In the wake of City employee Eric Uller’s arrest for child molestation, the Pico Neighborhood Association will host a community meeting to ask for transparency from the City in regards to their internal investigation of Uller and more.
The meeting was organized to provide a safe space for citizens to express concerns to City officials—City manager's office leadership and officials from the Santa Monica Police Department—on what measures are being taken to prevent another such crime from taking place as well as updates on their internal investigation and what will become of PAL.
The meeting will take place at the Virginia Avenue Park Thelma Terry building.
Oscar de la Torre, Pico Neighborhood Association co-chair, helped organize the meeting due to Uller's crime which he says hits close to home.
De la Torre, serves as executive director of the Pico Youth and Family Center, the City has failed residents by covering up crimes, noting that years of rumors about Uller’s behavior did not diminish his role in the City and that another PAL employee, Don Condon, was convicted of child molestation and received only probation for his crimes.
“When you take both cases together, you see one was swept under the rug and the other, the predator was promoted,” De la Torre said. “We want to understand how two generations of child predators can find work in City-run youth programs.”
De la Torre said Uller’s behavior has been known for years, saying he first reported Uller between 1998-1999 with staff reporting his behavior as early as 1993.
In addition to the rumors, De la Torre said Uller would wear police-issued polos with an embroidered badge and had other special privileges given to him including an unmarked police vehicle and a radio connected to police dispatch, providing Uller with an authoritative advantage over the children he preyed on.
De la Torre says after Uller’s arrest, he feels no vindication, only outrage.
“The impact is a generational trauma that many members of our community have experienced. There is still sitting employees in the City government who failed in their responsibility to protect our children. Those people in charge need to be held accountable for the healing process to even begin.”
The Pico Neighborhood Association’s meeting takes place at the Virginia Avenue Park Thelma Terry Building on Tuesday, October 30, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
