Letter to KCBS2 / KCAL9 Steven Mauldin Regarding Unpaid Parking Tickets

Letter to KCBS2 / KCAL9 Steven Mauldin

On April 29,2025 the Los Angeles Police Department held its annual Recognition Day Awards Ceremony.  Sworn and civilian men and women from the  Department were recognized for their dedication and commitment towards the people they serve in communities throughout Los Angeles.  It was at this ceremony that KCBS2 / KCAL9 reporter David Goldstein ambushed an assistant chief of the LAPD about unpaid parking tickets.  Below is a letter sent to the station's management, on May 4, 2010, explaining the facts as they relate to the citations.

Mr. Steven Mauldin

KCBS2/KCAL9
CBS Studio City
4200 Radford Avenue
Studio City, California 91604

Mr. Mauldin: 

This correspondence is to bring to your attention an investigative report which may contain some incomplete information.  Since the segment is reportedly scheduled to air on Thursday May 6, 2010, the scope of the omissions cannot be fully measured; however, the positive relationship and mutual respect that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has fostered with the media, including KCBS2/KCAL9, dictates that we provide you with critical additional information. 

As you know, Investigative Reporter David Goldstein is preparing a report on the use of “confidential license plates” similar to the April 2008 report in the Orange County Register.

Mr. Goldstein has learned that some agencies responsible for processing parking fines have amassed significant numbers of unpaid citations for vehicles registered under the provisions of a confidential license plate program.  Since the late 1970s, individuals in qualifying occupations may request that their personal information be shielded in the California Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) database.  The program is designed to protect the individual and their families.  In many cases the vehicles registered under these protections are second and third vehicles used exclusively by family members.

Agencies processing citations on vehicles with confidential plates must go through a labor-intensive process of identifying the registered owner, their employer, and a name and address of the person authorized by that employer to receive confidential notifications.  To meet the California Vehicle Code standard, the agency processing the collection must issue a letter or other official notification before a report of non-payment can be made to the DMV for further action such as registration renewal holds. 

According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, in the City of LA, citations issued to vehicles with confidential plates are paid promptly at a rate of 70 percent.  That far exceeds the 45 percent prompt pay-rate of the general public. 

On April 29, 2010, Mr. Goldstein and other members of the media were invited to and attended the LAPD Recognition Day where a number of LAPD command and staff officers were honoring the recipients of the Department’s highest awards.  It was at this event that Mr. Goldstein chose to confront an assistant chief with documents indicating that he had 18 unpaid parking tickets.  

Based on our inquiry into the matter, the assistant chief in question had never been notified about the citations for a vehicle that a member of his family had operated.  Our Internal Affairs Division has begun to conduct an investigation and has thus far determined, that beginning in February 2010, the City of Los Angeles and a vendor issued letters for the first time since 2002, to agencies employing users of confidential plates who have unpaid citations.  It has been determined that the letters received by the LAPD were not forwarded to the concerned employees.  This administrative oversight is being investigated and appropriate action will be taken.                         

Considering the excellent working relationship that we enjoy with KCBS2/KCAL9, I am hopeful that in the future, your reporters and producers will not feel the need to ambush LAPD personnel.  Had your reporter requested an interview in advance, the assistant chief would have spoken to the reporter once he had an opportunity to investigate the facts.

The concerned assistant chief has paid the outstanding fines and two other LAPD officers have been put on notice to make payment without unnecessary delay.  Finally, we are taking steps to ensure that notifications regarding confidential plates are acted upon promptly.     

Very truly yours,

CHARLIE BECK                  
Chief of Police

MARY GRADY, Public Information Director
Commanding Officer
Public Information Office   

Comments

[CowboyBob]

I work for Riverside SO and got a parking ticket in LA. They (I'm assuming the media) contacted my Captain's office... who contacted me... who PAID that thing promptly! My gf actually got the ticket when she went for a job interview w/ my car and never told me bc she figured I'd me mad. I was more angry about paying the penalty! Oh well. I dont feel that I am above the law. Mr Corporate man, when there are dangerous booby traps set at your task force stations, vehicles being torched at your office building, THEN well talk. But I do greatly respect your hard work and sacrifices, because afterall you keep our economy going... which helps pay my salary :)I hope one day your savings reaches a level where you dont have to work as much and can be home more. I dont think they chose the proper venue to question the asst Chief... taking the attention away from those honored. Would you go after a brig general after he gave an award to one of his troops? As for that guy with 254 tickets... An embarassment.

