A former Long Beach police officer and a relative have been arrested in connection with a conspiracy to obstruct justice and aiding a criminal street gang, the city’s police chief said on Friday.
Yvonne Robinson, 42, a 13-year member of the police force, was taken into custody Thursday. Also arrested was 24-year-old Prentice Jones.
Speaking briefly during a Friday afternoon press conference, Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell hung his head as he explained.
"Yesterday we celebrated the graduation of 40 new recruits,” he said. “But today it's our duty to announce the arrest of one of our own ... We will not tolerate the actions that dishonor the badge that all of use wear so proudly."
Robinson is accused of providing information to Jones, a known gang member and the brother of Robinson's brother-in-law, McDonnell said.
The case stems from a 2012 gang investigation in which Long Beach police arrested 16 members of the "Baby Insane Crip" gang for a variety of criminal charges, including murder.
During the investigation, detectives learned that someone in the gang was being provided details of the murder case to aid the suspects involved in that case, McDonnell said.
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Robinson was using her position as a detective to review police reports and provide information to Jones, McDonnell said. After Jones received the information, she passed it along to the leaders of that gang.
Robinson was fired from her job in March, a year after receiving high regard from fellow officers.
Robinson received a community-service award from the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and was featured in news articles about in online.
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