SAN DIEGO - Six police officers in San Diego have been accused of various crimes in recent months and a local psychologist explains what can trigger this behavior in authorities.
A female officer took the stand Wednesday in the preliminary hearing of San Diego police Sgt. Kenneth Davis, who is accused of stalking and harassing her after she broke off their romantic relationship.
Davis, along with five other San Diego police officers, has been accused of various crimes over the past several months.
A motorcycle officer whose name has not been released by the department is under investigation for allegedly causing an off-duty Feb. 22 traffic accident on Murray Ridge Road in Serra Mesa while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of the crash. The District Attorney's Office is reviewing the allegations.
In March, an SDPD vice officer resigned amid accusations of raping a Point Loma Nazarene University student at an El Cajon home. He has not been charged in the case, which remains under investigation. Police have withheld his name as well.
On March 11, Officer Anthony Arevalos, 40, was arrested after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her following a traffic stop in the Gaslamp Quarter. Four other women subsequently came forward and made similar allegations against Arevalos, who has pleaded not guilty to 18 felony counts, including sexual battery, false imprisonment, assault under color of authority, and receiving a bribe.
On March 24, SDPD Officer Roel Tungcab was arrested by sheriff's deputies in the aftermath of an alleged fight with his wife at their Imperial Beach home. Tungcab, 39, faces misdemeanor domestic violence charges.
Last week, allegations came to light against an off-duty officer allegedly involved in an April 11 neighborhood altercation in Mira Mesa, where he lives.
"To see man's inhumanity on the level that they see it, can impact you," said Glen Lipson, an associate professor and psychologist at the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University.
According to Lipson, multiple cases of police misconduct are cyclical throughout the years. There are both internal and external factors like family life, substance abuse, and economic factors that can impact an officer's behavior.
"The changes in shifts, the pressures of having to do more with fewer officers begin to add up," he said. "It's the officers that lose that balance in life, often because they're so dedicated, those are the ones that often end up in the deepest trouble."
In most of the cases, the officer's involved aren't new to the job. They are veteran officers with years of experience on the police force. Lipson said that shouldn't be surprising either.
"You're dealing with a lot of people, who don't have respect for laws or rules, and they act out," he said. "You have to contain them."
A female officer took the stand Wednesday in the preliminary hearing of San Diego police Sgt. Kenneth Davis, who is accused of stalking and harassing her after she broke off their romantic relationship.
Davis, along with five other San Diego police officers, has been accused of various crimes over the past several months.
A motorcycle officer whose name has not been released by the department is under investigation for allegedly causing an off-duty Feb. 22 traffic accident on Murray Ridge Road in Serra Mesa while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of the crash. The District Attorney's Office is reviewing the allegations.
In March, an SDPD vice officer resigned amid accusations of raping a Point Loma Nazarene University student at an El Cajon home. He has not been charged in the case, which remains under investigation. Police have withheld his name as well.
On March 11, Officer Anthony Arevalos, 40, was arrested after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her following a traffic stop in the Gaslamp Quarter. Four other women subsequently came forward and made similar allegations against Arevalos, who has pleaded not guilty to 18 felony counts, including sexual battery, false imprisonment, assault under color of authority, and receiving a bribe.
On March 24, SDPD Officer Roel Tungcab was arrested by sheriff's deputies in the aftermath of an alleged fight with his wife at their Imperial Beach home. Tungcab, 39, faces misdemeanor domestic violence charges.
Last week, allegations came to light against an off-duty officer allegedly involved in an April 11 neighborhood altercation in Mira Mesa, where he lives.
"To see man's inhumanity on the level that they see it, can impact you," said Glen Lipson, an associate professor and psychologist at the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University.
According to Lipson, multiple cases of police misconduct are cyclical throughout the years. There are both internal and external factors like family life, substance abuse, and economic factors that can impact an officer's behavior.
"The changes in shifts, the pressures of having to do more with fewer officers begin to add up," he said. "It's the officers that lose that balance in life, often because they're so dedicated, those are the ones that often end up in the deepest trouble."
In most of the cases, the officer's involved aren't new to the job. They are veteran officers with years of experience on the police force. Lipson said that shouldn't be surprising either.
"You're dealing with a lot of people, who don't have respect for laws or rules, and they act out," he said. "You have to contain them."
