Wanna get rich? Be a cop in California
Dozens of CHP officers are suddenly in hot water, accused of lying about lucrative overtime they claimed to have worked. And CHP supervisors were allegedly in on the scam.
Making matters worse, the original assignment was a cakewalk. The officers provided "protection details" for Caltrans workers doing freeway maintenance work. The gig involves sitting in a patrol car at each end of a construction zone to ensure motorists don't get too close to the freeway workers.
The racket allegedly defrauded the state out of about $360,000. The officers are temporarily relieved of duty, and an investigation is underway. The Los Angeles County District Attorney could file criminal fraud charges.
If found guilty, people should go to jail. We need accountability. What part of "illegal" do these scoundrels not understand?
As for financial solvency, Californians also need to focus our outrage at the real problem. Guess what? It's homegrown.
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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.
(c) 2019, The Washington Post Writers Group
