Mr. Becerra and Mr. Sojka seem to be concerned with the fact that Detective Sgt. Robert Arabian of the Simi Valley Police Department conducted a stakeout to investigate recurring political sign thefts that were reported by the Huber campaign. They seem to think that it was a waste of time and money and that the actions by Arabian may have been politically motivated.

Firstly, regardless of who reports a crime, I expect my police department to investigate it, especially when it is a recurrent crime and a felony at that.

To say that the stifling of political speech is not worth the cost of a stakeout is to imply that the entire political process is not that important, when in fact it is one of the most notable differences between our country and those riddled with corruption. Normally I would consider such a belief to be that of the ignorant. It might be that in this case as well; however, it sounds more like Mr. Sojka might be hoping to benefit from the attack on Detective Arabian’s character by generating spillover prejudice onto Sojka’s political adversary Bob Huber.

As for Mr. Becerra, what he is failing to tell you is, prior to the article, just hours after Detective Arabian’s investigation, Arabian personally telephoned Mr. Becerra to inform him that he also was a similar victim.

Mr. Becerra commended Detective Arabian for his forthright diligence, which took Arabian away from a Saturday night with his family, and thanked him for investigating the call for service and resolving an issue which would have a “calming effect” to a heated political atmosphere.

While Detective Arabian and the Police Officers Association may have a belief that Bob Huber is the best candidate for mayor of Simi Valley, that would not affect Arabian’s performance on a professional level.

He did his job and, in fact, Arabian saved the city $2,000 that night by using officers as backup instead of detectives.

I do not know Mr. Huber, nor do I know Mr. Sojka nor Mr. Becerra. However, for the past 21 years, I have known Detective Sgt. Robert Arabian, both professionally and socially. A more diligent professional you will not find. His character is beyond reproach, so much so, my wife refers to him, aptly, as “The Moral Compass,” and for good reason.
Michael Cognata
Simi Valley