Sorry for the headline but last night I got an email from Undersheriff Galisky reminding me that I hadn't linked to Christian Berthelsen's article in the Los Angeles Times.  

So here it is, San Diego's pension problem offers a cautionary tale for O.C. The key graphs are near the bottom of the article:

"The legal challenges face an uphill battle: A large body of state and federal constitutional and other protections generally safeguard worker pensions from employers seeking to roll them back. Several labor lawyers said there has never been a case in which a judge allowed an employer to rescind benefits it had already granted.

At their core, the pension problems in San Diego and Orange County vary significantly, with different issues and different legal theories. San Diego's case has largely been based on fraud allegations; Orange County's is more focused on constitutional issues.

Moorlach, who has been leading his colleagues on the issue, said the troubles with the San Diego case did not concern him.

'We're going after constitutional issues,' Moorlach said. 'We think the issues we're raising are a little more weighty than the approach [Aguirre] took.'

But the cases also hold similarities. In each case, the employer is going to court seeking to invalidate benefits it has already granted, and each involves a claim that the debts created by the agreement are unconstitutional.

Orange County is planning to make one of the same arguments that Aguirre used in his case -- that the deal violated the state Constitution's prohibition on deficit spending.

On that point, a San Diego judge ruled against the city earlier this year, finding that violations of the debt limit were the city's own fault and not the fault of the pension fund.

A San Diego union representative said the city's tactics are doomed to fail.

'In addition to being a flawed legal theory and a poorly implemented legal strategy, from the inception it was morally and ethically wrong to attempt to undo a bargain that was made fairly and squarely,' said Ann M. Smith, a lawyer who represented the Municipal Employees Assn. in San Diego. Meanwhile, Peters, the council president, said the city has made progress on repairing its pension finances by making tough choices to put more money into the plan and through negotiations that have forced employees to put up more of their own money. He says the plan is now 80% funded. Aguirre disputes the success of the efforts..."

In other news, The Tin Star blog has a post up on the law firm hired by the Deputies' Union (AOCDS):

"Wayne Quint, President of the AOCDS, said 'We retained Morrison & Foerster because of their record of success in litigation, as well as their extensive experience in constitutional and pension-related issues. We would hate to see the Board of Supervisors renege on their agreement with us, but if they do, we have a duty to make sure that our members and their families, especially the widows and orphans of those who fallen in the line of duty, have the most qualified firm to represent them.'"

The Register's Martin Wisckol writes, "This law firm is a powerhouse and it will be a high-profile case if the county actually files. So you can bet MoFo will be throwing some of its top talent at Moorlach and the county."

And, in somewhat related news, it was reported this morning that "Top executives at major U.S. businesses last year made as much money in one day of work on the job as the average worker made over the entire year, according to a report released on Wednesday."

From the San Jose Mercury News: "Public anger [regarding CEO pay] is high. In a June poll by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg, more than eight of 10 Americans said CEOs are paid too much. Congress is seriously debating proposals to boost income taxes for money managers and corporate executives. And more shareholders are telling company boards that pay policies are out of control."

From an NPR report in June: "In a new Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll, most Americans say CEOs are unethical and overpaid."

Again, from the San Jose Mercury News:

Highlights from the report on executive pay released today by the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy:

Gaps in pensions: The average pension for CEOs at a large U.S. corporations grew by $1.3 million last year. By comparison, for the years between 2001 and 2004, the average U.S. household with some kind of retirement account saw an increase of $3,775 in value annually.  

Executive retirement funds: A CEO running an S&P 500 company retired on average with $10.1 million in a "supplemental executive retirement plans." Such accounts are limited to high-level executives. Only about one-third of U.S. households headed by someone over 65 even had a retirement account. On average, those accounts were worth $173,552.

Perks: The top 386 CEOs received perks averaging $438,342 in value last year. That would take someone earning the minimum wage 36 years to earn.

Pay for leadership: There's also a gap between pay for business executives and other leaders of U.S. society who do demanding, high-level jobs. According to the report, the top 20 best-paid people at public companies were paid an average of $36.4 million last year. That is 38 times the compensation of the top 20 best-paid leaders at non-profits and 204 times the top 20 generals in the U.S. military.

