By Chris Levister

When Moreno Valley Police Special Enforcement Team officers charged into  Kevon Gordon's Sunnymead Avenue barbershop April 2 during a business license inspection sweep they rocked his world.

"It took ten years to build my business. Police using Board of Cosmetology inspectors as cover took minutes to destroy it," charged Gordon Saturday gesturing to an empty shop. "They smeared my character and wrecked my business, no apology, no redress, no nothing." 

"Those allegations are deeply troubling to community activist, Jerry L. Green who publishes the Black Business Resource and Networking Directory. May 5, Green a well respected marketing executive and chairman of the Moreno Valley Black Chamber of Commerce facilitated a meeting between barbers and Mayor Bill Batey.

Moreno Valley activist and businessman Jerry L. Green pictured at a Black Chamber of Commerce candidates forum, wants Mayor Bill Batey to follow through on promises to help develop oversight policies governing 'joint agency' police operations.

"I felt officers were out of line to go through salon shelving, and drawers. Perception is an individual's reality. If you come in and want to check a business license, look on the wall. You don't have to look through drawers or cabinets. You don't have to come in body armor and secure the back door. You don't have to question customers if you're looking for business licenses."

When police and city code enforcement officers staged the April 2 and April 15 sweeps they were accompanied by one of the state's most powerful and revered regulators: the Department of Consumer Affairs' Board of Barbering and Cosmetology which inspects (usually without notification) about 15,000 California businesses a year.

Some barbers argue police skirted legal checks and balances when they used state inspectors as cover to avoid court issued warrants. They believe the sweeps were conducted to intimidate them and target Black owned or operated barbershops. Five of the six businesses inspected April 2 are Black owned.

Green said he wanted barbers to have direct contact with Mayor Batey. "One of the questions they asked the mayor was, ‘would police go into a major shopping mall in full body armor using the same kind of heavy handed tactics'?" He said the diverse group of barbers who attended the meeting was happy with the dialogue with Batey.

Green now wants the mayor to follow through on his promise to barbers. "The mayor committed to bring the allegations to the city council and promised to push for the  development of policy that among other things would spell out provisions for conducting future ‘joint agency' police operations with outside federal, county and state agencies such as the Department of Consumer Affairs."

Green said those promises made five months ago have yet to see official action. "I haven't heard back from the mayor." A search of city records indicates the matter has not come before members of the council. Batey's office had no comment. While Green is confident Batey and city leaders will follow through, Gordon, Jones and two other barbers who spoke in confidence characterized the delayed response this way: 

"Justice delayed is justice denied." 

Meanwhile the finger pointing continues. Batey, the city's only Black city council member and Police Chief Rick Hall have steadfastly defended the sweeps. Authorities have disputed the barber's claims saying officers were there merely to provide security and to handle criminal issues. The Riverside County Sheriff's department which contracts law enforcement to Moreno Valley has characterized the sweep controversy as "a city issue". As of presstime, there was no comment from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Days after the April 15 sweep Barbering and Cosmetology Executive Director Kristy Underwood issued a terse statement admitting her inspectors were not told Moreno Valley police were looking for evidence of drug sales and gang activity when they asked state regulators to accompany them during what was deemed as business license inspections.

"The very first question my supervising inspector asked was ‘is their any criminal activity involved'? They said no. I gave my inspectors oral approval to accompany Moreno Valley officers believing they were looking for business license violations," said Underwood in the original interview.

Gordon and other business owners insist individuals affected by the police action have a right to know who is ultimately responsible for what occurs during ‘joint agency' sweeps. "Who is accountable when those operations run amuck? Are ‘loose' oral agreements a recipe for trouble? In view of the latest controversy and pending federal investigation how will the city conduct future joint agency operations?" 

Seeing that the barbershop is considered a sacred haven in many Black communities, Green worries that the rift between police and local barbers could spell ‘bad for business'. People, particularly barbers around the country, are taking about this. This has the potential for alienating prospective businesses." Still Green sees a silver lining.

Police say several of the barbers cited for license violations claimed to be unaware that the city requires individual barbers to obtain and display a current business license.

"That demonstrates a need for training and support." Fortunately says Green organizations like the Black Chamber of Commerce, NAACP and Urban League can provide help with business skills training to dispute mediation. "We have relationships with the city we can go in and say look - what's going on or we could coordinate a meeting. Individuals need to join and support organizations so those organizations can support them."

At the Hair Shack the usual den of hair clippers, kids and old timers is noticeably absent. "When they came up in here dressed in "body armor", they sent a fatal message: ‘criminal activity', explains barber Jones. Gordon and Jones have refused to pay the $1,500 fine assessed for minor sanitary violations. "It's our way of protesting what happened." They say their business licenses were recently renewed without comment.

In June, Gordon filed formal complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice and ACLU alleging the sweeps were part of a concentrated effort to harass and eventually shut down Black-owned and operated businesses in the city. The complaint also alleges Moreno Valley police used state inspection officers as a cover to conduct illegal searches for drugs.

Gordon told federal investigators officers clad in body armor entered select Black establishments without provocation, or a warrant, detained and questioned customers, searched drawers, cabinets, under pillows and cushions.

"Their reckless tactics destroyed livelihoods, caused great emotional injury and created a polarizing culture of fear."