Kolender Accused of Using Officer to Do His Errands

San Diego Police Chief Bill Kolender allegedly used a uniformed police officer in 1980 and 1981 to run numerous personal errands such as taking his son to the dentist; driving his wife, Lois, to a date; picking up free Chargers tickets, and transporting a family friend and his dog to a pet hotel, according to documents filed Thursday with the Civil Service Commission.

The charges are contained in a 56-page diary that was kept by Officer Jeanne Taylor, who worked as a “receptionist” in the chief’s office for nearly two years after being injured on the job. She had spent five years as a patrol officer before suffering the injury and being transferred to the chief’s office. Taylor retired earlier this year on disability pension.

Her diary was included in a two-inch-thick document filed by San Diego attorney Patrick J. Thistle to support his claim that the Police Department harasses officers like Taylor who file disability claims. The commission asked Thistle to prepare a detailed report after he raised allegations about police officials intimidating dozens of officers who testify at disability hearings.

Kolender said late Thursday night that he had no comment. Taylor was unavailable for comment.

Mayor Maureen O’Connor said late Thursday that she was reviewing the complaint and would meet with City Manager John Lockwood and a representative from the city attorney’s office this morning.

“It appears to be not an appropriate use of personnel, but I don’t know all of the facts,” O’Connor said.

The tasks assigned to Taylor, according to the complaint, are a “classic example” of how the Police Department discriminates against officers who make disability claims.

In the diary, Taylor listed numerous examples of how she was sent on a wide variety of errands for Kolender and his top aides.

These ranged from picking up Kolender’s Halloween costume on Oct. 28, 1980, at the Fun & Folly shop in Grossmont Center to delivering wedding and bar mitzvah gifts to the chief’s friends. According to the diary, Taylor frequently deposited Kolender’s paycheck for him at the former California Heritage Bank on 5th Avenue. She also was sent on April 15, 1981, to the main post office on Midway Avenue to mail Deputy Chief Norm Stamper’s tax return.

The written complaint says Taylor bought and transported lunches for high-ranking officers at the police firing range, fetched cigarettes, and picked up people from the airport. It also says she went out to get prescriptions, tax returns, birthday cards, laundry, sports equipment, popcorn, coffee cups, cheese and crackers.

“To me, an outrageous thing is for an officer to be told to go get skim milk or go do valet or servant-type stuff,” said Thistle, who represents about 200 San Diego police officers, including Taylor, through the Police Officers Assn. “The maid’s stuff to me is demeaning. It’s not what I picture a police officer doing, especially one who doesn’t want to be doing it.”

Taylor, who is now in her 30s, was injured on-duty when a porch collapsed beneath her, Thistle said. The injury to her knees required two operations, one of which was unsuccessful and left an upper leg without feeling.

When Taylor returned to duty, she was assigned to the homicide bureau to help track missing persons, Thistle said. Despite a request by her supervisor that she remain in homicide, Taylor was transferred to Kolender’s office to serve as an armed and uniformed “office receptionist.”

“Ostensibly, she was there for armed security of the chief’s office area and to answer telephone calls from people who needed to talk to a police officer with field experience,” Thistle said.

But, the complaint alleges, there were no incidents requiring armed security, and few questions were received requiring any field experience.

Instead, Taylor spent two years as Kolender’s “go-fer,” Thistle said.

Other diary entries include the following:

- Jan 23, 1981: “Went to the pistol range for Chief Kolender to pick up a package of .38 shells. The shells were for Chief Kolender’s friend John from the Old Ox.”

- Feb. 6, 1981: “Set up two free passes for Marilyn Kolender at Sea World.”

- Feb. 18, 1981: “Went out to Suzanne Thompson’s house and picked up a painting she did of Chief Kolender. The painting was so big it would not fit in the car so I had to make a second trip out to the house with a van.”

- April 1, 1981: “Picked up four free tickets for Chief Burgreen at the Convention Center for the fishing show that starts on April 2, 1981. Dropped off gun to Frank Curran at the Charger office. Collected a check of $233.20 from Curran.”

- May 15, 1981: “Delivered a wedding gift for Chief Kolender to Kim Lane (Rogers & Wells law firm).”

- Aug. 6, 1981: “Cmdr. Ken Fortier gave me a dollar bill to buy him two Pepsi Lights. Fortier was very rude and this was very degrading to me.”

Taylor notes on two different occasions in her diary that Kolender told her to keep quiet about her duties. On Sept. 2, 1981, she wrote:

“Chief Kolender asked me again to promise I would never ever tell anyone about the errands I have to do for him.”