Just got this tip today from one two of our great inside sources. We thought it deserved a highlight:
2:15AM on Sept 1, 2010
Ericka Augusta Reinke
arrested for DUI by the LAPD NorthEast Division.
Placed in Van Nuys Jail
booking # 2461650
$5,000 Bail
Released to Mayor Reinke at 2:00PM
Wow, and an overnight stay, too. But what the hell is a Burbank girl doing in Van Nuys that late at night? And on a Tuesday to boot….? [CORRECTION: although jailed in Van Nuys, she was arrested in the Northeast division, which is the S.F road area, Atwater, Silver Lake etc.]
Hey– isn’t VN Northeast L.A. one of those neighborhoods that our Madam Mayor is always citing in our favor by comparison, whenever she talks about how wonderful we have it around here, or how bad things like “rent control” are to a community?
[UPDATE: this Ericka Reinke is the same daughter that Mayor Anja Reinke got a high paying job for down at Burbank City Hall, and who has (surprise, surprise) shot up in the leadership ranks in a very short amount of time.
The sleaze goes on…]
[UPDATE #2: so far it’s crickets time on this story over at the Leader newspaper. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…..]
Burbank, California 
She must have missed work today, but with all the sick days City employees have there will be no record of an absence.
Maybe she was out celebrating one of her big City pay raises…?
There was a time when her majesty actually had an opportunity to VOTE on this subject.
John Brady was voted OFF the Police Commission because: “He wouldn’t even be allowed to go on a ride-a-long” due to a DUI.
Remember how she voted.
That was pretext, of course. He was considered to be anti-cop and a troublemaker.
This really is no ones business. All it is, is the latest and greatest in the “Drama Capital of the World” (slap that on the side of a garbage can and that’ll fix our city! Call it like it is) This is so playbook Burbank.
She was not working at the time and had a few too many wherever she was at. Mistakes like this happen and she will and should have to pay back her debt to society as a result.
Whether or not she deserves the position she’s is a fair question but no one can say for certain that she is underqualified for the job. It can’t be determined unless one has reviewed any and all qualifications she might have had for the position. Is it fair to talk about the nepotism involved? Yes. Does the hiring decision raise eyebrows? Absolutely. But, the favors were called in by Flad’s office not Reinke’s office in an effort to keep one more council member off his back and under his thumb. Reinke lead her daughter to water Mike Flad and Judie Wilke ensured she drank!
After all is said and done this post simply places unecessary spotlight and has made an effort to begin the public flogging of Anja Reinke for a mistake her daughter made.
While I don’t disagree with Dixie when it comes to some pretty clear hypocrisy I will argue that this is being blown up purely because she is the daugther of a council member and I think that it’s wrong on that basis alone.
How many other city employees have had DUI’s or equally shameful offenses while working at the City? Why wasn’t this one covered up like the rest of them? Sounds like a Vanderborght situation to me. Good job Flad.
Nepotism is how the upper city management functions and people like is see others fail, they set themselves up for criticism when they pass over other longtime city workers, with no family connections. Judie Wilke received her first job at the city the same way when her father was on the Council. Ironic!
Sounds like nepotism is the way to get a job without the proper education and/or credentials. Does anybody know was Judy Wilke’s fathers name? How long he served on the Council? What were Julie’s qualifications for her position?
Reverend Stamper, elected for several terms. But I wasn’t aware that she got the clerk office job back then.
She brought this upon herself and made it public when she was telling everyone that her mother was the “Mayor of Burbank, trying to get special treatment.
This is the same Mayor who described all of those officers involved in “Porto’s” as “Bad Apples” with absolutely NO PROOF that they had done anything wrong.
Maybe the mayor can hire an outside lawyer complete with a private investogator to look into the moral terpitude in the HR Department ? Leave no stone unturned and go after the bad apples ?
Zab,
I can tell you if this happened to me the Leader headline would be “Long time Council Critic arrested for DUI” right on the front page. The City LOVES it when it happens to their critics or enemies whats different about the blog? And since when is a public figure’s children not dragged thru the dirt when they F up? It’s part of being a “public figure” that subjects your family to the humiliation. One more thing- when has being qualified or competent been a requirement for a job working for the City of Burbank. Look at the Bozos you people elected running the place into the ground qualified I think not.
