Commissioner's post in jeopardy

BOB HOPE AIRPORT — Four Burbank Police officers went to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority's meeting Tuesday to call for the resignation of Commissioner Don Brown, a retired police officer who is under fire for his support of convicted-felon Scott Schaffer.

Burbank Police Lt. Pat Lynch, who brought news of Brown's testimony to the attention of the Burbank Police Officers Assn. board, led the string of speakers who said that Brown's remarks to a pre-sentencing officer helped Schaffer win a lesser sentence. Schaffer was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Feb. 12 to 13 months in prison for trading guns for drugs to members of a street gang, which has been implicated in the 2003 shooting death of Officer Matthew Pavelka.

"I was with Matthew Pavelka the night he was shot," Burbank Det. Chris Canales said. "I had his blood on my hands and on my uniform and, unfortunately, Mr. Brown, now you do."

Responding to the fall-out for the first time in a public forum, Brown accused the Burbank Police Officers Assn. of putting "their own spin" on the issue and said that if court officials released the contents of his testimony — which is now under a court seal — he would be vindicated. The Federal Probation Department has already denied Brown's written request for an unsealing of his pre-sentence testimony. He has also sent a request to Judge John Walter, who sentenced Schaffer.

"Anyone that thinks that I would deliberately tarnish my reputation and the reputation of the Police Department has another think coming," he said.

Brown also urged police association members to come forward with any information they may have about the contents of the pre-sentencing report so he can release that information to the public. Rumors have circulated that a leaked copy is floating around internally among association members.

"I'm not ashamed of what I said and … if it is produced, it will exonerate me," he said. "What they did here today is put on a mini-trial without even the courtesy to call me and ask what happened."

Currently there is not enough information available to draw a firm conclusion about Brown's actions in the Schaffer sentencing, airport authority President Chris Holden said.

"I don't know what was said or what was not said, but I know that the particular circumstances that are being linked to his involvement are really important issues in the community," he said. "I hope it all works out in the end."

Brown's removal from the authority would have to come from the Burbank City Council, which appointed him to the post in November 2001. Burbank Councilwoman Marsha Ramos has asked for the council to consider stripping Brown of his commissionership.