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Subscribe to RSSA California traffic cop who was fired after appearing in a porn film while on duty and in uniform is trying to get his job back. KNBC-TV's Joel Grover reports.
A former Los Angeles traffic officer said he was “totally unaware” when he was asked to appear in a porn movie while on duty and in uniform last year and now wants his job back.
“I was caught totally unaware, by surprise,” John Dancler said during his appeal to the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission on Wednesday.
Dancler was fired in July 2011 in the wake of an NBC4 investigation, which showed him and another traffic officer in a porn movie while on duty and in uniform, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.
View NBCLosAngeles.com's video of commission proceedings
“I could not believe what was going on, it was really surreal,” Dancler said during the hearing.
The NBC4 porn investigation went viral around the world last spring. The NBC4 team also uncovered a longstanding pattern of traffic officers who were convicted of crimes on the job, including soliciting prostitutes and shoplifting, but none had ever been disciplined, as recommended by city policy.
Read original investigation by NBCLosAngeles.com
Dancler said he was responding to a call for backup help in 2008 when a porn actress and her crew approached him, asking him to engage in lewd acts with the blonde woman.
Dancler admitted under questioning he had made a mistake.
"It wasn’t the best thing that I had ever done," Dancler said.
When asked if he informed others about the exchange on the streets, Dancler said “No.”
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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Hmm, I wonder what kind of "job" he's fighting for . . .
I don't see what the problem is. His job is to screw people over and he was doing it quite well.
PDK,
I had the same question.
What kills me is this: the officer contents that "...I was caught totally unaware, by surprise..."
A porn star walked up to him with a production crew in tow, asked him to perform a lewd act...and he's "surprised", yet performs for the camera?
Supposedly this wasn't a "police officer", per se. He was a traffic enforcement officer, and as I understand it he didn't carry a firearm.
Good thing.
Because if this story is true, I hope the job he's fighting for isn't the one that requires a uniform...or any other clothing...
Lol Shartorius, I thought the same thing. If he's that slow to comprehend whats going on, I'm not too sure I want him in a position of authority, not even to enforce traffic rules. He knew exactly what was going on, he just wants to play the victim.
I agree with you. the guy is an idiot and shouldn't carry a gun for any reason.He is mentally deficient.
the only gun he was packing was made of meat...
And that kind of "back up" was he responding too?
Give him another chance, the wiener made him do it....something about wieners that's always gettin people in trouble folks...
what's the big deal?
Is there any one here that hasn't, at one time, been screwed by a cop?
When you are as ugly as that dude - you gotta take it when you can. What was the name of the movie...Loading Zone; 3 minute parking only?
because he had sex in front of a camera, you claim he is mentally deficient?... i would claim anyone who truly thought that was a logical conclusion was mentally deficient...
isn't it amazing how sex is something everybody says they want, but then think less of people who they find out actually did it... i can never tell if such people are envious, in denial, or just dogmatic-thinking idiots...
its not the sex, its the POOR JUDGEMENT!!!
Once again the weak minded media cant seem to gather basic facts on a story. This person has never been a "cop", policeman or Law Enforcement of any kind as the story states. He was a traffic enforcement employee who does not carry a gun, has no poweres of arrest, is not POST certified and does NOT even work for the police dept.
He is a city employee assigned to direct traffic and cite parking violations and work parking at special events.
Journalist school must be having some serious cutbacks in teacher quality.
There are indeed traffic cops in LA and they are police officers, but Az is correct in saying this guy was not one of them. From information available in other stories, this guy was a "parking enforcement officer" - he was a "meter man" (Rita's brother?). The story says he was responding to a call for back-up; did someone run out of tickets? Did he call to let them know something else had come up?
Azrancher just loves the counter argument...which I have to admit to doing myself often (usually 180 degrees from Az's opinions).
Why do we need more/better Journalists when the world can read us Vine posters fine comments? We know it all, just ask us.
Well, Po-Po does want to protect and serve... He was serving alright:)
Clear case of entrapment!
his dong was entrapped in her mouth...
Obama 2012
You know you are a political radical when your posting name refers to your preference of parties.
Don't you just love white women...
Stereotype a woman of any color to her face and see how much lovin you get :P
Gotta love those who bring the street indoors.
m
black guys are popular in porn...they are huge.
at least that's what i've been told.
not that there's anything wrong with that.
i'm 54, fat, white, have no woman and no life.
