Locals React to Arrest of Danville Police Officer, an Alamo Resident

Residents are concerned about the arrest last weekend of a Danville police officer who lives in Alamo.

Steve Tanabe was arrested Saturday night  “as a result of the ongoing investigation into the state Department of Justice Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET),” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.  

Sandra Maynard said police corruption piques her interest because she considers it rare.

“We have a nice town here,” she said. “It’s hard to believe.”

Tanabe, 47, was booked into county jail in Martinez on weapons- and drug-related charges, according to a sheriff’s office statement.

He was released Sunday after posting $260,000 bail, according to Jimmy Lee, director of public affairs for the sheriff’s office. 

Tanabe, who has been a deputy with the sheriff’s department for four years and was assigned to patrol in Danville, has been placed on administrative leave.

Danville contracts with the sheriff's department for its police services.

Danville Police Chief Steve Simpkins confirmed the arrest but said he was not permitted to comment on the case according to its contract agreement.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has not yet filed charges and "is continuing to assist in the investigation of Tanabe’s activities," according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Possible charges include possessing and furnishing an assault weapon possession and conspiracy to sell non-narcotic controlled substances. 

Tanabe’s arrest comes after two others in February related to the investigation: Christopher Butler, a Concord-based private investigator, and Norman Wielsch, CNET’s former commander. 

Authorities have declined to reveal the connection between the arrest of Tanabe, who was not a CNET member, and the ongoing multiagency investigation into the task force, which is inactive because of the investigation.

But according to an affidavit,  Tanabe  had been working with Butler to conduct so-called "dirty DUI" stops on clients' husbands to damage their reputations, an investigator said in an affidavit.

        In one of the cases, the target was cheating on his wife, and the deputy was looking to "dirty him up" for a future legal battle, according to the affidavit.   

Wielsch and Butler pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned earlier this month and face criminal charges that include conspiracy and drug-related offenses, according to news reports.

Tanabe, Wielsch and Butler may be linked to a systematic scheme of arrests. In that scheme, Butler would arrange drinks for men at , a Danville wine bar, before identifying them to deputies who would arrest them for driving under the influence, the report said.

Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston said in a statement that “the arrest of deputy Tanabe is a sad day for the Office of the Sheriff but should not reflect on the integrity or professionalism of the nearly 1,000 other members of the office.”

Drew Lightner, who said he drives through Danville during his commute, agreed: “A few rotten apples don’t spoil everything, but it’s scary when it comes to police.”