San Angelo Police Chief Race Gets Ugly

The race for San Angelo’s police chief took on a harsher tone Tuesday night as the four candidates faced-off during the San Angelo Tea Party candidate forum at the West Texas Training Center.

Those participating in the debate were incumbent Chief of Police Tim Vasquez, who faced off against three challengers for his position: SAPD Lt. Frank Carter, Jeff Davis and SAPD Lt. Mike Hernandez.

The issue that turned the otherwise bland theater into a feisty exchange was the alleged retaliation against subordinates who ran against Vasquez in the previous and current elections. In the exchange, Mike Hernandez, along with a spurned applicant who wanted to rejoin the SAPD, questioned Vasquez’s faith.

An audience member posed a question about what will happen to the opponents who lose the election. How bad can a former opponent be punished?

“I worked my way up from the bottom…I’m covered by civil service. There’s nothing that can happen,” said Lt. Frank Carter. He explained how he earned his rank and that the rules of employment at the SAPD protect him and the others. Then he paused and quipped, “They can move me to nights.” The audience laughed.

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Above: Lt. Frank Carter at the Tea Party police chief candidates' forum on April 12, 2016. Roy Dean, moderator, is in the red shirt. Vasquez is in the foreground. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)

Candidate Lt. Mike Hernandez was assigned the graveyard shift, he said, after confiding with Vasquez that he intended to run for chief against him.

“Out of sight, out of mind,” Hernandez has said publicly more than once.

Jeff Davis turned the question into a critique of cronyism and the buddy system of the current chief and past chiefs, and how ‘cronyism’ is used to select the assistant chiefs, the highest-ranking officers within the department who surround the incumbent.

Davis’ solution is to create a committee of current SAPD officers not wanting to be promoted, mixed with personnel from Goodfellow AFB, to select assistant chiefs.

“I was tired of it when I worked there. [Those selected] are whoever the candidate’s buddies are, whether they were qualified to do the job or not. That’s who became the assistants,” Davis said.

Hernandez was next.

“I will continue to do my job with a smile on my face. I don’t choose to be on deep nights,” Hernandez said.

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Above: Vasquez, who was clearly under fire Tuesday night, attempts to maintain composure. Carter, Davis and Hernandez listen. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)

Vasquez denied retaliation happens, and as proof, gave examples of former opponents still on the job, as well as two examples of promoting former opponents.

“In 2004, I ran against four opponents (who were also in the SAPD), and all four of them kept their job. In 2008, I ran against five opponents, and they all kept their jobs,” Vasquez said. “In fact, I transferred one from patrol into administration because he wanted to get a taste of it (top leadership). He requested the transfer and I gave him the opportunity. And I’ve promoted one of my opponent’s wife to lieutenant—the first female officer promoted to lieutenant in the department.”

By this time, the forum’s length was extending into the 1.25-hour mark. The moderator suggested the forum continue.

“As long as people aren’t walking out, I’m going to keep calling on you,” the moderator and San Angelo Tea Party President Roy Dean said.

A man from the back of the audience stood up right after Dean extended the forum.

“I wanted to talk about what Mike (Hernandez) said about being a police officer and you get black balled and singled out,” Richard Bart said as he approached the candidates’ table, walking up the center aisle.

“I was a (San Angelo) police officer for 3.5 years. I left at Meet and Confer,” Bart said. Meet and Confer is the legal forum that meets periodically so the city manager’s staff and selected representatives of the SAPD can hash out issues, such as police pay.

“I told city council if they didn’t give us a pay raise, I’m walking. And I went to Walmart (for a job) and made double my money. I didn’t get spit at (anymore). I (still) did get cursed at,” he said.

The audience laughed.

“I felt that the Lord was telling me to come back and be a police officer, so I applied and Tim Vasquez said, ‘Come back. I really wish you were here.’”

Bart apparently didn’t get rehired.

“I was a police officer; I was a recruiter; I was given the chief’s award for recruiting. But then I backed Jeff Davis for police chief in 2012, and I can’t pass my background investigation now,” he said.

“My question is, is that proof that Mike (Hernandez) was put into his position because he declared he was going to run?” Bart asked. Then he turned to Hernandez.  “Four years ago, there’s a picture of you (Hernandez) hugging the chief, and now, four years later, you’re running against the chief. But I asked you (back in 2012) why I didn’t pass the background. ‘It’s against my ethics to tell you, Mr. Bart,’ you said then… What does that tell everybody in here? In 2012, you backed him (Vasquez) and now you don’t. What’s the difference?”

Hernandez took the opportunity to respond.

“You don’t stay with the captain of the Titanic if the Titanic is going down,” Hernandez replied. “The chief was in a better place at one time. And (back then) he talked about being on the Walk to Emmaus. He was my sponsor for the Walk to Emmaus. I’m in a great place today; I don’t think he’s in a great place today. That’s why. I’m not his friend anymore, if you will (understand).”

Hernandez continued, “In reference to your background investigation, as a peon, a lieutenant, when the chief tells you to do something, or that you can or can’t do something, then I can’t do it. That’s it. I apologize. That’s all I can say.”

Vasquez faced a political attack involving a city personnel issue with Bart’s employment application. As a senior leader at the City of San Angelo, Vasquez cannot reveal personnel issues in any public forum.

“Richard Bart, if you don’t know, I can tell you privately why you haven’t been hired. Or, I can tell you publicly. But to sit here and call me out in front of everyone…”

Vasquez was interrupted.

“If you want to talk to me about morality, I’ll be more than happy to talk about it, sir,” Bart said. A couple of shouts came from the audience. “Ricky, Ricky,” they shouted, attempting to shut down the confrontation.

“Let’s keep this civil folks,” moderator Dean demanded.

Bart interrupted again.

“I’m not here to be ashamed about everything in my life. ‘He who has not sinned, cast the first stone,’” Bart said.

“If you have an issue with Vasquez, you need to take it up after the meeting,” Dean ordered.

In his closing statements, Vasquez said that, as the chief of police, often times he doesn’t make popular decisions that please everyone.

“But I do make decisions that are in the best interest of the community,” Vasquez stated.

King Walker, a retired Navy Corpsman and longtime resident who attended the forum, said he thought the exchanges “let the people know the candidates more on a personal level.”

He said, “More of their personalities came out this time.”

Before this forum, King said he was growing wary of the platitudes and the silly arguments about crime statistics by all four candidates. Walker wouldn’t reveal for whom he will vote.

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Above: The crowd at the San Angelo Tea Party forum numbered 94. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)

Father Lorenzo Hatch, Vicar for Sacred Heart Catholic Church, said that this forum was less controlled than previous meets between the candidates. It was good and bad, he said.

“This one was more loose. The people asked hard questions and many were really concerned,” he said.

Lorenzo didn’t think the evening’s almost-two-hour forum was long enough.

“More time was necessary. There are lots of questions the people wanted to ask,” he said. “Citizens have every right to ask questions.”

Hatch said he was one of the assigned SAPD chaplains.

There were 94 people in attendance at the forum, though most of the room was filled with supporters and family members of each candidate, some clearly marked with campaign buttons or clothing.