Typical Minnesota Vikings fan.
"I could not believe what was going on"
Really dude, having sex while on duty.......that's the best you could come up with??? LMAO
His partner had the front entrence blocked and need him to block the rear exit!
Ha ha. That's hilarious!
Well, inquiring minds want to know who was the best thing he's ever done? Oh, sorry, that was a what, not a who.
At the very least I'd say he owes the city whatever salary they paid him while he was performing, since it obviously didn't have a lot to do with his civic duties. One must must keep one's privates separate from pubic duties, you know.
Betcha he doesn't even complain when someone touches his junk at airport security checks either.
All that he did was kiss her on her bleach-blond Muff ?
I do not get it? Are pornos illegal in California? Is it illegal to act in one? If not, did he actually commit an illegal act while in uniform? They mention others soliciting prostitution, buying drugs and other illegal acts, which I agree would be cause for dismissal. Unless his employment contract actually stated specifically that acting in a porno is a no no, I do not get the big uproar.
He was on duty at that time. That was clearly stated in the first sentence of the article.
BongINC; you are not helping our cause (to get weed legalized) when you prove you can't comprehend what you read...ugh!
The problem was the fact he was doing this while ON duty. If he had done it off duty, it wouldn't be a problem because it would be his personal, private business and no one would (or should) care, but the fact he was having sex while on the job is what seems to be ticking off these people. It's not in his job description. Plus the fact he was having sex with a co-worker (their department may have a no fraternization policy), and the co-worker was also on duty makes it even more of an issue.
Was he on lunch break when he did this? Or maybe a smoke break? I think he got canned because his boss was jealous...
Most agencies have a policy that you can not wear the uniform and represent the agency in appearance at events or functions such as politcal rallies, porn films or shoots, racial events etc etc. They are not illegal events and its not illegal to attend them but you can not do so in uniform unless assigned as duty. The appearance in uniform AND his conduct is what got him fired.
NYPD had a certified uniformed off duty patrol officer pose for playboy several years ago and in one shot (or so I am told :) ) she was wearing her open uniform shirt with badge and her gunbelt visible in the photo, so the NYPD fired her.
An LAPD officer also posed nude but the magazine did not display any LAPD property so there was nothing the department could do about her.
It is not uncommon for plainclothed vice officers to be present on porn sets to verify license/ages etc. but hardly ever uniformed officers unless there is a crime complaint.
he was on a munch break...
So, let me get this straight, cops can be hired by Wall Street and other private industries to beat people and assault them with pepper spray, but if they show up on the set of porn, they get fired? Hmmm, strange set of morals we have - violence = OK, sex = not ok.
You should be thanking JPMorgan Chase, among others, for their generous donations to the NYPD. For without their generosity you would be saddled with the burden of paying for thousands of unbudgeted hours of overtime and additional wages for the police presence necessary for security at such a gathering, despite having occurred on private property to the protest of the property owner. And people get surprised when cops retaliate after college kids spit on them. Get a clue.
I'll also advise you to read the article, since the subject is not a peace officer.
You are surprised at the set of morals for America? Take a look at movie ratings to understand American morality. You have to be 18 to see the natural act of sex while a 12 year old can go to a movie with a body count in the hundreds. It is not just the bankers with this morality - it is all Americans.
Ed -
Firstly, they have the powers to arrest while on duty for a private firm. Not good. They have the powers to use deadly force if necessary while on duty for a private firm. Not good. The firm covers some overtime, but does not cover liability or insurance, so the city is still picking up those tabs (especially in case of wrongful arrest, injury, death, or unnecessary use of deadly force). Not good.
Seriously, that's the best you can come up with? The banks pay the overtime, so everything is okay? Is it really necessary to taze someone for spitting on you? Is it necessary to crack skulls and force a young woman to have a miscarriage because they are marching a block from where you said they could be? Is it okay to use non-lethal weaponry in an irresponsible, potentially lethal manner when some protesters are attempting to render aid to an injured fellow?