Masked you are leaving something important out here. This girl is not just a relative or kid of the mayor. This girl is also a city employee in a high paid position paid by us as citizens. I believe that the fact she works for us places her transgressions into a different category that a simple kid of the mayor.
Even if what you imply here is true Zabby the question remains why did the mayor jump so fast to grab the candy the city manager held out before her ? If she had a higher caliber of ethics she would have declined any favor to gain to control in the first place. The fact that she didn’t under the scenario makes me wonder what other favors she has gained through votes and spending.
Nepotism at best and NO doubt about it! that she tried getting out of it by saying “my mommy is the Mayor in Burbank”.
Why should our officers be slammed for everything and made public, but issues like this should be covered up? Can we all say Double Standards.
She should be fired, no if’s about it.
The issue of a D.U.I. was elevated to a high crime by this very council when they chose to attack Mr. J. Brady for his D.U.I. and I believe it was Mayor Reinke who acted oh so incensed regarding the personality of an individual with a crime of moral terpitude. I recall the mayors outrage over a D.U.I. being moral terpitude. Now that judgement on her part and that declaration of what a D.U.I. means has gone full circle. Sorry Zabby but it was not anyone on this blog who made this determination, it was the mayor herself. Shall we see her words of condemnation as applicable only to those she does not like or shall we see them as universally applicable and wait for her to express her outrage that an employee named Reinke has a D.U.I. and is guilty of moral terpetude ?
What does this employee handle in the HR Department ? Could she have any access to police files in HR, for if she does how can she even look at those files across the room now, when a D.U.I. means one is not even able to sit in the back seat of a car for a ride along ?
This is the problem in Burbank. If you are part of the family moral terpetude is peachy while if you are not part of the family it is just oh so serious.
Good point– I had forgotten about Reinke’s oh-so-proper outrage over John Brady last year.
I also think these people– being in the public eye– have a higher responsibility to present themselves well. And to stay out of sleazy North Valley druggie areas after midnight on a work night.
Was she expected to go to work that very morning? And was out past 2 a.m. drinking? On a govt. salary?
Anybody know what her blood alcohol content was?
One of her duties is to investigate other employees that are having personnel conduct problems and legal problems outside the city, Yes that really is one of her duties and now maybe a conflict for the City.
Great Kit Carson!
If she investigates indiscretions of employees how convenient she will be able to investigate herself and the mayor can give us all a lecture of the wonders of drinking and driving. Suddenly drunk driving will be a virtue and she can issue a very public apology to John Brady.
Business as usual in Burbank.
I was going to post the moral turpitude angle but in reality it wasn’t even relevant. I read the definition and it does not really apply to a drunk it’s a sensation term used by Anja to bolster her bigoted opinion against Brady.
Paraphrasing one of my favorite early socialists, “Let he among you who has not gotten behind the wheel when he shouldn’t have cast the first stone.”
Chad,
Its called responsibility. I have never gotten behind the wheel even when I’ve had one drink, so I guess I can cast the first stone.
Slow down Chad. Nobody is saying anything about her driving drunk. Sadly..Who hasn’t one time in their life? Nothing to be proud of, but just the truth.
The point here is Ericka was trying to get out of a DUI with “my mommmy is the mayor of burbank” and the fact that Mayor is so quick to critize anybody in the city who is does something wrong or is accused of something as “bad apples.” what should we be calling Ericka then? A bad drunk apple?
What was she doing in that part of town on a late Tuesday night? In the NorthEast division?
Good for you, Mags. Certainly, Ericka’s “connections” probably didn’t gain her any advantage. In fact, because her mom is a public figure, it’s probably worked against her in terms of privacy.
Chad, Anja Reinke is the Mayor of Burbank NOT the president of the united states. 95% of the people in the city have NO idea who she is or what she even looks like. I bet you could poll every citizen of Burbank and less than 10% would even know her name. Have you seen the voting #s for a city election? NOBODY votes. Anja Reinke could walk through the Burbank Village and wouldn’t get noticed. To say that poor Ericka Reinke is the daughter of a public figure hurts her privacy, is a joke!
The fact that Ericka Reinke has a job is also a joke. Mommy begs Mike Fladd to get Ericka a job. He gets her a work trainee job. Not even 2 years later she’s promoted two times. Not bad for a girl who went from “dress-in-all-black-Gothic Girl” to working-girl-drunk. Hell, if Anja was my mom I might be an alcoholic too!
Remember this Reinke rant on John Brady’s DUI?
