The Background

Bay Area cities have been rocked by allegations that 30 officers from seven different law enforcement agencies in four counties were having sex with Celeste Guap, a sex worker who was underaged for at least some of those encounters.  The agencies are the following:

1. Oakland Police Department,
2. Richmond Police Department,
3. San Francisco Police Department,
4. Livermore Police Department,
5. Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department,
6. Alameda County Sheriff's Department, and
7. Defense Logistics Agency

If evidences proves the allegations true, at least some of the law enforcement officers are guilty of exploiting children, supporting human trafficking, and statutory rape.  Other officers only had sex with her after she turned 18, but even then prostitution is neither a victimless crime nor legal. 

But the potential crimes by our law enforcement officers do not end there.  Oakland officers repeatedly provided confidential information about sting operations and conducted background checks on people for Ms. Celeste Guap.  Even more disturbingly,  Ms. Guap also stated that she participated in cocaine parties with Richmond and Oakland police officers.  

While city officials and the police departments want to hold internal investigations, citizens in the involved cities cannot trust the results of an "in-house" investigation for issue of this magnitude, particularly when so many officers, including high ranking police officials, are involved.  In just one outrageous example, Alameda County's investigation of allegations against four deputies cleared the deputies of all charges - without ever interviewing Ms. Guap.    See http://abc7news.com/news/i-team-exclusive-raising-questions-about-bay-area-police-sex-scandal/1406109/

Clearly this is a regional issue involving seven law enforcement departments in four counties.  The response needs to be regional in nature with one, single independent investigation ongoing, not seven local internal investigations. 

The Call

We demand a thorough, aggressive, and independent investigation by the State of California Attorney General's office.  Only an independent investigation will have the integrity of process required to deliver findings that can be trusted by citizens.

An independent investigation will ensure that any other issues that may emerge in the course of the investigation will be fully examined in all four counties.  

We further believe that given the overall size and complexity of this investigation, it must be lead by the California Attorney General's office.

*The photo at the top shows texting exchanges between Ms. Celeste Guap and Richmond Police Department Lieutenant Andre Hill.  Image captured by the East Bay Express.