From Chief Probation Officer Colleene Preciado to Chairman Chris Norby:

"July 26, 2007:

I would like to inform you of an extraordinary collaborative effort by the County’s Law Enforcement Team. As you are aware, the Orange County Fair i currently open. Each Tuesday, the Fair offers free admission for children in the “Kids Day” event. As you are also aware, the Probation Department’s Sex Offender Unit aggressively monitors and keeps close tabs on the whereabouts of known sex offenders. As in previous years, our Sex Offender Until attends the Fair on Kids Day and other days to ensure the public is safe from predators and to seek out sex offenders violating terms of their probation. Sex offenders are specifically forbidden to attend events such as the Fair because it is a location “likely to be attended by children.”  

On Tuesday, July 24, the Department Sex Offender Unit, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, was once again successful in spotting a long-time, known child molester at the Orange County Fair. The sex offender is a Megan’s Law registrant that was formerly on probation and is currently on parole. Deputy Probation Officer Andrew Parker, a member of the Sex Offender Unit, recognized the known sex offender, Sheriff’s Deputy Charlie Davis notified state parole, and DPO Parker was authorized to immediately arrest the offender. The public is safer today because this sex offender has been taken into custody and will likely return to prison. To what degree we don’t know, but a crime was certainly avoided on Tuesday because of the astute and professional work of the Probation Department’s officers. A week earlier on July 17, the Probation Department’s Sex Offender Unit was walking the fairgrounds and spotted a known child molester. With the assistance of the Sheriff’s Department, the sex offender was taken into custody thereby removing this predator from the event. To underscore the importance, both sex offenders have been convicted of numerous crimes of child molestation and other sex offenses.  

This is not the first time our Sex Offender Unit has served public safety well at the Orange County Fair. In 2005, the Probation Department made national and international news for catching a sexual predator at the Fair. Again last year, a similar arrest was made at the Fair – another sex offender was apprehended.  

I believe the Orange County Probation Department’s Sex Offender Unit is the finest in the State. […]This collaborative including the Probation Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department with officers Charlie Davis and David Caler works very well to keep Orange County safe. The fine teamwork between the Probation and Sheriff’s Departments strengths the enforcement capabilities of the County, thereby resulting in exceptional results, as described in these recent events at the Fair."

From a phone call from Newport Beach Police Chief John Klein:

Chief Klein called to express his thanks for our dive team locating human remains today (July 13) off the East side of the Newport Jetty.

Two station 43 detectives and the coroner's office responded. Chief Klein wanted to give his personal thanks to our staff for being diligent in their efforts to locate the female.

Our dive team located several remains while on a dive off the east jetty in less than 40 feet of water. Sergeant Von Rettberg and Deputy Beachner assisted on the fireboat, and Deputies Schnell, Slikker and Lofland were the divers.

We attempted to dive last week, but the current and conditions were not favorable for the mission.

Here's a CBS2 story on the dive.

Since the blog debuted, there have been several inquiries as to why comments are closed.  The purpose of this blog is to allow the Sheriff and his staff to express their ideas and thoughts about the Department and items of interest that may involve or affect the Department.  There are several other blogs where the public may comment on issues affecting this Department.

Because the Sheriff's Department is a public agency and may not censor speech protected by the First Amendment, we do not want to be in the position of having to determine whether every comment posted is protected by the First Amendment, or whether it may be libelous or simply viewed by our readers as vulgar or in poor taste.  In contrast, privately operated blogs may censor or remove items as they see fit.  If we were to allow comments, we would run the risk of either opening up the comments to everything, including comments that even a private blogger would not permit, or else shutting down the blog.  Therefore, our only options are to allow everything or allow nothing. Given the legal risks involved in censoring speech, we have determined, upon the advice of counsel, to not allow comments be posted directly on the blog.

While it was necessary for us to make this decision, it doesn't mean that we don't want to hear from our readers. This is why we offer the Sheriff's email address in the top-left column. We want feedback - positive and negative - and we want to hear your ideas and opinions. Frankly, that's what makes the blog so interesting and fun to write.If you, as a sheriff's employee or a county resident or a reader from across the country, have an idea or a suggestion or a rant, send us an email. Who knows, you might just alert us to something we haven't thought about.

In July 1984, the Sheriff’s proposal for a helicopter support unit was approved by the Board of Supervisors.  After selection of personnel and equipment was completed, an extensive training program began.  On May 21, 1985, during ceremonies dedicated to the life and memory of actor John Wayne, the Sheriff’s first two helicopters entered service as “Duke I” and “Duke II”.   

