UPDATE: As we already know, Mr. Sideras was charged with possession of 10 counts of child pornography. If you read the search warrant affidavit, you will see they have ample evidence against him. He of course deserves his day in court. If found guilty, it will be truly sad that a man of this position in our city did what he did. So how does this reflect on the city and how it chooses its directors? When former assistant chief Patrick Warren was charged with hacking Sideras’ computer, Warren said he suffered from mental illness, and he urged the city to do a better job of evaluating the mental health of city employees. Could Sideras possible obsession with child pornography be caught in such an evaluation? While the city seems to be concerned about the health and well being of the minions, do they do evaluations on managers and offer them assistance? If the city learns anything from this episode, they need to start getting serious about the mental capacity and well being of their managers and directors.

Trust me, I have had hundreds of conversations with people over the past week about the possible reasons Sideras’ home was searched. And I have heard it all.

But with many of these conversations, people are asking the obvious. Why did the city decide to terminate Sideras before charges were brought against him?

In most cases, when a public official is embroiled in an investigation, and hasn’t been arrested or charged, they are put on administrative leave. I find it hard to believe that Sideras quit on his own, especially with the possibility of losing his pension.

This is all puzzling because the mayor has said over the past couple of days he ‘knows nothing’.

Yeah right.

31 Thoughts on “UPDATED: Why was Sideras terminated before he was arrested or exonerated?

  1. scott on May 6, 2017 at 5:04 pm said:

    i would guess if he’s vested, then he doesn’t lose the pension, even if he is fired.

  2. Warren Phear on May 6, 2017 at 5:22 pm said:

    mmm knows more than he is letting on. The proof comes in the form of mmm’s own press secretary. Much like sean spicer can’t help himself with trump, neither can belfrage for his boss…mmm. Give a listen, bout 5 minutes in.

    http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3350796/3350796_2017-05-05-111836.mp3

  3. The D@ily Spin on May 6, 2017 at 7:28 pm said:

    Huether demands veneration and denounces opposition. I suspect Sideras was routed out sacrificially.

  4. City employees are fired when they violate City policies. They wouldn’t have to wait for an arrest to fire him if his act(s) were also policy violations.

    I’m guessing the burden of proof is also much lower for termination than it is for a warrant, so the firing will stick.

    I’m also guessing the firing and the warrant/criminal charges are related, so you’re right, MMM knows more than he is telling, as usual.

  5. Your question about administrative leave is one that I have had too. But then someone reminded me that the Fire Chief’s position is a political appointment. In theory, you can fire a FC for the kind of coat they wore to work if you want too, but for a parking meter maid you would need cause, which would begin with an action of administrative leave before any possible termination.

    However, since he was terminated so quickly after the search warrant was executed, without the help of the SFPD, suggests that the City was the alleged victim of the former FCs action(s). Else, how did the City have knowledge of the alleged act? Which then gave the City or Mayor immediate cause for termination and the legal right to do it immediately based on the fact that the FC position is a political appointment always at the mercy of the Mayors whim.

  6. Southpaw on May 7, 2017 at 12:40 am said:

    Do not over-thnk this. Appointed directors serve at the discretion of the Mayor. It’s that simple.

  7. Blasphemo on May 7, 2017 at 9:47 am said:

    Thanks for the clarification that the FC is a political appointment. This makes it very clear why the mayor had his (now hopefully excruciatingly embarrassing) televised press conference love-fest to announce the FC’s retirement. MMM can delude himself that he’s only got the best interests of the citizens of SF front and center, but his actions speak much louder than words. His cheerleading is repeatedly a thinly-veiled measure of self-aggrandizement. If ANYONE ever deserved a pie in the face, it’s that effing Little Lord Fauntleroy.

  8. Anthony Renli on May 8, 2017 at 5:05 pm said:
  9. scott on May 8, 2017 at 7:11 pm said:

    who told the city if this was supposed to be hush hush until now? wouldn’t most people be walked off the job by the police first?

  10. LJL on May 8, 2017 at 9:19 pm said:

    Bizarre….Too bad it wasn’t money related and not damaging children.

    Jackley must have not trusted city cops and admin to serve the warrant and search.

  11. Wow. Did you really just compare one guy’s diagnosable mental illness to some other pervert and his child fetish?

    You’ll really go to any length to try and tie this into and attack the City, won’t you?

  12. l3wis on May 8, 2017 at 9:32 pm said:

    You are right, people who seek child porn are perfectly normal mentally, they just have a ‘fetish’. Maybe you need to see a shrink.

    I never said Warren’s illness is comparable to Sideras’ illness. Jackass.

  13. Mama Bear on May 8, 2017 at 9:36 pm said:

    A kiddie porn obsession is not a protected disorder under the American Disability Act.

    Sideras made a conscious choice to look at kiddie porn not once, not twice, but at least the 10 counts they could charge him with. Mental illness is not a choice.

    Suggesting these are similar is disgusting and yet fortunately for you, this is protected under the 1st Amendment.

  14. l3wis on May 8, 2017 at 10:34 pm said:

    Jackass #2, where did I say they were similar? Please point out where I said this. What I am saying is if the city were to do evaluations, maybe they could have caught not only Warren’s illness, but maybe they could have caught something not right with Jim before he committed a crime. You act as if there is no way to treat someone with this kind of obsession.

    Once again, chickens who can’t use their real names, come onto my site to criticize me about something I didn’t say to defend the city’s administration.

    I am not demanding the city do a better job with mental health evaluations, I’m only suggesting they do. As for Project TRIM, that is stupid, and I demand they get rid of it.

