The Acorn editorial staff is entitled to their opinions on the Simi police contract negotiations, even if some of the evidence cited is incorrect.

There is no gulf between the police department and Simi Valley City Hall. Unlike the positions taken by previous police chiefs, the current police administration is in lock-step with city hall to dismantle long-term police officer employee contract provisions designed to protect against police administrative heavy-handed management techniques.

The city’s 2 percent total compensation demand preceded contract negotiations.

The city demanded that all city employees take an immediate 2 percent total compensation reduction, not just salary.

To coerce the employees into compliance, the city threatened each employee group with layoffs if they did not accede to the demand.

All of the Simi city employee groups, except the Simi Valley Police Officers Association, were bullied into submission and ultimately suffered reductions in income and/or benefits, including nonpaid furloughs.

The members of the SVPOA voted to reject any compensation reduction and thereby willingly subjected their members to layoffs. The association told the city to go ahead and lay off police officers. It is not the fault of the SVPOA that the city issued a threat that collapsed when it turned out to be a bluff.

Subsequently, the association’s contract expired and contract negotiations began.

The SVPOA publicly stated that it is willing to discuss mechanisms to deal with the city’s alleged need for the 2 percent compensation reduction.

The word “negotiate” means to confer and to come to some concurrence through compromise. The city is not compromising during contract negotiations.

Rather, it’s intransigently demanding noneconomic take-backs, which will ultimately subject the union members to the whim and capriciousness of the police administration.

The city contract negotiation strategy seems to be: Refuse to negotiate on the noneconomic issues; accuse the SVPOA of not negotiation in good faith; declare impasse; and unilaterally institute any salary, benefits and working conditions that it wishes.

Members of the City Council are uncharacteristically directing the city side of the contract negotiations.

Heavy-handedness is a new trait for the council. Councilmember Becerra could be accurate when he says things are going to get very ugly. I wonder who is driving the City Council’s unprecedented anti-police-officer-association bashing.

Even though the SVPOA is not a union, it sure smacks of unionbusting. Paul Coambs Simi Valley

Coambs is a retired detective who served on the Simi Valley Po lice force for 21 years.