Get some perspective, Ed. Police brutality has become the norm. Them working directly for banks (and it's not just on the banks' private property) while retaining the power to arrest and use force is not a good thing. It's like those idiots who use illegal search methods to identify potential wrongdoers, then obtain warrants afterwards through coercion of informants, then go in for arrests. Or the use of military equipment in our police forces. Or the use of unnecessary force, like using SWAT teams to issue warrants for minor offences (in many cases not even illegal). It's a justification for the militarization of the police. It's a justification for bloated budgets and police unions that constantly fight against the punishments of police officers that actually deserve to be punished. It's the idea that anyone can call anyone else a criminal, and public opinion has come to the point where that person is effectively stripped of all rights, because nobody wants to be "soft on crime," except against the Wall Street bankers who stole all our money and are gearing up to do it again with nothing more than slap on the wrist and several trillion in bailouts. "Here's your money, now don't do it again."
Spare me your sycophantic CSI infatuation, where the suspects are always guilty and the police always get the bad guy. It's manure.
I was not under the impression that officers of the NYPD were directly hired and paid by private firms, rather that the public organization received funds from those private firms as donations covering the additional expenses incurred. Maybe you don't see the distinction, or perhaps you believe there isn't one, but I digress..
I am not defending the actions of peace officers who clearly crossed the line by any stretch. Though it should be noted that incidents such as those you've mentioned do not occur without provocation, whether directly or indirectly by the individuals ultimately victimized. I believe deeply that there is no excuse for not maintaining composure and professionalism under all circumstances (whether by police, military, etc.), which would be contrary to what I posit above if it were not for the fact that these guys are all human. Have you ever been on the wrong side of an aggressive (if ultimately non-violent) demonstration? It is a harrowing experience. However, I also recognize that police officers are supposed to be trained for this.
I don't have much to comment on with regards to the militarization of police forces, illegal search and seizure, or union protection for bad cops. It's another conversation entirely. The situation at hand is a very complex one, though, and while there should absolutely be legal penalties for those officers who were found to have acted outside of their duty, it is important to remember that these guys didn't just start attacking random people minding their own business on the sidewalk, as long as we're talking about perspective.
Ed -
As far as I'm concerned, the distinction about pay is moot. Whether they're contributing to the organization for overtime or paying directly (the sources I've seen have stated it's paid through the department, but on an hourly rate), it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter for the reasons I listed above. Police officers are being forced to work overtime due to the corporation's interests, not the publics. If the mayor had ordered officers on duty down there, then the public could have a bigger say in where the taxpayer's resources went and their voices would be more unified. What the mayor and the corporations did was negotiate a method to provide forced overtime for private security. Not only this, but they are still not liable for any of the situations I listed above - the taxpayer is. But they've created a nice little curtain to make it seem proper, rather like a SuperPAC.
I don't dispute that there is a certain amount of terror in going against a large group of overtly aggressive and pissed off people. However, there have been many instances lately where the cops used excessive force even when people were not being overtly aggressive. That is ridiculous, and it should not be tolerated. The cops either are not getting the proper training to handle these situations, somebody higher up is making really bad calls, or the cops are taking their own initiative too far and abusing their authority. Personally, I think it's a mixture of all three. This type of situation does not, in my opinion, promote a better stance in handling protests.
Anyone that is stupid enough to have sex, on camera with a co worker- on the job, cop or not is just plain beyond stupid! Why would any company or agency want such an employee? This person and his co worker had no right to be cops to begin with. They do not have the capabilities of making a right decision to save their asses.
The Porn company to make money!
They made the decision to get some @$$
the problem is someone stands to profit on the use of a city employee in uniform. it is compounded by the fact that it was done while he was being paid by the city.
the city has a moral and ethical standard they want to uphold and they feel associating themselves with pornography would be counter to those standards. as much as i love pornography, i can understand the firing. had nbc4 not been involved it probably would have been swept under the rug like the prostitution, shop lifting, drug use, etc.
I wish the traffic cop that gave me a parking ticket had been off getting a bj somewhere else... would've saved me $50...
So what? Politicians and the corporate banksters have been f&$cking us every day while on the job and nothing happens to them.
John, hate to tell you but this is NOT a political column.
The white woman is the black man's kryptonite.
overrated
I heard it was fried chicken and big bootys!
He shouldn't have @!$%#ed her in the first place. He acted VERY unprofessionally as a police officer. You don't screw a chick after being called in for backup, come on! As far as I'm concerned, he has no business trying to get his job back, as he doesn't know how to act professionally anyway.