The Air Support Bureau is part of the Airport Operations Division commanded by Captain Dennis DeMaio and managed by Lt. Mike Mullen.  The current members of Air Support are:  Sergeant Mike Sharpe and Deputies Santos Garcia, Don Dear, Mike Russell, Dave Tilstra, Mark Northart, Rob Mergen, and Jeff Crowley.   

   These are technologically advanced aircraft equipped with such devices as a Wescam Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) thermal imaging camera, a gyro stabilized color video camera with 14X magnification, a 50-million candle power Nightsun, and gyro stabilized binoculars.  The aircraft also has a Lojack stolen vehicle tracking system and a GPS-based moving map system capable of displaying Thomas Brothers maps, topographical maps and aviation maps.  The flight crew is also equipped with night vision goggles that increase Air Support’s night mission capabilities significantly. 

Through the years, Air Support has been extremely effective in assisting narcotic units with discovering marijuana fields growing in the Cleveland National Forest and surrounding areas.  In 2006 alone, Air Support assisted in finding over 25,000 marijuana plants growing in several locations with a street value of over 16 million dollars.  Because of these efforts by the Air Support Bureau and the Department’s Narcotics Unit, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department won the 2006 National Marijuana Eradication Award, which was presented to members of the Department in Washington D.C. 

Over the years the Air Support Bureau has been recognized for their excellence by several agencies and organizations.  The Bureau has received several Commendation Awards and Letters of Appreciation.  Individual member awards include the Department’s Medal of Valor, Medal of Courage and three American Red Cross “Bravo for Bravery” Life Saving Medals.  In 2005, two members of Air Support won the “Captain Gus Crawford” Memorial Aircrew of the Year Award in recognition of their outstanding performance in Airborne Law Enforcement operations.     

I've read and heard some remarkable stories about why The OC Sheriff's blog doesn't allow comments. Most of these stories involve sinister plots and evil motives about how "we don't want to hear negative comments." This opinion, of course, is funny to us.

Pick up an Orange County newspaper, read an Orange County blog, heck, listen to a couple of our county supervisors and you'll hear plenty of negative. We're quite used to it.

Since the blog debuted, there have been several inquiries as to why comments are closed.  The purpose of this blog is to allow the Sheriff and his staff to express their ideas and thoughts about the Department and items of interest that may involve or affect the Department.  There are several other blogs where the public may comment on issues affecting this Department.  

Because the Sheriff’s Department is a public agency and may not censor speech protected by the First Amendment, we do not want to be in the position of having to determine whether every comment posted is protected by the First Amendment, or whether it may be libelous or simply viewed by our readers as vulgar or in poor taste.  In contrast, privately operated blogs may censor or remove items as they see fit.  If we were to allow comments, we would run the risk of either opening up the comments to everything, including comments that even a private blogger would not permit, or else shutting down the blog.  Therefore, our only options are to allow everything or allow nothing. Given the legal risks involved in censoring speech, we have determined, upon the advice of counsel, to not allow comments be posted directly on the blog.

While it was necessary for us to make this decision, it doesn't mean that we don't want to hear from our readers. This is why we offer the Sheriff's email address in the top-left column. We want feedback - positive and negative - and we want to hear your ideas and opinions. Frankly, that's what makes the blog so interesting and fun to write.If you, as a sheriff's employee or a county resident or a reader from across the country, have an idea or a suggestion or a rant, send us an email. Who knows, you might just alert us to something we haven't thought about.

Governor Schwarzenegger announced Thursday, August 16th, that he was joining "Assembly Republicans, Sheriffs, [and] Chief Probation Officers As Effort Mounts Against Early Release of Prisoners. From the Governor's Press Release:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today filed court documents joining a major push by state and local officials as efforts increase to prevent the early release of dangerous criminals into California communities.  In federal court, the Governor filed a motion to support 31 Republican Assemblymembers, 15 county district attorneys and 23 county sheriffs and chief probation officers who have requested to get involved in the prison overcrowding case against the state."