[Anette]

To MR working Corp,
You obviously did not get my point. We, public servants e.g. police officers, firefighters and medical providers ( nurses)as the name says, serve the public for little money but with sacrifices such as time spent with family. Receiving free passes or discounts is one way our citizens express their gratitude. I, for one, greatly appreciate that.

[Mr. Elmer answers Anette]

Nurses, firefighters, and police don't serve the public for "little money", Anette.

Nurses, since most nurses now have a bachelor's degree in nursing, deserve their pay commensurate of their education.

As for 'sacrifices' in time spent with family, most nurses work 3/12 schedules, which means 4 days off a week, just like police and firefighters.

Most police and firefighters are only high school graduates, yet they are earning 6 figures. We the public are paying them too much, and they know it.

In comparison, teachers average 50K in salary and most have Master's degrees.

I'd place teachers as public servants before any of the above. Most nurses are in the private sector, since we don't have a socialized medical system. So, technically, most nurses are not 'public servants'.

[Peter E.]

Anette,
So going to the same Jack-in-the-Box
for some FREE food, sometimes more than once a night, with an average of 20 cars a night, is considered "free passes and discounts"? Because I think that's abuse of power. I keep telling my manager not to offer anymore Free-bees because they are just bleeding us dry.

[Sheepdog]

Oh, and by the way Mr. Elmer (how appropriate), I have two, count them, TWO Masters Degrees. And would be willing to bet, that my IQ is at least, documented through several tests, 30 points higher than yours. That must just chap your behind. Some monosyllabic police officer, is that intellectually superior to you. Ain't America grand! Lighten up and settle down, and for the record, I liked the 8 hour shift's better. I got to spend far more time with my family than I do now. Now everyone have a splendid day, and go to Jack-in-the-box so Peter E., Working corp and Elmer can all get paid.

[Samir]

Cops "abuse" their "power" because someone (offers) them a cup of coffee or a meal at half the price? Are they also guilty of "abuse" because they attend Law Enforcement day at Knotts on a discount ticket? If a business believes that serving Cops a discounted meal, instead of hiring on-site security, is beneficial or cost effective, so be it. Since I last checked, Los Angeles is not one of the safest cities in the country. The extra police presence is welcomed by many business owners and their customers. Believe it or not, the cops do not extort food from anyone.

[Ur kidding, right?]

When you have English or Art teachers fighting fires, or Nurse Practitioners or Pediatricians engaging armed suspects in a shoot-out, then I will no longer call myself a public servant. It is simply arrogant and egocentric to advocate that more education should automatically qualify someone for more pay. Who do you want protecting your neighborhoods at three in the morning? I'll take the guy with a Medal of Valor who only has a high school diploma, over a Rhodes Scholar who can recite Shakespere, etc...

[Corp. Mom]

Anette,

I again disagree. I do work for the corp. world how ever I still take way too much time away from my family. I might not work in public service but I did for a 10 years before I got this job and realized that even though I missed the excitement of public service and racing to the next "call" I knew then and still know today that doing what I am now was a much better choice for me. However, I still miss out on all those family times. Thankfully my extended family steps in and takes care of all those times I can't be there. As for free stuff...I'm sure as is the policy for most of not all law enforcement agencies their personnel are not supposed to take free stuff in exchange for the work they perform but, that isn't even the point there. Years ago I got a ticket and had just started my new job...while in the process of going through a back ground check the ticket came up by this time the ticket had become a warrant. I knew I had paid for the ticket but what I didn't know at the time was that I needed to get the fix it ticket checked by my local police/CHP office. Anyway, had I been stopped by the police and did not know about the warrant or the long forgotten ticket would I have been given a free pass or would I have been arrested. As it turns out...my back ground investigator told me to go to court and take care of it. But I don't think the officer that would have stopped me would have given my a break on the warrant, do you?

