express hostility is not of value to anyone. As I always preach: no such thing as anonymity on the net…..… Read more »
Rick O’ Brien….Thing about it is,there are a LOT of goof-balls out there this day and age that are,at the least,willing to take it to the next level…web-site “tough-guys”…getting someone’s phone number,address,and personal info is a “click” away…when I had that creep on the MLB baseball site threaten me with… Read more »
@Happy – says the hypocrite. Who cares if people post a fake name! It’s irrelevant! The situation doesn’t become more (sadder) because of people’s opinions, or there fake name. 1st amendment is pretty clear. None of us had nothing to do with this story. Someone wants to post there real… Read more »
To anyone reading this who HASN’T posted a negative comment under an assumed name (and I know who several of you are…great choice on the fake names, brothers!), you should definitely check out the posting of the letters & comments on the Inyo Register: you HAVE to give your name… Read more »
That would be “news” agency and Benett (proper spelling) didn’t require “true” names.
Bob Todd
Happy ; Sometimes not a good idea to show your true name on a web-site,especially when it differs from most opinions,or you don’t take it all serious like some seem to do.Personally,on a MLB web-site I posted on in the past,one guy threatened to expose my phone number and personal… Read more »
I am honestly embarrassed for Pam and Rhonda. Your comments don’t support any real facts. Having read the Chiefs letter, i can now see it is out of desperation. Desperation to cover up wrong doings. Well guess what, this is not going away, so buckle up buttercup, skeletons will be… Read more »
Support for the facts? So how does the letter “show support for the facts?
Stay focused on the facts people. Calling out Pam or Bob Todd tells me you just like whine, complain and stir the pot. The facts are an issue was brought up by seven officers, that needs to be addressed. Intelligent comments have been made. Keep them going. Pam is showing… Read more »
Not posting all the comments in support of Chris and Pam is awesome too! Fail on the part of the moderator.
Rhonda – If you wouldn’t call people names and not use profanity, perhaps a couple of your comments would have posted.
Bob Todd
I am not just talking about my comments sir.
Sir??? Wow, Rhonda you say sir, you have class!!
I don’t appreciate you calling my integrity into question. As much as I don’t like to use the phrase, because, I love dogs as much as anyone in this world, I have no dog in this fight. I’m just doing my job and trying my best to be fair. Bob… Read more »
Bob, like Benett before you, your reputation in our community is rock solid. You present the facts from both sides and let the people decide. Rhonda’s comments are typical of those who cannot present a rational argument for their position. She cannot argue the facts so she attacks the messenger.… Read more »
The reality is Bennett had agendas like most people. For those that say she wouldn’t post one sided reports or that she only reported the truth from both sides to let the reader decided, are also wrong. The Mono County Sheriff campaign is a great example where she reported her… Read more »
That is simply false, insofar as the Mono County Sheriff’s campaign is concerned; Benett simply reported the facts surrounding Sheriff Obenberger’s administration. Her “agenda” was the truth, something in very short supply from Mono County officials. For example, after I filed it on his behalf, Benett and KSRW simply and… Read more »
I just CAN”T resist a blast from the past…
There once was a Sheriff named Obie..
Rob Weber was known as his TOBIE…
They fired the girl,
and then in a whirl…
lost both of their jobs to a PROBIE !!!
Let us not forget what the overall objective for our community is, abide by the laws, regulations and policies we are handed and stop wasting money.
What’s pathetic is you won’t post your true names! Cowardly! Don’t address me!
You tell ’em Pam!!!!!
Simmer down Tonto….we all need to stay focused on what this is about, and wait until the truth comes out. Either way, I feel bad for all involved, the Officers, the Chief, the City and all us wrapped up in this. Our community has gone through too many “uproars” this… Read more »
I believe that “Pam Galvin” is the Records Supervisor for the Bishop PD; I’m sure she knows more of what’s going on at the PD than most who’ve commented here; but as a Supervisor for the Bishop Police Department she has a due diligence for keeping her opinions to herself… Read more »
Ironically, one of the signed cops had their own little incident of misconduct not too long ago but he is pointing his finger at Nolan. Seems he forgot about that.