How would the release of 40,000 inmates affect Orange County? Here's a glimpse from Martin J. Mayer, of Jones & Mayer, the firm representing the California State Sheriffs' Association (CSSA), the California Police Chief's Association (CPCA), and the Chief Probation Officer's of California (CPOC) in this lawsuit:

Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol Operations extend far beyond Newport Beach Harbor. What may appear as a local operation actually has many regional implications – providing patrols from Dana Point to Sunset/Huntington Beach, along the coast and three miles out to sea. Interaction with local, state and federal agencies is a daily occurrence as we plan, prepare and train for the many roles Harbor Patrol is called upon to serve. 

Sergeant Scalise and Deputy Sizemore recently participated in a joint training exercise with the United States Coast Guard and the crew of the USCGC Halibut. 

From the United States Coast Guard Cutter Halibut Newsletter, Breakwall: 

“HALIBUT recently completed another demanding month of patrol focusing on Search and Rescue (SAR), Enforcement of Laws and Treaties, and Homeland Security in its area of operation from Dana Point to Morro Bay, CA. These patrols proved challenging and exciting for the crew as HALIBUT completed joint operations with Los Angeles (Marina Del Rey and Isthmus), Orange County Sheriff’s (Newport), participated as a SAR asset in the Catalina Ski Races, and responded to two SAR Cases.”  

Additionally, as highlighted in the USA Today, the United States Coast Guard has called on police and rescue dive teams to join in training exercises “to help protect the nation’s ports, harbors and waterways.”

From USA Today, “’For the first time in the (scuba) industry, we have a malicious threat to manage," says Steven Orusa of the International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists. "Any place that has water in its jurisdiction may have a risk — recreational, commercial, shipping or industrial.’”

Sheriff Carona is presenting a review of our DNA programs to the Board of Supervisors this morning. Here's the presentation. 

The Orange County Crime Lab is nationally recognized as a leader in facilitating the use of DNA technology to solve crime. The Orange County Sheriff's Department was the first law enforcement agency in the Western United States to incorporate DNA using public-private partnerships back in 1989.

Other highlights:

nIn May 2006, became and continues to be the number one DNA hit producing local crime lab in California

• n20% of all DNA hits in California originate from the OCSD crime lab
• In September 2006, OCSD set a new state record of 22 DNA hits on a single day

• nWe are on target to see 1000 DNA hits per year by 2009

Over the last four years, the crime lab has been leading the nation in the application of DNA testing to high volume crimes, such as Residential & Commercial Burglaries and Robberies

• OCSD lab leads the nation in successful DNA recovery from touch / trace DNA samples 
•  60-70% of all DNA hits are from DNA samples recovered from burglaries and robberies

Orange County’s cost per case was the lowest of all participating agencies and more cost-effective than outsourcing

• OC Crime lab cost per case:           $395.57
• Next lowest agency cost:                $620.83
• Agency using outsourcing:              $960.91

Example: A particular investigation requires three DNA samples. Orange County Sheriff's cost would be $395.57 for this case (and for all cases). The District Attorney has a cost of $450.00 per sample; therefore, the cost for this case would be $1,350.

On October 13, 2007, members of the Orange County Sheriff's Department will be participating in the Annual Crime Survivors 5k Run/Walk.Special Guests include Angela Shelton, Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base General James P. Combs, Sheriff Michael Carona and Sheriff Lee Baca.

From the Crime Survivors website:

"Vision
Crime Survivors vision is for victims of crime to recover from their experience mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially, by receiving the respect, support, and protection from law enforcement, the judicial system, and the community.

Mission Statement
The mission of Crime Survivors is to ensure the public knows victims’ rights and needs and to provide resources, support, and information to empower crime victims to survive and thrive."

Los Angeles Times' Dana Parsons wrote a column for yesterday's paper on the issue of pensions:

"I wish I were more resolute for one side or the other. I can't be. Call it the Curse of the Libra.

That curse compels me to be fair, and I'd have a hard time reneging on a collective bargaining agreement. As Carre argues, what comes out in the end is a product of give-and-take. Nobody forced the county to agree.

Do I have misgivings, however, about a cushy retirement package that, if the supervisors are correct, will sink the rest of us? You bet. Life is tough and I don't know many people who can retire comfortably at 50, as deputies and DA investigators now can.

So, I'm torn. But unless a court rules against the deputies, my bottom line is that a deal is a deal. Even if I have to pay for it."

The Sheriff has argued a similar point, as he wrote to the department on July 20th, "As the Sheriff, I have always believed it is extremely important to honor our commitments to our employees."

