Church of Scientology forges police approval for TWTH (2005)

By Ron Sharp more
3 January 2007

Source: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.scientology/browse_thread/thread/5e544e07e9f20a03/

[Note: TWTH = The Way To Happiness, a program sponsored by the Church of Scientology]

Scientology playing nicey-nice with Captain Mike Downing in 2002:

http://www.freedommag.org/english/la/issue06/page02.htm

In support of this fact, LAPD Hollywood Division's Captain Mike Downing and City Councilmember Eric Garcetti both presented certificates to the Celebrity Centre on the night of the 33rd anniversary gala, recognizing their unconditional and continued support to the community.

Fast forward to 2005, when Capt Mike finds out that Scientology forged his endorsement for The Way to Happiness:

Pasadena Weekly (Aug. 2005): "The Way To More Questions" by Carl Kozlowski

But according to LAPD Cmdr. Mike Downing, the Church of Scientology forged his endorsement on The Way To Happiness Web site, prompting the LAPD to disavow any endorsement of Scientology and The Way To Happiness. "We cannot endorse the Church of Scientology or any religion as the LAPD, and we very specifically said they could not use the LAPD name as it related to their book. They know they are clearly overstepping their bounds" in linking to the LAPD as an organization that works with The Way To Happiness Foundation (TWTH). TWTH, Downing told the Pasadena Weekly, also apparently fraudulently posted on the Web a letter of commendation from the LAPD that was not signed by alleged writer Chief William Bratton, and also forged Downing's approval by rubber-stamping his signature to the image on the site, www.twth.org But that isn't the only time TWTH, which has distributed booklets to more than 12 million American schoolchildren in 12,600 public schools since its inception in 1984, allegedly fabricated information to promote its product. In the case of the LAPD, the booklets were distributed by the department, but only after TWTH representatives approached police officials repeatedly and only succeeded in disseminating through the Hollywood Division. Even then, when TWTH attempted to distribute the booklets with the LAPD's name on them and depict a book-cover drawing[1] of a policeman wearing an LAPD badge, they were ordered by police to remove the badge image and remove the department's name from the back cover.

[1] http://web.archive.org/web/20040314052342/www.twth.org/Cover+Images/Premium/362x310/hollywood_police.jpg

Hmm, let's check those TWTH commandment, er, precepts again... Yup, there's a couple that [Church of Scientology] didn't break and it was all for KSW, so that's okay.

--
Ron of that ilk.