Rockhugr, another pathetic attempt to cover up what’s going on. I am wondering how you would know that information about that officer?? good ole boy right!!!
Officer Nolan is not a bad guy or police officer. As unfortunate as it is, he seems to be taking the heat for the chief and city administrators down falls. As a recipient of gracious treatment by the chief, he now has the finger pointed at him so the fed… Read more »
Some of us have seen way too much inapropriate actions from some of these officers.seems like only a little while back at least three of these officer were having relations with the same lady or two. But these actions seem to just get covered up. A few shady officers can… Read more »
If I were Pam Galvin at this point I would feel ashamed for speaking about Bennett Kessler in the manner in which she did. Everyone who knew Bennett knows she would speak the truth no matter how it looked to individual people. This comment to me shows desperation from Ms… Read more »
Just cause……It’s obvious Pam Galvin is one of those,for whatever reasons,think Law Enforcement can do no wrong,and are above the law….kudos to the officers and personel that came forward with that letter and exposing the wrongs this Chief has done..and probably a lot more we don’t and won’t know about..certainly… Read more »
I’m not seeing the reasons for the anger here. If the worse things Crater did was let Dan coach football and teach a class at the college, this thing makes no sense. Sounds like he already took Dan’s strips for a little horse playing.
Pam I would love to see the stats, which officers are turning over rocks, kickin’ ass and taking names cause if the top officers are those who have signed this letter, then we’ll that’s embarrassing for you.
Yikes-NIH, TCF, now the BPD? What the heck is going on in this town? Seems to be a trend happening in our little town.
Well I would like to thank sierrawave for posting. I dont recall Pam Galvin being a POLICE OFFICER. If 7 out of 11 PATROL officers,two of which are sergeants, are willing to say what a horrible job Carter is doing, well then I believe them. The King and his minions… Read more »
This is embarrassing but does not surprise me. I support the officers who stood up to the wrongdoing. I agree that it is a conflict of interest when a council member, chief of police and a Former sergeant are in a business together. When that same chief does not remove… Read more »
Pam that has to be the worst response defending the chief and his good ole boy crew. You have no valid points as to why the accusations are false. Or that they are even false at all!! Which makes me think they are 100% true. Your argument barley even makes… Read more »
I really feel I need to make a statement here…First to the news agency that allowed this letter to be posted. I’ve known and worked with Bennett Kessler for years..She would roll over in her grave by the reporting in this post!!! it’s one sided…Bob Todd cmon’! This letter is… Read more »
Funny you should bag on the only media station who has the ⚽️’S to post this letter! Haven’t heard a peep from KIBS/KBOV??? I wonder why that is?? ?oh ya that’s why!
@charlesO.jones- thank you for making my point. Crying about pete wilson. That’s why you don’t want govt. In charge of a pension fund. One of the political parties will do something to screw it up. Govt is corrupt.
@HW, I try to reserve my crying for notorious events and the individuals responsible. I guess I could just cry in general, like you often do, but I don’t see the point. As far as the pension fund goes, the government is not in charge of it. Calpers is administered… Read more »
@charlesO.jones – If the govt isn’t in charge of it, then how can a Governor get his stealing hands on it? C’mon Charles stop defending a flawed and corrupt system. Your smarter than that.
@High Water,
I’ll explain it again…
Timeline:
1991 – Wilson raids pension fund.
1992 – Voters pass prop 162 to ensure it won’t happen again.
Reading is fundamental.
Bob Todd did not write this letter Pam. Having had the privilege of working with Benett for three decades; I disagree with your assumptions as to what her actions might have been. I cannot imagine Benett “sweeping this under the rug”. An outcome where the community gets to openly discuss… Read more »
I have to disagree with you Ms. Galvin BIG TIME. I think Bennett would be proud, and she would stand tall next to Bob. She, of all, stood up for what is honest and right. She reported on things that got peoples cackles up all the time. I feel, this… Read more »
Bennett was a wonderful woman stop making her seem bad, are you kidding me we love Bennett.
Pam, this is exactly the type of letter Benett would have posted and the other media outlets would would not. It is clear that the Inyo Register is under new management because they posted the letter. The tide is turning. Bob Todd is following in Bennet’s footsteps. She would have… Read more »
Sorry Ms. Galvin, you’re WAY OFF BASE! This is EXACTLY what Ms. Kessler would have done- did you forget about her long running column and radio segment called “Bureaucrat Beat?”