[Corp world]

CowboyBob,
too bad you have such a bad disposition that your GF was too afriad to tell you about a ticket or worst yet she couldn't just pay it herself but then again...My savings is fine if and when it dips below a certain figure I do start to get nervous not because I over extend myself but because I want enough in there just in case. I love what I do and would not do anything else. I too respect what you do for a living and wish that there were just a few more honest, hard working people on the job. One comes across the worst ones first and that's a shame. I would never suggest that you or anyone of your co-workers are taking advantage of any situation we all do what we have to. Heck a few years ago I went on several trips all on the corp dime and didn't think twice about it. However, you and I both know that breaking the rules and the law are very different then taking a trip to some beach to promote a product and then having fun while I am there or taking advantage of the fact that I am there. I am not beaking any laws by having fun and paying for it. However, the trips to the local free spot is not something that you are supposed to partake in. But like the old saying goes...it's all fun until someone gets hurt. And the business your in a hurt could involve a year long investigation for taking that $5.00 free dinner and then maybe some time off. Was it really worth it in the long run? One call from joe citizen and there goes your life for the next few months while every accpect of your life is looked at via an investigation. The $45.00 ticket or the $5.00 meal just doesn't seem with it in the long run. But at the end of the day you'll go about your job and I'll go about mine and I might even get pulled over by you one night while in Riverside because the other bad habit I have...speeding. I have to be where I have to be and I'm usually running behind so I'll continue to speed even though I know it's against the law and the next time I get stopped and ticketed I'll hand over the information requested sign the ticket and take it all in stride for the 20 or 30 times before when I got away with it.

[Mr. Elmer to Sheepdog]

Sheepdog,

How many police officers actually have college degrees? I, seriously, doubt LAPD's hiring practice is similar to the FBI's. Last time I checked the bulk of cadets only have high school diplomas. When they do realize they need higher education to earn more, it's not like they are given time to go to UCLA, they do correspondence courses from diploma mill institutions. Where did you get your "Masters"? I doubt you took leave w/out pay to pursue post-grad work. But more importantly, you don't need a college degree to do police work. Because of this, taxpayers should demand we pay police and firefighters less. The "what-ifs" don't justify your salary is my point all along. Good day to you, sir.

[Mr. Elmer on Sheepdog's IQ]

p.s.

Sheepdog,

I'm no brainiac like you. But I'm sure there's been studies on people who feel obliged to advertise their IQ constantly. You should look into it. When you were in the academy, did you tell all your fellow cadets that you had an IQ of 200? Just wanted to point this out, Mr. 2 Masters & Counting.

[Scholar/Warrior]

The people protecting us here and overseas on a national level are Rhodes scholars, 'Ur kidding'.

'The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.'

[SheepDog]

#1.) My degree's were attained prior to my law enforcement career **being** started. A road to civil service employment that seems to fall in line with your position and over all gripe. And that was paid for/off by me, not welched on by an overextension of the student loan program.

#2.) I evoked IQ into the debate to show the factual and contradicting contrast between reality and your obtuse, and pejorative synopsis of law enforcement professionals. And didn't repeat it, but only stated it one time. Clearly you hold your manhood/womanhood cheap, which allowed me to strike an open nerve. Very telling.

#3.) Also, I attained my higher education after my full time enlisted Military service (as a grunt) to our great country. You evidently have far to much time and hate on your hands. Hence, your life must really be burdensome to have opined so negatively.

#4.) My current assignment doesn't keep me behind a desk, so I get to use my deductive reasoning learned and honed while getting my education, out in the streets of Los Angeles. I am proud to serve next to patrol officers with a sense of service to community, EVEN, when they are "only high school graduates." At least these professionals are doing something to contribute back to their community. See they believe in something far more substantive than coming onto a blog and feebly attempting to wax intellectual about a subject that you're demonstrably uneducated about.

So in closing, a simple "thank you" will safice in your next diatribe. And ease up on the malcontentious attitude, it's obnoxious to more of your immediate surrounding than you think!

PS Furthermore, It must have really struck an open nerve for you to post another jab under a PS, in a completely different post. Very pathetic and telling. Take a deep breath and march on.

[Your Dept]

The problem with this is the internal leadership vacuum that results. Like it or not, people in the Department will refer back to this document to justify their programs and budget requests before the City council. And who can blame them? It's an official document signed off on by himself. All of those good progressive voices who fret the dept. has too much power and is dictating strategy from below need to take note here: when you produce something-for-everyone documents like this letter which do not set firm priorities, you're essentially asking departments and commanders below you in the food chain to set their own priorities. Or, at best, you are forcing them to constantly be seeking guidance as to what your true priorities are.