Watch CBS News

Richmond Recommends Discipline For Officers In Sexual Misconduct Scandal

RICHMOND (CBS SF) – The City of Richmond on Friday detailed the disciplinary actions to be recommended against Richmond police officers involved in the sexual misconduct scandal that has embroiled law enforcement agencies across the Bay Area.

The scandal is centered around Jasmine Abuslin, the former sex worker who previously identified herself by the name "Celeste Guap."

She claims she slept with dozens of police officers, including some while she was underage. Those claims triggered internal affairs investigations at several Bay Area law enforcement agencies.

Abuslin returned to the Bay Area earlier this month after being sent to Florida, allegedly by Richmond police, for a stay at a drug rehabilitation program.

Richmond police were criticized for facilitating the move just before she would be a witness in a criminal prosecution. Department officials have said it was her choice to go there and that they only assisted in getting her funds from the state's Victim Compensation Program.

She was swiftly arrested after arriving at the facility for allegedly assaulting a guard.

According to the press release issued by the City of Richmond, the police department's Office of Professional Accountability led the investigation and identified 11 current and former Richmond police personnel who were involved in misconduct. The disciplinary actions being proposed are:

  • One officer is recommended to be terminated from employment
  • One officer is recommended to be demoted
  • Two officers are recommended to be suspended, one for 80 hours, and the other for 120 hours
  • Five officers are recommended to receive letters of reprimand

The announcement by the Richmond Police Department noted that two officers had left the department prior to the investigation for reasons not connected with the misconduct. Because the investigation into the misconduct is a personnel issue, the city stated that it cannot release the specific names associated with the disciplinary recommendations in accordance with state law.

ALSO READ:

The notices detailing the recommended disciplinary actions have been served to the involved officers by the City of Richmond Human Resources Department. Following the disciplinary process agreed to by the city and the Richmond Police Officers Association, each of the individual officers has ten days from receipt of the notice to request a private hearing.

Following that private hearing, the hearing officer -- which in these cases will be Richmond Police Chief Allwyn -- will issue a recommendation to the City Manager to uphold or reduce the discipline outlined in the notice or to not impose any discipline.

The City Manager will then evaluate the chief's recommendations in each case and review any other pertinent information before determining the final level of discipline to be imposed on the officer in question.

Once the individual officer is notified of the level of discipline, the officer two weeks to appeal the decision with the option of requesting for binding arbitration.

"I am sorry that the misconduct of these individuals has brought embarrassment to the City of Richmond and the Richmond Police Department," Chief Brown said in a statement included in the press release regarding the discipline against the officers. "Police officers must be held to a higher standard with regard to their personal and professional conduct because their effectiveness in serving the community depends on the public's trust."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.