SOUNDING OFF:

We’ve all seen what we think is the perfect family — everything’s in order. But behind closed doors the reality is they’re not Ozzie and Harriet, they’re more like The Simpsons. Every family has its a degree of dysfunction.

Take the Newport Beach Police Department’s family, for example.

On the surface, Newport offers its officers great benefits, generous retirement packages, the highest salaries in the county and low violent-crime rates. The public relations face of the department is pro active and friendly.

So why do police officers leave Newport to go to other departments, with fewer benefits, less pay and higher crime rates?

The Newport Beach Police Employees Assn. is examining that very issue. This association historically isn’t controversial or confrontational, so why raise uncomfortable questions now?

Categorized by some as just “whiny or disgruntle employees”, they say morale, not money is their issue.

They’ve began taking meetings with individual council members, whose only prior contact with them has been when they’re posturing for powerful association endorsements during election time.

What do they hope to accomplish? It seems they feel the time is ripe for change, and that comes with communication.

As with any good family, you need to go back and look at its history. Dysfunction passes through generations.

Rumors of sexual harassment in the department and mishandling of evidence auctions surrounded former Police Chief Arb Campbell in the 1990s.

Another problematic issue was that there was only one employees’ association, thus officers felt intimidated as they voted on issues as upper management sat by.

They feared career advancement could be blocked depending on how they voted. A second association was eventually created for upper police management, but the mistrust of career retribution carried on into the next generation.

Chief Bob McDonnell was hired, retired and rehired. The fact that he was collecting his retirement package along with a salary, though perfectly legal, had some calling foul at this so-called “double dipping.” McDonnell was criticized for being too involved in policing projects and issues outside of Newport and not spending enough time with the officers — an issue he strongly denies.

According to McDonnell, in monthly meetings with association officials, their morale complaints were never specific enough to act upon.

“The problem was getting them to talk about things openly,” McDonnell said. “It was like boxing with a ghost and the idea of being afraid of retribution was unfounded.”

But reality and perceived perception are two different things. From 2005- 2006, 10% to 12% of the police force either quit or took early retirement.

Enter Chief John Klein, who’s been a member of the police department for almost 29 years and a former vice president of the association. He told me he’s very aware of past and present morale issues and that his management style is “hands on.” Klein meets monthly with the association and has the human resources department more involved. He rides along with officers, talks with his people and states, “I don’t solely rely on the chain of command to deal with grievances.”

But it’ll take time for Klein to undo the mistrust generations left behind. Will he be able to balance the politics and the personalities? The buzz is he just might be the recipe for success this family has been waiting for.

BARBARA VENEZIA writes a twice-monthly column for the Daily Pilot titled “Recipe for Success.” It appears every other Thursday.