Tsk tsk, etc.
Isn’t there something about tending your own backyard first? Sources say that her daughter has had a longtime problem in this area.
And I’m still asking: why in the world was she in the Northeast Valley at 2 a.m. on a work night?
Just to clarify something…. Northeast Division isn’t in the Valley… Northeast covers areas like Silverlake, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, Los Feliz, etc. Even covers Griffith Park which, coincidentally, shares a border with Burbank.
Van Nuys must be a designated drunk tank or something… A friend who was busted for DUI Memorial Day Weekend in Hollywood was taken there, and not even Downtown.
Particularly for the Female variety.
Thanks for the correction. You’re right, I was thinking of Foothill Division.
I wonder where she was picked up, and what her blood alcohol content was….
This woman scares me, seriously.
I expect a similar outburst of condemnation and call for removal of her daughter this next council meeting. This woman should show the same concern now about this situation. If she fails to do so we know what a big fat fake she really is.
Someone please play this Tuesday night. And email the link to her.
Thanks for attaching this video clip. So glad to hear all about this ladies convictions. She loses friends and blah blah blah due to following her convictions. Ok lady it is now put up or shut up time if you ask me because now someone else will be convicted and on probation. That should mean after hearing this speech from the lady that convictions say this person has exercised poor judgement and no longer is capable of dealing with human relations matters.
Based on what Mayor Reinke says in the 3:13 rant posted above, her daughter should be removed from her city job! If John Brady is on probation and not fit to serve on a board, then I think Ericka Reinke, arrested and soon to be convicted of a DUI, isn’t fit to be a supervisor in the City of Burbank.
Who would of known that Anja’s own scolding of John Brady would apply to her daughter too.
I have been holding on to this one for while, but since Reinke thinks the blogs are too stupid for her time she won’t even know. Unless Golonski tells her.
Here it is: a few months ago now a tenant in one of Reinke’s Burbank properties came into the police station to complain about another tenant selling drugs out her (Reinke’s) building. Apparently, other renters lodged complaints as well about “foot traffic”.
Sad thing is the person that had to walk into the station knew the mayor wasn’t doing anything about the dope problems.
So Chad, tell Reinke not to cast any stones about “bad apples” before she cleans up her own house.
Do you know how it ended up?
Here’s a little tidbit about similar problems in the past– it’s quite possible that the BPD and Reinke knew about this tenant from the beginning, because they were using them as bait in various sting or other investigations about neighbor problems.
In fact, they may have allowed the druggie tenant to be there deliberately as part of a bigger local dragnet. They might have even brought them in just for this purpose. And Reinke was in on it.
If nothing was done about it then that’s what was going on.
I have a story on this coming in the future. It’s happened before. And the names will surprise people.
The fact that so many in Burbank would not even know who or what Anja Reinke is, well that is good for them because she is scary and dangerous.
It really is a time for a no relatives rule when it comes to city employees.
As far as I am concerned getting elected and then getting your kids jobs on the city payroll is a crime worthy of being thrown off the city council. It is slime being practiced by complete slime balls.
Notice the story in the Leader well either did I. And that boob Dan Evens column nothing to write about lately really?
Yup. The Leader is silent. Maybe being a public figure hasn’t hurt her after all. Regarding Brady, as loopy as Reinke was, Brady’s public comment was bizarre to say the least. I also believe the folks who voted to remove him argued that he was currently serving probation and had not declared that on his application. I thought that was reasonable. Also, many would have clamored that a police commission member was serving probation and given the climate at the time that probably was not appropriate.
Either you were busy on something else, or otherwise distracted at the time.
her majesty was doing Golonski’s bidding in an attempt to attack Jim Etter. Somewhere along the way the focus shifted to John Brady. How many times have you heard that Golonski wanted ALL the Police Commissioners to reapply for their positions under “new and improved rules”.
Years ago there was a Gentleman’s Agreement that each member could nominate one Commission or Board member (tantamount to selection, in practice).
Golonski has not been having his way, thus he wants to “revisit” frequently.
John Brady’s fond nickname has been “Father Brady” for many years.At the time, you may or may not have known depending on your degree of paying attention at the time, the Police Issues pending were Excessive Use of Force and Racial Discrimination.
While more liberal than some would prefer, Father Brady was well known for his sense of fairness–Tim Stehr and Golonski were afraid of that–and still are. How about you?