This theme continued when the Sheriff spoke to the board on July 31:

"Now, granted, I'm not a lawyer and I'm not an actuarial, but I do have responsibility for forty-two hundred men and women of the Sheriff's Department, and I take very seriously the concerns of their lives and what they do.  What you're suggesting is, because you don't know whether or not you have the right to do what a former Board has done, is to impact the salaries of those people who retired in good faith and in reliance on a decision that was made by the Board of Supervisors by some 33%.  You tell them overnight we're going to take that money from you, and we're going to put it into an escrow account, because we're not sure, and until this is litigated, we're not going to give you the money back.  If it is, we'll give you the money back.  And if it isn’t, we are going to keep it.  That is the most Draconian of all the options." 

Got questions on the pension issue? We got answers.

Want to read more? Here's our Deputy Pension archive.

This week, Sheriff Carona, along with several business, government, and public safety officials, took part in Lt. Governor John Garamendi's briefing on Orange County's Community Colleges and How They Meet our Workforce Needs.

The Sheriff presented an overview of the Orange County Sheriff's Department Training Division and our partnership with Rancho Santiago Community College District. This longstanding relationship provides mutual benefits to both Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) and to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. (OCSD) --by sharing costs, facilities, and expertise, the community wins through improved training of local law enforcement officers.

Most noteworthy is the new era of law enforcement training that will be ushered in with the Grand Opening of the Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Facility on September 11, 2007.

Over the next month we'll be sharing news about the grand opening and the new training facility.

The Sheriff’s presentation is here.

From Lt. Governor John Garamendi's Week Ahead Advisory:

"SANTA ANA: Lt. Governor John Garamendi will convene an informational briefing at Rancho Santiago Community College. Finding solutions to the critical need for a highly educated and well trained workforce, the Lt. Governor will meet with leaders in business, local government, law enforcement and emergency services. Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and Orange County Sheriff Mike Corona are among those scheduled to attend."

Last week we linked to this press release regarding the FPPC's investigation regarding The Friends of Mike Carona. Today, the FPPC released their report. 

 From the FPPC report, Exhibit 1:

In this matter, Respondents failed to properly report officeholder expenses made with Respondent Carona’s personal funds that were not reimbursed within the statutory period as nonmonetary contributions from Respondent Carona. Respondents further failed to properly report officeholder expenses as expenditures, instead mistakenly reporting them as loans from Respondent Carona. Although the dollar amounts misreported were not insignificant, there is no evidence to suggest that the violations were the result of intentional or deliberate conduct, or that they were the result of an improper effort to gain political advantage. Rather, the violations were attributable in large part to Respondent’s inexperience with the Act.

Read the report here.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department offers one of the most demanding and stressful training academies in the nation. How do you prepare for the Sheriff's Training Academy? Here's our video on the physical requirements.

Part 1:

Part 2:

The debate over who should operate Newport Beach Harbor Patrol is stuck in the doldrums. Leave it to the Daily Pilot's Barbara Venezia to liven it up a little:

"The harbor issue has already been studied seven times. Not satisfied? The county CEO is preparing a "Harbor Study Scope" and wants the Harbor Patrol, Newport and county to split the cost.

The Sheriff's Department's Harbor Patrol does a great job in our harbors. The whole county pays for these services through their taxes. So why fix it when it isn't broken? When 80% of the boating public using Newport Harbor is not from Newport Beach, what makes the county think we should foot the bill?"

And finally, this is an appropriate time to point you to the video of the debate Sheriff Carona participated in last month.  If you'll remember, the Sheriff was supposed to sit down with Supervisor Moorlach to discuss this issue; instead, Bruce Whittaker, from Supervisor Norby's office was sent to discuss.

The video was cut into six parts. The rest can be found below, or on our YouTube Channel right here.

Here's Part 1:

...so why do they do it? Because statistics show that many non-violent criminals will "graduate" to more violent crimes. Identifying these individuals early can prevent violent crimes in the future.

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

A favorite collection spot for DNA comes in the bathroom, where burglars often use the toilet and don't flush.

“Fingerprints, shoe prints and tool marks have long been the bread and butter of burglary crimes – that's what everyone looks for,” said Dean Gialamas, director of forensic sciences for the Orange County Sheriff's Department and a member of the National Institute of Justice working group on DNA forensics.

“We now are extending investigations one more notch to include DNA,” Gialamas said. “This is another piece of forensic science that could answer a lot of questions in lesser crimes.”