  15. Mama Bear on May 8, 2017 at 11:09 pm said:

    I am in no way defending the city’s administration. I didn’t vote for MMM either time.

    But I am a mother of a child with a mental illness, not a jackass, but a Mama Bear 😉

    Having a porn obsession or even a sex addiction is completely different than kiddie porn. Adults can consent. Kids are victims. So I don’t see how any evaluation could have caught what Sideras has done.

  16. The D@ily Spin on May 9, 2017 at 10:20 am said:

    Unfortunately, the chief represents the department. There should be a better qualifications process. How many kids now go around the block so they don’t pass the fire station on their way to school?

  17. You guys have to remember DTLewis is s true liberal and Liberals are NOT keen on self responsibility. It’s always a systems fault not the self.

  18. l3wis on May 9, 2017 at 1:44 pm said:

    You Neo-Cons always have to twist this into a political debate. Yawn.

    All I’m saying is a mental evaluation MIGHT HAVE caught something. Usually a person in a high stress position, like Sideras was, need a release. That usually ends up being an addicition if not caught early. Some like drugs or booze, gambling or in Sideras case, kiddie porn. People who live happy, non-stressed lives just don’t go out and start downloading kiddie porn. I’m not making excuses for Jim, he should be punished if found guilty and do his time. But without any evaluations of city directors, we will never know if this could have been caught early.

  19. Ljl on May 9, 2017 at 2:00 pm said:

    So your an expert on kiddy porn demographics? Set down the shovel and walk away?

  20. l3wis on May 9, 2017 at 2:05 pm said:

    Nope. But I know a lot of people with addiction problems, and those addictions didn’t come from living a stress free life.

  21. The investigation lasted over a year, he viewed child porn 10 times and that makes Sideras an addict?

    He waited until he was out of town at a conference. Can an alcoholic put off drinking for months until the circumstances are just right to drink?

    Sideras doesn’t sound like an addict and you don’t sound sound like an addiction expert. I also agree with some of the previous posts, it sounded like you were inferring it was a mental health issue that can be diagnosed.

    You think the sick degenerate would answer truthfully on any test that he likes to watch little children get raped?

  22. l3wis on May 9, 2017 at 3:55 pm said:

    I know plenty of alcoholics that go several months between binges. Not uncommon at all. My point is that maybe Sideras’ stress levels could have been caught before he started seeking child porn. I guess if I was a police or fire chief I would seek some kind of solace as much as I could, for some that may be going to a yoga class, for others it may be talking to a therapist on a regular basis. All I’m saying is that the city needs to do a better job of making sure it’s directors are practicing good mental health, I don’t think that is too much to ask. While our health department farts around worrying if someone is smoking cigs at JazzFest, maybe they should be concentrating on not only the physical health of their employees, but the mental health.

  23. LJL on May 9, 2017 at 6:52 pm said:

    Yep. Its the government fault folks. The government makes and solves all problems when your this misguided.

    And your wrong DT Lewis…. Liberalism is no longer a political government idea or theory, it’s now your guiding principal. Your mentality on this issue could be used as case study.

  24. The D@ily Spin on May 9, 2017 at 7:31 pm said:

    I sense a political thing. Makes Huether’s reign look degenerate. It is. Looks bad the state had to intervene while city police ignored. Some things can’t be fixed with local corruption. Jackley will win Governor because of this and the fact Huether has no political party. Huether will end up confined at home near Madison doing something weird with his IP address. We know this. His tantrums are evidence.

  25. The City doesn’t screen its directors and Huether picks who he wants, why is he limiting himself to within the department for the replacement chief?

    Why put one of Sideras’s lake home investment buddies in as the next chief? Hasn’t the department faced enough problems?

    I think an outside person without previous ties to Sidras, the union, or the department is the only choice to avoid any future perception problems.

  26. The D@ily Spin on May 9, 2017 at 8:32 pm said:

    FNG, that’s a practical sensible democratic and reasonable approach. City administration is not that creative. When your mind is focused on making all your buddies rich at the expense of public dollars, you can’t think this way. Shame on you. Run for city council so you can be silenced and keep a seat warm at Carnegie Hall.

  27. Fluff Mc Fluffin on May 9, 2017 at 8:38 pm said:

    How does this have anything to do with the local cops not being trusted? It’s called a conflict of interest. Why would they, even if they had the opportunity, investigate one of the city’s own heads? It makes all the sense in the world to farm it to another agency with no stake in Jim. If they had prosecuted it and lost, or any other number of scenarios, this site would be the first to lambast the actions as those of the “good old boys club”. Do you even hear yourselves speak sometimes? Out both sides of the GD mouth.

  28. “Though there is no clinical diagnosis involving child pornography, Knudson says he would call it an addiction. ”

    So it’s just his opinion (and yours) which apparently isn’t shared by the majority of psychiatrists who determine which disorders make it into the DSM. So, no, according to the APA, it’s not an addiction.

    You can let Sideras get ‘treatment’ for his ‘addiction’ and then go ahead and let him babysit your kids, ‘jackass’.

  29. I guess it is paying off for Sideras being friendly with the media all those years. The KELO story makes it seem like they are sympathetic to his disgusting behavior.

    Now added to the story the the new information about the online chats and the role playing Sideras participated in, it’s even more repulsive.

  30. So why haven’t we heard the outcome of this ?Not another word . Did it go to trail ? Did he just admit to it case closed or what . Ive searched for the outcome ,someone tell me where the public can find this out .

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