SCPD Officer and Wife Fuel Take Back Santa Cruz Witch Hunt on Social Media

Officer Hansen named and falsely identified one of the men in the photo in its comment section.

Also, Officer Hansen's wife, Crissy Hansen, engaged in tandem personal attacks on the men in the photo, calling them "trolls".

The comment by Officer Hansen was not left to stand without correction. The sister of the man named by Hansen said that the person in the photo was not her brother and that Hansen was wrong about his name.

There were other personal attacks and threats left towards the men in the photo by TBSC members on the post.

Most Take Back Santa Cruz members did not grow up in Santa Cruz. On his Facebook account, Wes Hansen says he is from Irvine, California.

Officer Wes Hansen and his wife Crissy Hansen are outspoken TBSC members who have made many other inappropriate comments on social media.

After life-long local Sean Arlt was shot and killed by an officer with the Santa Cruz Police Department last month, community members on Facebook criticized police for killing him. Many citizens didn't think police should have killed a man for holding a rake, and that the rake couldn't have been considered a real threat to police.

Crissy Hansen said this to those people on Facebook in response:

"They all need to get on a "Do Not Respond" list. If you don't like police, they won't respond when you need them. Those idiots can take care of themselves".

In 2013, Officer Wes Hansen went on an extended attack against a man falsely accused of a crime. The man was later found out to be 100% innocent. His name was Kenneth Maffei. Officer Hansen, along with many other Take Back Santa Cruz members, waged a full on war on him. TBSC mobbed him in court, and vilified him in their Facebook group and on their website. The group never apologized to him when he was exonerated. His ordeal started when a TBSC member thought they saw him, thinking he was a homeless man, stealing from a large display of gifts and flowers left at a memorial for the two SCPD officers killed that year. Maffei was arrested and jailed for 18 days. Evidence was later found to corroborate his innocence.

The vile comments made by Officer Wes Hansen and other TBSC members about Kenneth Maffei are archived here:

Take Back Santa Cruz leader pulls no punches
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/02/27/18783385.php

Concerned community members should complain about the conduct of Officer Wes Hansen to the City of Santa Cruz and to the SCPD. Here is the original TBSC post Hansen left comments on: https://www.facebook.com/takebacksantacruz/photos/a.1089110021107516.1073741827.125545410797320/1305689152782934/

How to complain about bad conduct by the Santa Cruz Police

Contact the Independent Police Auditor:

Robert H. Aaronson
3565 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: 650-565-8800
Email: RAaronson [at] cityofsantacruz.com

Citizen Comment Process:
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/departments/police/how-do-i/obtain-a-citizen-comment-form

Citizen Comment form:
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showdocument?id=9334

City Council

809 Center Street, Room 10
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-420-5020
Email: citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com

City Manager

Martín Bernal, City Manager
809 Center Street, Room 10
Santa Cruz, California 95060
831-420-5010
Fax: 831-420-5011
Email: mbernal [at] cityofsantacruz.com