The physical resemblance between Jim and Bob Etter totally delights me. It must drive Dave Golonski absolutely nuts.
For those who don’t know, Golonski once pressed charges against Bob E. for harassment. G’s wife said in court filings that she was so terrified at his allegedly driving by their house all the time that one day she had to race outside and try to chase him down the street…. (!)
That’s some kind of real fear of the guy, isn’t it– where you want to confront him outside your house?
The real reason for G’s hatred is that Bob Etter used to go around and claim that they were only a common-law husband and wife, and cousins to boot.
This was all back in the good old days of council meetings, when the galleries were packed with critics and staff wasn’t allowed to answer first for the council members.
Did anyone expect the Leader to be anything but absent of any news ? You really should just grab some cash and burn it if you subscribe to that paper. It has no news in it what-so-ever. Honestly an attack could take place on Burbank and the Leader would go to print with a recipe, and some trivial story about the weather. Oh and the editor writing that he just can’t think of anything to write. The Leader is a waste of paper and ink.
If Burbank were ever attacked, the Leader would just cover it from the point-of-view of the movie studios, and how they were dealing with it.
Or check with Glendale and Pasadena, to ask if they would be helping Burbank or standing on the sidelines.
Just a random thought…
Mike Fladd has a history for getting jobs for the “special women” in his lives. (i.e. Cindy Fladd and Julie Fladd..his ex-wives)
So how did Mayor Reinke’s 25-year old daughter get a city job with no experience and then two quick promotions to a supervisor position?
I can’t believe the Mayor of Burbank has that much pull, just by snapping her fingers.
interesting thought Everett, but definately NOTHING to it. It wasn’t Mike Flad who hired Ericka. That process is done by somebody else down the chain of command in personnel. I do think Mayor Reinke did have some influence in getting her daughter hired. It’s happened for years with council members. This isn’t the first time or the last that a Burbank Councilman gets a family member hired for a city job.
No Everett. Nothing there. Just chalk it up to good old City of Burbank nepotism. Believe it or not members of the City Council do have some pull, even when it comes to getting there kids jobs.
I still think that there was a real issue with Brady’s application. I know that there was a confidential memo sent to the Council and Gordon wanted it to come out and Golonski wouldn’t say. (What stopped Gordon from simply stating what he already knew about this memo? Perhaps the same thing that stopped Golonski?) Whether they all hate each other or not is fuel for back stories , conspiracies, etc…The facts were that Brady was still on probation. Even Reinke said that had Brady paid his debt there would not have been a problem at least from her vantage point. (The same way Bric paid his debt and became a Council member.) Gordon was clamoring about process and stated that in years past when people were removed from commissions and boards they had an opportunity to have a kind of public trial. Golonski said he had participated in about four or five of these removals and they used the same process as they did with Brady. Again, Gordon had no come back that I saw. I have no idea if Golonski is telling the truth but if Gordon can’t back up his initial claim about a breech of process then either Golonski it telling the truth or Gordon needs more information to back up his initial claims.
Somehow, what was missing was that the “evidence” contained in the memo was arbitrarily withheld from Brady, and the manner and fashion of it’s collection.
The City Council was provided with the information, and utilized that information, and relied upon that information. But steadfastly refused to divulge that same information.
Then they selectively leaked some of the information.
Sound familiar?
Your selective memory as to Dr. Gordon having no comeback is not the case. Dr. Gordon asked for the release of the memo, the previous instances did NOT involve “secret” information, and Golonski knew it.
The application form has, in fact, been changed.
Burbank Police Personnel have some of the same problems with the practices of our City Attorney’s Office
“is telling the truth” (Sorry. I’ve got Cousin It on the brain.)
Chad
Reading your theory about Brady here I would be lead to believe that :
A) Since probation etc is a standard part of a drunk driving conviction this daughter has yet to pay her debt to society
B) If the debt is as yet paid she would be in the exact same situation as Brady
C) If debt not being paid means a person can not hold a position that has access to any confidential information then this daughter is unable to now do her job.
It seems to me that you made the point why there is now a problem for this girl to remain in her position. It is due to the fact that her debt is pending and until paid she is more like Brady than she is like Brick.
My understanding is that it was a couple of top BPD employees that started the ball rolling against Brady, and that’s what the memos were about. He had a reputation of being a cop-fighter and civil rights activist– the DUI was just pretext to get rid of him.