Ms. Kessler IS NOT “rolling in her grave,” she’s standing up and saying “RIGHT ON BOB!”
I vote Chris Connolly for Chief of Police!!!! 🙂
Amen! Crown the King of Filth to rule his empire of prancing hypocrites!
Everyone seems to focused only on the issues within the PD – which are shocking, I agree. However, this letter makes it clear that the issues are beyond just the PD. The City Administrator ignored the issues when reported. Councilman Pecsi has violated the law by having an employee that… Read more »
Well, they can’t blame the press for this one.
Too bad there are only 2 bars in town because there will be 7 police officers looking for a good job as a bouncer.
Bye Felicia. Sounds like you have a real issue with these officers. Very telling with your posts who’s side you are on. Do you attend their “parties”??
Felicia, you obviously don’t know much about the law. If these officer were to loose their jobs over this then they would be able to buy all the bars in this town with all the money they would get from lawsuit they would win against the city.
Felicia- there are 5 bars in Bishop! I KNOW!
One or two officers even three come out with a letter such as this, yeah maybe they are a bunch of disgruntled officers trying to slander the chief and his cronies! Seven officers including two Sergeants, nearly 3/4 your patrol staff come out with this letter????? I would say that’s… Read more »
Have Inyo co Sheriffs take over law enforcement for the city of Bishop, and disband Bishop police department. Why should we tax payers foot the bill for this dis functional city of Bishop police department? The Inyo co sheriffs department handles law enforcement for thousands of square miles , and… Read more »
Let it be noted that the Sheriff’s office constantly calls the Bishop Police for backup because it is very common for the Sheriffs to have one deputy covering Big pine and Bishop. If you get stabbed in Bishop have fun waiting for a deputy to come from Big Pine.
Sounds like a special investigator (or 3) should be brought in with no connection to anyone in the area. The Bishop Town Council needs to jump all over this IMO to give the public confidence that the truth will come out and corrective actions will be taken. This isn’t 1970… Read more »
I read the letter. Don’t know Carter or any Bishop cop. Don’t have a dog in this fight. That said: every complaint in the letter is niggling and cheap, mostly amounting to “Carter likes the guys who did not sign this letter and so we’re pitching a fit.” There are… Read more »
The good ol’ boy syndrome is alive and well as ever in the valley. It’s not integrity that counts but rather who you know and how you can benefit them instead of the greater good.
EXCELLENT LETTER and KUDOS to those officers!! Unfortunately, it seems a day late and a dollar short considering Carter is retiring. I really hope that these accusations (which appear well documented) are ferreted out. I know that the State (under the Fair Political Practices Committee) requires public officials to be… Read more »
Those officers are unethical and do not even know the law they represent.
Felicia, You are right the chief and the officers who didn’t sign the letter are unethical and don’t know the Law they represent. The chief and his buddies, I mean other officers should live their lives with morals and ethics on and off duty.
I give a standing ovation to the noble officers with morals, values and ethics for taking a stand on the corruption that has plagued the Bishop P.D. since the Dishion and Pesci era. I hope the Mayor and the City Council members with morals and ethics see the light and… Read more »
Obviously a straw broke the camels back, so it doesn’t matter when Carter is retiring. Did you not read the letter ? He is still making corrupt/good ole boy/pick my partner in crime decisions. If you can’t trust the pillars of our community then who can you trust. I grew… Read more »
A vote of no confidence rarely turns out good for any of the parties involved. That aside, if the accusations made in the letter are true, the council needs to act on it and show the chief to the door immediately. There is no room for this alleged behavior in… Read more »
When I moved to Bishop in 2010 I was told the story of a BPD officer who was reported to the chief by another officer for robbing, beating, and sexually assaulting women of color. The reporting officer was forced out of the department and his family has been harassed ever… Read more »
WoW
Wow! It must have taken a lot of BS for these officers to resort to submitting a letter such as this. Sounds like the same good old boy scenario that was up in Mono County Sheriff’s Department that is until they cleaned their house and fixed the favoritism problem… So… Read more »
My personal opinion is this is small town politics at its worse. The dude is gone right after he uses up his vacation time.
