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IN THIS ISSUE A Body of Knowledge Investing in the Future Math, Science Students Find Special Help Toward Gainful Employment Chancellor's Column Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments by faculty and staff… |
Law & Order Fred Heske knows about meetings, those that make a difference and those that, well, don’t. The director of business operations for the Centers for Education and Technology for the past nine years, Heske also served five years on the Citizens Review Board on Police Practices. During that time, Heske attended countless meetings and conferences, and though battles were waged and opinions differed, Heske says the board made definite progress. “The board has evolved tremendously,” Heske said. “We have been able to influence the City of San Diego to make substantial changes. Both the city and the police department have shown a high level of commitment.” As has Heske, a respected college administrator who has been with the district for 22 years in various capacities, and earned a reputation as a hard-worker with an interest in both the success of the district and the district’s responsibility to the community. Heske’s hunger for helping was proven again in 1996 when Rod Smith, the district’s former president of continuing education, asked Heske to consider applying for the police review board. “The chancellor wanted the staff to participate in the community as much as possible,” Heske said. “It sounded like an interesting opportunity, a chance to do some good, and what intrigued me was that beyond the meetings, there was a clear indication that positive changes would be made because of the board’s recommendations.” The Citizens Review Board on Police Practices was established in 1988 after a vote of city residents, and had made small, important gains in monitoring police behavior and establishing new ground rules. The board reviews cases where police behavior is a concern, or a shooting or physical altercation with a suspect was involved. The board also discusses general questions regarding appropriate police weaponry, force and other matters. Prospective board members fill out an application, then if accepted, go through extensive training. The board reviews some 275 cases each year, and each board member is asked to contribute 25 to 30 hours a month. Heske had been a counterintelligence officer in the Army, and understood weapons, the fine line of force and the necessity of gathering information to solve a crime. A soft-spoken, intelligent administrator, Heske attempted to use his diplomatic skills to help the board get things done, serving as vice chairman of the board for two years and then as chairman for two years. For service on the police review board, Heske was able to call up skills serving him well when president of the district’s Management Association. “Getting 23 independent-minded people on the same page isn’t easy, but not always what we needed to do,” Heske said. “The idea of a board like this is to engage different opinions and come up with workable solutions. Within the district, I’ve had experience working with intelligent people who had differing ideas, and that experience helped me.” During Heske’s tenure, the review board was able to strengthen the relationship between the police and the board. A series of notable changes were made, including elevating racial slurs used by police from the lesser offense Category 2 of misconduct to the more serious Category 1. Throughout, Heske says, though sometimes with great debate, the board and the police force became more like-minded. “Historically, citizen review boards encounter resistance from the police culture,” Heske said. “But in this town there has been an evolution from initial resistance to acceptance. Some of us were at a conference in Indianapolis and we were held as a model of how police and the board could work together. We have developed a national reputation.” Heske will now serve as an unofficial adviser to the board, attend occasional meetings and conferences and pay attention to new developments. “I feel a sense of pride in having done something worthwhile,” Heske says of his time on the police review board. “This city can be proud of what it has accomplished.”
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 Fred Heske |