Right - except he is not a police officer. He is a traffic officer. He does not carry a weapon, enforce any other laws other than parking infringements and directs traffic. He is uniformed but so are a lot of janitorial staff. If a janitor had stopped working to have sex in a movie while on the city clock, he would be fired and so was this guy.
Unemployment line beckons buddy!
clearly he was packing something...
I just wonder who he thinks is supposed to believe him? This fool probably has children and what did he (and let's not forget all of the other officals) teach them about working? He says he made a "mistake" while on duty puuuleezzz give it a rest. I hope he had a wife so that she can sue him for half of his retirement.
I guess some men really do use their little "heads" to make decsions. And as with most of them, this was a really, really stupid one.
And we all know he not only didn't he remember that he was on duty but that he more than likely didn't stop long enough to consider STD's!!
Thats the joke on mankind.....two heads but only enough blood to operate one of them at a time.....
we need more info, maybe she just asked him to eat her out or give her a motorboat?
Realistic Woman,
And when a woman screws up it is because she was using her brains that were sizzling on the sidewalk after falling through the hole between her legs????
Azrancher,
Speak for yourself! I've got enough blood to handle both heads! I made sure of that by investing in a couple of extra pints o' mother nature's best 60's rock star reviving teenaged O positive. Tasted terrible....;>)
What he did was bad, but think about it. You have a boring a** job where you write tickets and maybe on a good day direct traffic. Hot woman (I'm assuming) comes up to you and asks you to do the nasty with her. You find out you're going to be taped. Too late, you're a guy and you just found out you're getting la*d. Do you do it? I'm gonna say 90% of guys do it, even if they say they wouldn't. Is it the right or best thing to do? Of course not, but come on...
Sean,
You are right - there is a significant percentage of men (probably not 90% but significant) who would jump on that (pun intended) but most would have the balls to say - "Well it cost my my boring a** job but I was with her!" This guy is making excuses and should not be rehired just for whining!
CDN-I'm not saying he should get his job back, and maybe I should have included dumb or stupid along with bad describing his actions, but it's like Chris Rock's OJ joke: "Now I'm not saying he should have killed her, but I understand." (I'm hitting the sarcasm key here...)
What a useless article - and what a useless bunch of comments!
The most valuable piece of information, the one thing I really want to know, is missing......
HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT PORN COMPANY?!?!?!?
Not the right Porn company for you Candy@$$gay!
It was a female Porn star he had sex with!
You are looking for the Gay Porn Companys!
they're looking for black walnut, not red maple...
Zing!
Look at the whole picture people. It was not just here and him in that shoot. Their was a guy with a camera their as well. This reminds me of people that commit crimes and film them for youtube. Then they ars shocked when they get arrested. The evidence dosen't get any better than that. Maybe the guy should be fired for stupidity. These are the people we hire and pay them more money than god, give them a million dollar retierment and more perks to boost their pay eveh higher. And forgot to mention they have the best medical one could wish for and they do a stupid thing like that.
too bad you're getting your info. from Fox since you are completely incorrect on all points! Public workers don't get paid "more money than God" (studies have proven that when you compare same educational levels that public employees make about 6% LESS with benefits than their private sector equals. that is fact not the bs lies that GOP politicians spew trying to get people to be mad at certain workers. they are trying to divide working people so they don't focus on the real causes of our countries problems! regular public workers also don't get million dollar retirements or any perks (like bonuses, cars or expense accounts). what you have said is a complete lie. The only people this may be true of are the politicians and their cronies that they hire! Regular teachers, police officers, forensic scientists, etc. don't get any of these things that you are so certain of. You are just plainly wrong.
Ok hobergenix you're a complete air head and you've evidently gotten your information just like the media, ALL SCREWED UP! This guy is not a law enforcement officer he does NOT carry a gun and is NOT board certified. He is a traffic enforcement officer which in this term means no more than parking enforcement but the media would have no story if they posted it that way. I'm sure the reporter read in the police incident reports "traffic enforcement officer" and got a hard on because they knew they had another story that talked bad about cops. Get the full story before you start giving your comment. That goes for all you people who decided to post something without finding the actual truth, don't trust the media. They are just like defense attorneys. Liars!!
Perhaps he can be one of the new condom enforcement officers that LA county will now hire to police the porn industry.
Not exactly a rocket scientist!