Calif. Schools Police Chief Placed on Paid Leave

Nov. 13--After weeks of intense scrutiny, Twin Rivers Unified School District leaders announced Thursday that they had placed schools Police Chief Christopher Breck on paid administrative leave until further notice.

Breck was told by district officials late Wednesday he had the option of stepping down or being ousted from his post because of concerns over how the department was being run -- but he refused to go voluntarily, a source told The Bee.

The move comes days after Twin Rivers Unified Superintendent Frank Porter launched "an operational review" of the district Police Department following community concerns and questions of "call jumping," or responding to calls initially directed to other police agencies.

Breck could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Capt. Trang To will lead the department in the interim. The Police Department and district provided few other details, citing personnel-privacy requirements.

Questions over the department's policies and greater concerns over the school district's management have sparked a new, wide-ranging investigation by the Sacramento County grand jury, the second probe of the district this year by the panel. Sources told The Bee they were interviewed by the grand jury about the department.

Community members criticized the Twin Rivers police force for its practice of towing vehicles with expired tags or other violations and using the penalty fees to supplement its budget.

Twin Rivers police generated $45,000 by towing vehicles last year, a 55 percent increase in such revenue compared with 2008.

The department is also accused of making excessive traffic stops. A report provided by the district Thursday shows Twin Rivers police have made 2,594 vehicle stops so far this year.

In internal department emails earlier this year, officers were given targets for making vehicle and pedestrian stops, and initially for vehicle tows as well. The Twin Rivers Police Department later called those emails mistakes.

The school district announced Wednesday that it would clarify its policy on when officers should make traffic stops and have vehicles towed.

Twin Rivers police spokesman William Cho said the policies "weren't anything new" but that "sometimes you need a reminder of what your mission is."

The district said the traffic policy will be to stop vehicles only when there is a threat to the public, such as speeding, reckless driving or failure to stop at a stoplight or stop sign.

The towing policy will be to tow only when a vehicle is abandoned, stolen or illegally parked on or adjacent to a school district site or a facility monitored by the Police Department. All other vehicles will be reported to other local authorities.

To said the department is working to address community concerns. He said the mission and vision of the Twin Rivers police force has not changed.

"If it's broken, we will repair that perception," said To, 52, a longtime law enforcement officer who has been with Twin Rivers for three months.

Twin Rivers police came into the spotlight after community members questioned why a gun-downed officer was making a traffic stop on Oct. 22 -- a Saturday -- in the first place.

The suspected shooter died while in Sacramento police custody. The Twin Rivers officer is recovering at home and is expected to make a full recovery.

To has been filling in for Breck, who was gone due to a family emergency, since around the time of the shooting last month.

Breck was sworn in as chief of police in 2008 for the newly formed Twin Rivers district. He previously worked for the Grant Joint Unified High School District police force, which became the Twin Rivers department when four school districts merged.

A biography on the Twin Rivers police website says Breck is a graduate of the FBI Basic and Advanced SWAT course and the FBI National Academy.

Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521. Follow her on Twitter @MelodyGutierrez. Bee researcher Pete Basofin contributed to this report.