PASADENA - The Police Department launched a criminal investigation Thursday into a pair of videos depicting children being taunted and forced to throw up while participating in a Pasadena-based boot camp.
The 2009 videos, obtained by this newspaper and shared on its website, have been viewed by officials at the Police Department. Cmdr. Darryl Qualls said detectives will question Kelvin "Sgt. Mac" McFarland, one of the adults participating in the camp.
McFarland already faces charges of kidnapping, child abuse, false imprisonment, extortion and unlawful use of a badge stemming from a separate incident.
"Looking at the video we can only see McFarland, so we will start the investigation with McFarland," Qualls said. "Based on what the newspaper published and what we saw, that's where the investigation starts."
Victor Gordo, who represents District 5 on the City Council, said he was highly disturbed by the videos.
"I would certainly not subject my son or daughter or any child I know to this type of activity," he said.
Gordo described the videos as the degradation of children being masked as discipline.
"The short clips that I reviewed appeared to be more of a situation of intimidation and humiliation appearing to be employed under the guise of physical activity and discipline," Gordo said.
Sources close to both boot camps said at least one of the adult instructors seen on video was an active member of the Marine Corps. Several calls to the Marine Corps' San Diego press office were not returned.
McFarland, who operates Family First Growth Camp in Pasadena, can be seen in both videos.
In one, he is seen screaming at a boy who was carrying a tire around his neck. The boy falls to ground in tears.
In the other video, McFarland encourages children to drink water to the point of vomiting.
Keith "Sarge" Gibbs, who operated Sarge's Community Base/Commit II Achieve Boot Camp, can be heard on one of the videos.
In 2009, McFarland worked for Gibbs. He was later fired when, Gibbs said, McFarland failed a background check and questions arose about his tactics.
Both men deny being at the camp during the filming of either video.
Qualls said police cannot be sure that Gibbs was present during the taping.
"I can't tell whose voice that is on the video," Qualls said. "It's best to do the investigation and ask the questions."
The videos appear to have been shot at the Firestone Boy Scout Reservation, a popular retreat for Boy Scout troops.
Firestone Camp Ranger Matt Halsig said he is familiar with both Gibbs' and McFarland's boot camps.
McFarland's camp was banned from Firestone before Halsig's arrival for reasons the ranger said he was not familiar with.
But as critics pounce on boot camps for what they see as extreme tactics, Halsig defended the instructors urging the children to gorge themselves on water.
"Unfortunately, if you are not familiar with first-aid tactics, you should be not making assumptions," Halsig said. "Unfortunately, if that person is dehydrated, you have to pump fluids in them and sometimes they throw up."
Halsig said he knows Gibbs personally. He defended the actions he has seen at Gibbs' camp.
"From Firestone's perspective, we have not witnessed anything that is not consistent with tough love," Halsig said.
The videos prompted reactions from City Hall to the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.
"The behavior described in reports of these videos is appalling, and if accurate, those responsible should never again be entrusted with the care of young people," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, said in a statement.
"It also reinforces the need for greater oversight of so-called `boot camps,' which have all too often been the subject of unsafe and unscrupulous conduct."
McFarland was arrested on May 27 and charged with kidnapping, child abuse, false imprisonment, extortion and unlawful use of a badge. The charges stem from a May 16 incident during which police say McFarland handcuffed a truant Pasadena Unified School District high school student and extorted money from her family.
Gibbs was kicked off Pasadena Unified campuses when questions were raised about the harshness of the tactics employed at his boot camp.
An expert in the field of juvenile development questioned the effectiveness of such tactics and pointed to a recent study to support her claim.
"We did a research study with 1,300 serious felony offenders. These were kids who committed aggravated assault and in some cases murder. We followed them for seven years and conducted interviews every six months," said Elizabeth Cauffman, a professor of psychology and social behavior at UC Irvine. "We did not find any support for the notion that incarceration in harsh setting promotes the development of self-control or responsibility. And those are the things that are asserted by the proponents of boot camps."
Rep. George Miller, D-Richmond, a longtime boot-camp critic, introduced a bill earlier this month that calls for closer oversight of the camps.
This marks the third time in four years that Miller has introduced such a bill. This version calls for staff training, makes boot-camp instructors mandatory reporters of child abuse and creates a federal database parents can use to check operators' credentials.
"Without regulations and enforcement, this profitable industry will continue to have actors that present unacceptable risks to the children they serve. It is unacceptable that as each year passes without adequate oversight, more children suffer," Miller said in a statement.
"This legislation will help put an end to these horrific abuses that put the lives of too many children in jeopardy. It has passed with bipartisan support in previous Congresses, and I hope my Republican colleagues will take swift action for congressional consideration soon."
While such regulations are outside of the purview of the City Council, Gordo said he supports ramped up oversight of the camps and the tactics used by instructors.
"What should be regulated is whether tactics such as these are appropriate when applied to young people," Gordo said.
