Malibu Angry Over Seetoo Transfer, As Lieutenant Is Praised By Her Boss
Written by 991KBU on October 18, 2019
The reassignment of the popular and effective sheriff’s lieutenant who headed up law enforcement for the city of Malibu has people saying they are shocked and very angry.
Lieutenant Jennifer Seetoo has been transferred to a desk job.
City Hall officials say they were shocked and blindsided by the move … by L A County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s command staff.
One of those officials … Commander Blaine Bolin … is asking for Malibu to give the new Malibu captain a chance.
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“Malibu can expect to find they have a great leader in their new Captain Matt van der Hoerck.
I believe once he gets out into the community … which I know he is already starting to do … the community and he can address their concerns … speak to issues at hand … gets to know the community .
“I think once that begins to occur … the community is going to love him.
“He’s a hard worker. He has a great reputation within the sheriff’s departMent.
“And I know that the communities that selected him as the new captain did so because they are confidant he is the right person to lead Lost Hills Station going forward.”
Commander Blaine Bolin.
But the problem is … Malibu residents had invested time and energy in working with Seetoo.
She was in the job for just 49 weeks … but in that time … had made some major changes and impacts on law enforcement in Malibu.
Andy Cohen is a member of the city’s public safety commission … he worked closely with Seetoo on several major issues.
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“I’m devastated that she is no longer there for reasons that no one seems to know.
“She contributed so much.
“She has the complete support of the city manager .. all the city council people .. all the business owners … and all the people of Malibu that she has helped so much.”
Jennifer Seetoo may hav e been a victim of her own success.
One example:
Seetoo bypassed the sheriffs headquarters last spring … went to county supervisor Sheila Kuehl … and got an extra half million dollars for extra summer traffic enforcement on P C H.
Record number of tickets … zero fatalities for the first summer in years.
A major success … right???
At sheriff’s headquarters … it was viewed as showboating … as playing politics with Sheil Kuehl … a public enemy of the sheriff on several issues.
That’s the opinion of several insiders at Malibu City Hall .. who spoke with KBUU on background.
Seetoo also embraced bringing volunteers on patrol and private security guards into the mix in Malibu.
That did not sit well with traditional sheriff’s deputy practices … almost a professional affront to the office.
Seetoo was apparently viewed as overly ambitious … applying for the job of captain of the Malibu Lost Hills Station when the sheriff had several other candidates in mind … according to sources here in Malibu.
At the sheriff’s headquarters … however … her boss Commander Bolin says Seetoo is held in high esteem … and is still being groomed for advancement.
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“Lt. Seetoo is also another individual that is highly thought of within the sheriffs department.
“She has many years ahead of her .. a very bright future … I am confidant of that.
“And right now she is getting her requisite line experience as a watch commander under her belt.
“And we are very confidant that seasoning she is getting … and that experience she is getting at the line level .. will serve her well as a firm foundation as her career moves forwards as well.”
Bolin says the sheriff … Alex Villanueva did not demote … Seetoo.
But Malibu City Hall … and many Malibu residents … do see it that way.
They see a woman who had achieved substantial accomplishments in just 11 and a half months … suddenly yanked out and demoted to a desk job.
Malibu city manager Reva Feldman says she has spent the past few days trying to get answers about this.
Feldman says she and Seetoo spoke daily … often several times every day .. and that Seetoo has the support of the full support of city hall entire city council.
At the public safety commission … Andy Cohen.
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“I’m broken hearted and devastated because she did so many other things.
“She brought the community together with coffee with a cop events …
“She brought the dolphin stickers back …
“She had so many thoughts and ideas …things with the schools.
“She is just a sensitive and wonderful person while still being a hard assed cop.”
Where does this leave Malibu???
Getting to know and bringing up to speed the fourth Malibu police liaison in two years.
Looking for ways to tell a new sheriff how to run our local police force.
Malibu pays eight million dollars a year to the sheriff for police services …
But he has a three billion dollar budget.
And Malibu can’t afford to set up its own police department … by all appearances.
The sheriff wins on this … and Lieutenant Jennifer Seetoo has been transferred to internal duty in Calabasas.
