Citizens are still questioning a reported incident in the Round Valley area in which a Highway Patrol Officer questioned residents as they looked at a petroglyph site in that area and photographed their identification. The CHP Lieutenant in Mono County has offered further response.
The report came in that the wife of a CHP officer was watching the petroglyph area through a spotting scope at her Paradise home and then contacting her CHP husband to check out people there.
Asked again if he had contacted the officer and investigated this report, Lieutenant Ron Cohen in Bridgeport said, “I have zero authority over the spouse or significant other of an officer.” In an earlier conversation, Lieutenant Cohen said he had not yet talked to the officer involved in this encounter.
Asked again about that, the Lieutenant said that considering his days off and training time out of the area, he had not talked to the officer. Asked why he had not phoned him, Lieutenant Cohen said he would rather speak with the officer in person. Cohen said he could not comment further on personnel issues.
Citizens had asked if the officer had probable cause to approach them and photograph their licenses. The Lieutenant said that the petroglyphs are the subject of a sensitive case and that someone’s presence at a site could generate law enforcement contact. He said, “You don’t necessarily have to break a law to be contacted.”
Lieutenant Cohen also said that it depends on the code under which his officers are operating – vehicle, penal, fish and game – as to how they may ask for identification.
Its not one incident, its happened many times to many people. As long as it continues accusations and complaints on this site will continue. The people I know who have had this happen are afraid of reporting it because they are in fear, be it getting pulled over and hassled,… Read more »
Yes I understand it might have happened, as far as I know .. I know of this one incident, involving these two people. And I agree with what you’re saying esfotoguy, I get it totally, I don’t mean to say this was an isolated incident, I imagine there have been… Read more »
It’s like having a target on your head anytime people blow a whistle on the establishment. Look at Bradley Manning’s case, All he did was try to inform the general public what was going on in the Afghanistan and Iraq War’s, so the American people can have a well informed… Read more »
The CHP is still a professional department in spite of some comments alledging that they are not. What people seem to forget when throwing out allegations as such, is that there are good people in this department that try to be right in their duties, and there are those who… Read more »
Seems like you may be leaving part of the story out. The Lt.’s reply about not having authority over an officer’s spouse sounds like a response to a different question. It doesn’t sound like an answer to “if he had contacted the officer and investigated this report.” Sounds more like… Read more »
I asked him what he had done regarding the citizen’s complaint about the CHP Officer and his wife who was looking at people through a spotting scope.
His response is in the story.
Benett Kessler
Thanks for the clarification.
The LT’s approach is sound. Instead of having to pay dispatchers, the CHP wives just man the binoculars and vector their hubbies to various and sundry scenes of misbehavior. After all, the LT has “zero authority” over wives superseding his own dispatchers, so his next move logically will be to… Read more »
I’d like to dispatch him too, may I have his mobile number?
Any concerned citizen should report suspicious activities to the authorities, whether you’re related to them or not.
“Any concerned citizen should report suspicious activities to the authorities, whether you’re related to them or not.” Really? We as Americans should start informing on our fellow citizens for activities we think is merely “suspicious”, whatever that might mean in our varied personal opinions? Is that the kind of society… Read more »
There is more than one CHP officeir in Paradise. One just retired. Is that what is causing confusion here?
Pigs!!!
perhaps the CHP should utilize a Public Information Officer…at this point, this is getting beyond embarrassing.
“More from CHP Lt. on Round Valley incident” He really said nothing more. Now I’m curious how old this Lt. is? He’s coming across as a bit imature and unprofessional. His officer is being accused of being dispatched by his wife and the Lt. says he has no control over… Read more »
Wow, it looks like Lt. Cohen is calling all his boys to give thumbs down!
This might just be the tip of the iceberg for this wife / cop team. What else does she call him to investigate personally for her while he is on the people’s dime?
CHP used to be a professional organization but in the last fifteen years it has become a lot more like LAPD with this air of impunity.
Spoken like a rat caught in a trap! Great job Benett! Ask the Lt. to send you the partol schedule that shows when the officer was on days off, in training and working. Any real supervisor would just call the officer up and order him to write a complete report/memorandum… Read more »