It’s like their all competing for the same prom date
What is the point of this? It looks as if it was written in a spewing of hatred and emotion. It’s all heresay, and what gets me is that 1. It was released while the chief was on vacation, 2 also right before he retires. Where I’m sure some of… Read more »
The only reason the Officers and Sergeants would go public with a letter like this is that they feel they have totally run out of options to work within the system. This extreme action would only be undertaken because they feel that the situation has become so bad, there is… Read more »
I am pretty sure the officers would not sign something if they didn’t take the proper steps. If they lose their jobs over this,which would be retaliation, they could sue the City. Does not sound like here say to me sounds like facts. 1. Why is the Chief on Vacation… Read more »
This is tongue in cheek, people…not to be taken seriously. It’s a PARODY ! I have never heard or read anything negative about the Chief OR Bishop PD (before this article)
There once was a police chief named Carter…
In the beginning, he was known as a starter…
He belittled his men,
and then with a grin ,
Retired, and became the town martyr.
Federal, state, county, city. It’s a culture of corruption. Sad but true. Police depts. and their officers our suppose to be held to a Higher Standard.
This behavior is unacceptable.
“When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
Hmmm I wonder why the new Sgt has integrity issues?
The poor guy needs to retire. He has worked hard and deserves to be takin care of for the rest of his life.
Will 280k a year work for you chief Carter?
Congrats
Signed,
The tax payers
@Nomo 280k YR. RETIREMENT. Time to reconsider displaying the P.D. into the sheriff’s dept. Bishop does not need a police force with what 12-15 officers. I’m sure if you if you did a study of number law enforcement per person, the Bishop and surrounding areas would have way above avg.… Read more »
I generally try to avoid getting drawn into stuff like this, but you’re off on this one. While taxes of one form or another fund almost all of government salaries, Calpers is funded by the people who contribute to it, and the money it makes on investments. In fact, more… Read more »
And If CalPERS could get back the nearly 2 billion $$ that conservative Governor Pete Wilson “borrowed” back in the 90’s they might be in slightly better shape.
@charlesO.jones Liberals and Conservatives are exactly the same. They just pander to there base and pretend to be different. When are people gonna wake up and realize that we are being fleeced. I’m neither a (D) or (R) I’m for all of us coming together and realizing that BIG GOVT.… Read more »
@Bobloblaw for your reading enjoyment.
http://www.city-journal.org/2013/23_1_calpers.html
@HW, Funny, nothing much in that EDITORIAL about the nearly 2 billion Pete Wilson stole from the pension fund. That definitely shows the political bias of the writer. Any description of CalPERS’ history without highlighting Pete’s greedy fingers and the subsequent voter response with proposition 162 is a far cry… Read more »
Agree 200%
The average cop will get back 100% of his/her career pension contribution within the first three years of retirement.
Do the math. The numbers never Lie.
The pension system in calif. Has unfunded obligations of over 60 Billion Dollars $$$$
I would imagine if it came to this for 75% of the patrol officers something is definitely wrong! I would also imagine these 7 officers would not publicly critize their chief and fellow co-workers unless this was true. Seems like specific, detailed information that would be hard to make for… Read more »
Or is it funny the chief is on vacation after this came out???? Who is the newley promoted Sgt with morals and ethics issues????(
It seems that Bishop people want a well run town but what they really want is no leaders. The lady at the fair, the police chief, the newspaper lady, the hospital lady. I would not be a leader in Bishop. People need to wake up, the inmates cannot run the… Read more »
Just read the text to the letter….WOW !!!!!
It’s interesting that this comes to light while the Chief is on vacation.
This ought to give our city council something to do.
They don’t like being bullied or threatened. Neither do the citizens. Turn about is fair play.
It’s a little late for the no confidence letter isnt?
Why wait till he’s a couple of weeks till retirement? Why didn’t they come forward when they knew?
If you took the time to read the ‘No Confidence’ letter, you would catch on that the Chief is supposed to be on the panel who will be selecting the next lieutenant. If the favored officer in question is eligible for that position, I can definitely see how the others… Read more »