So now that he’s off probation, why doesn’t the council re-appoint him at the earliest possible opportunity? They never will– and this proves the claim that the DUI was just a phony excuse to boot him off.
Rez, don’t know what the rules are for city employees but yes, in general, I would agree. If she gets probation, and if there are HR rules in place that deal with this, then whatever those rules are should apply and she should not get any special treatment and if she does then someone should blow the whistle.
Semi,
I want to see her booking photo. Im curious to know just how drunk she looked.
…and to answer someone elses question ERika does handle police complaints and matters, she serves just under Judie.
I have heard there are problems in Wilke’s department. Can anyone shed any light on what is going on there?
Check for possession of current Fishing License,
with necessary stamps properly affixed.
Wow Dixie, you are about a pompous ass as Golonski. Unfortunately, you beat him out. Congratulations Mr. Know-it-all.
Thank you for your participation.
You make it all worthwhile.
Don’t forget about the long awaited BPOA membership meeting –Tuesday Night!!
Will some of the Board Members skip over to City Hall to assure her majesty that all the “bad apples” have been dealt with?
What words of encouragement will they offer on the redefined use of “moral turpitude” in regard to “suitability for municipal service?
When a Battalion Chief got popped he wasn’t able to claim his mother was “the Mayor of Burbank”.
I can here it now… Well my daughter isn’t applying to a board or commission. Lots of City employees get DUI’s every year we can’t fire them for what they did on their own time.
Now throwing mommy’s name around and the access she has to view sensitive employee confidential information should have her moved right back to the unemployment line.
Man Anja drew a lucky Dark Week so she gets to do damage control for another week before this information gets made public.
Jess Talamantes drones on about Brady not putting something in his application yet fails to mention no where did the application ask anything about this type of information.
It’s a conflict of interest ? Listening to Talamantes anyone who ever got a ticket from the Burbank Cops has a conflict. I wonder if any current commissioners ever got a ticket from a Burbank cop ? Jess Talamantes would say they have a conflict.
Hey Semi, how about making this a front page topic…
TONIGHT.
– 6PM
– Holiday Inn Burbank
– BPOA Vote on Mike Parrinello
– All active and retired Burbank Police Officers need to come vote on whether to keep or get rid of BPOA President Mike Parrinello.
If you think he’s done a good job representing ALL officers and truely has your best interest at heart…then keep him
If you think its time for a change, there are too many questions surrounding his character, he lacks leadership and the now investgation involving the BPOA’s involvement with Tim Stehr is too much..then VOTE TO GET RID of Mike Parrinello
Ask yourself this.. What if you were one of the officers placed on admin leave or fired and your BPOA President never called you or offered any help? Doesn’t the BPOA represent its officers?
Mike Parrinello is “in-bed” with Tim Stehr and city management. He doesn’t care about the officers. All he care about is himself and his buddies.
Its time for a change!!!!!!!! Make it happen
Any results of the vote?
There wasn’t any vote scheduled on the Agenda.
This was the 2nd Membership Meeting in a row called for by the Members by way of Petition.
Mikey reminded folks that his term is up in December–of this year.
Bonehead Board didn’t even announce the next Membership Meeting.
Some issues discussed included the lousy representation by Association (BPOA) retained lawyers.
Lousy service from lawyers on Worker’s Comp matters, payouts made without lawyer knowledge, surgeries off/on without lawyer knowledge.
Changes in warm or cold bodies at Human Resources, other than Erika.
Bitching by retired’ s about LAPD hires.
Bitching about shortage of Blue Suit Bodies, now that promotions made(couldn’t have all been from LAPD ?)
Some don’t want anything/both ways?
Little leadership displayed, other than by Mark A.
New bargaining demands submitted, BEFORE this meeting was held.
Poor performance overall.
Talking about the new generation of Burbank employees here is a rant by Mayor Reinke that tells us her view of the younger generation and their motivation. Of course she is offering this rant in her justification of pay raises for a few select employees.
Don’t underestimate Mike Flad. Flad continues to both offer and employ sons and daughters of the power elite in town. Michael Hasting’s daughter works for the city and a variety of other political families have their sons and daughters employed by the city. Flad sets up and knocks down power kids all the time. They serve as a way to get information about their parents in an effort to make them “loyal to the crown”
And I thought Michael was an Archangel, who sat at the Right Hand of GOD.