Staff Report
Benicia police on Friday arrested a Magalia, Calif., man after finding a handgun and tools commonly used for car theft in his possession.
Police Sgt. John Daley stopped a 1994 Acura on the 900 block of Cambridge Drive at about 6:24 a.m. for an expired registration. After the stop police determined that the passenger, Brad Stancliff, 23, had a felony warrant for his arrest from the California Department of Corrections, according to a Benicia Police Department news release.
Daley said during initial contact with the car’s two occupants, a large knife was seen inside the vehicle in plain view, and a subsequent search of the vehicle located an unloaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun under the front passenger seat.
Also located in a backpack and shoulder bag in the trunk of the car, Daley said, were stolen registration and insurance cards, a stolen GPS device, shaved keys used to steal cars and a spring-loaded awl hand tool that can be used to shatter vehicle windows.
Hypodermic needles and syringes were also located in the vehicle, Daley said.
The driver, 26-year-old Gina Peterson of Vallejo, was arrested at the scene and later cited for possession of the syringes and needles, a misdemeanor, and released.
Stancliff is on parole from the Chico area for automobile theft, police said. He was arrested at the scene and booked into the Solano County Jail in Fairfield for the outstanding parole violation, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, being a passenger in a vehicle possessing a concealed firearm, possession of stolen property (the registration and insurance cards), and possession of burglary tools.
All violations except the burglary tool offense are felonies.
“We believe this tandem was in Benicia to commit more crimes,” Benicia police Lt. Mike Daley said in the release. “Many times in cases like this, our police officers end up dealing with and contacting parolees or other criminals that have firearms or other weapons within arm’s reach, a very dangerous position to be in.
“This was good police work that we believe prevented Benicia residents from being victims of a crime.”
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Wow! Great work! My only question is, do we need to pay this officer well over $100K? My son made the exact same arrest in Oakland, and he makes half as much income? I don’t get it!
Rick, if David is your son then you need to get your facts straight. David Ernst, Oakland PD officer, had a base of $84,064 and a total of $95,145 in 2009. You lose credibility when you react rather than respond.
OK. Maybe I overstated. The officer doesn’t make “twice” as much. Only $30,000 more!
I’ll check with him and see! I doubt that he made that much. It’s still a less than the Benicia PD that pays overtime for what? I don’t know. My son now works for BART in Oakland and makes less than ne did at Oakland PD.
And, another point of fact, Oakland PD has more crime, I believe, than does Benicia, unless I’m wrong. I believe Benicia police made an average of $125,000 in 2009, including overtime, correct? Why is that?
Finally, I don’t know who you are, John! It’s somewhat like talking to a blank wall. So, I don’t think I’ll participate in a one sided conversation.
Thanks, anyway!
Daley is a great cop, has been serving Benicia forever and, if you read this site, seems to make up the majority of arrests in this town. He deserves the money in my opinion.
Maybe a bonus plan would be more appropriate instead of paying everybody overtime when no overtime is merited!
DO NOT talk bad about Lt. Daley he is a awsome Lt.