The Hollister Police Department made the appropriate decision by
handing over the Ray Wood embezzlement investigation to an outside
agency, but the case sheds light on inconsistencies in how local
law enforcement agencies have handled similar situations.
The Hollister Police Department made the appropriate decision by handing over the Ray Wood embezzlement investigation to an outside agency, but the case sheds light on inconsistencies in how local law enforcement agencies have handled similar situations.
An investigator from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office conducted the five-month probe that resulted in charges from the state attorney general’s office against Wood, a longtime police department veteran who retired at the end of 2010. Hollister police officers became suspicious after Wood – president of the police union for 14 years before retiring – insisted the group open a new bank account and cancel the long-existing account over which he had presided.
The investigator in the criminal complaint alleged that Wood embezzled about $92,000 from March 2004 to December 2010 and used another $10,000 in union funds during that time on expenses unrelated to the organization.
They are serious charges and signal an uphill battle for Wood. Most important, they come without question about the objectivity of the investigation. Any perceptions questioning the partiality are all but squashed because an outside agency conducted the probe and filed the charges.
The investigative process, however, underscores that local law enforcement agencies have used varying approaches in recent cases involving officers.
In 2008, for the molestation case against former Hollister officer Macario Venegas, the Hollister Police Department conducted the investigation of its own officer. In the 2009 rape case against former county sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Rodrigues, his own agency also oversaw the investigation. In a 2010 embezzlement case involving former sheriff’s deputy Jason Lei – who remains outstanding after fleeing, likely to another country – the Hollister Police Department handled the investigation.
If not merely for the sake of perception, the two major law enforcement agencies – whether they ultimately consolidate under a broached merger or continue operating independently – should establish basic policies and procedures designating types of cases calling for outside help and who will provide the aid.
Following a more consistent path would ensure the utmost public trust in potential future cases involving authorities.