Gialamas said there is a cost-benefit component to using DNA to solve crimes such as burglaries.

Does it make sense to spend $2,000 to solve a $400 burglary?

The answer may be yes, Gialamas said, if it results in catching a crook who is responsible for other crimes or stopping a crook from moving to more serious crimes.

Read it all right here.

It was a very special thank you from a U.S. Navy Veteran to the Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol.  

Kevin Hennessee returned home to Orange County from the war in the Middle East in May.  Prior to being deployed last year, he spent a good deal of time on his boat which served not only as his favorite toy, but a place of refuge while he was dealing with other personal issues. 

His twin engine vessel though, had seen better days as well.   “I was operating it on only one engine for a while”, Hennessee said. 

Not the best situation for a seaman to be in, especially when the winter weather strikes. But as the savvy Midshipman put it, “No matter the circumstances, the Harbor Patrol Deputies were always there, not to write tickets, but to lend a helping hand.” 

So to show his appreciation for the times when the waters were just too tough for his boat to navigate or too rigorous for one engine to handle, Hennessee, while fighting overseas in the Middle East, flew an American Flag in honor of the Harbor Patrol.  It was his way to say thanks. “They helped out during some of the toughest times in my life,” Hennessee said.  “Without those guys and their unwavering dedication and mutual respect, who knows where I’d be today.” 

Hennessee presented the Flag to Harbormaster, Captain Deana Bergquist on August 8^th.   

“We’re honored to receive it, especially considering it’s coming from a military man who knows the ultimate meaning and responsibility of to 'protect and serve,'"  Captain Bergquist said.  

The Flag will be placed in a shadow box and put on display at the Harbor Patrol Headquarters in Newport Beach.

Who created the 3% @ 50 pension benefit?

The State of California passed legislation that allowed the 3% @ 50 to be enacted in cities and counties.  Orange County was one of the last counties in California to adopt 3% at 50.  

Here’s the legislation: SB400 (1999), AB1937 (2000), and AB1696 (2000)

Why did counties and cities choose to offer this benefit? 

Well, it's the same reason you give pay raises and benefits to people. Orange County is one of the most expensive areas in America to live.  You want to have competitive salaries so you get the best people.  Orange County recognized that.  Our local government leaders looked all around us, and found competitive wages and benefits and realized we were falling behind.  We were losing people from the Sheriff's Department and the D.A.'s office – they were going to other counties and other municipalities.  Because we wanted to remain competitive, the Board of Supervisors, through the C.E.O., reopened negotiations with the Deputy Sheriffs, and they negotiated 3% @ 50. 

Here’s a comparison of current wages for Law Enforcement in Southern California.

The median price for a single-family home is approximately $700,000, with a monthly payment of nearly $4,200 (7% interest rate with 10% down). Additionally, Orange County’s cost of living was the 3^rd highest “among our peer regions,” according to a study conducted in 2006. Only San Francisco and Los Angeles/Long Beach ranked higher in cost of living.

You keep saying recruiting is a challenge. How can that be with the generous pay and pension we hear about from the media? 

Currently, the OCSD has approximately 350 vacancies -- a shortage of deputy sheriffs and special officers. According to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), from 2004 to 2014, the Orange County workforce will require 17.3% additional law enforcement officers.

In 2006, 4,414 people applied to the OCSD for a deputy sheriff position, 1,146 passed the written exam, and 118 completed the background process and were hired. Of these 118, 19 were lateral transfers from another law enforcement agency and the rest were sent to the OCSD Academy. Of the 99 sent to the OCSD Academy, 49 graduated.  

It’s going to take more than designer desks and plasma televisions to recruit qualified public safety employees. We live in one of the most expensive areas of the country and must work within the constraints of a very tight labor market. Competition to fill law enforcement vacancies is fierce; therefore, pay and benefits must be attractive.

The agreement between AOCDS and the County authorizing 3% @ 50 is unconstitutional. You guys don’t have a leg to stand on. Why are you more interested in maintaining your benefits than following the “rule or law”? 

Although the media and those supporting the rescission of public safety pensions have taken Supervisor Moorlach’s untested legal theory as the infallible truth, the theory remains untested. Until such time as a judge, in a court – and most likely, many judges in many courts - makes a determination, this remains nothing more than an untested legal theory.

What about the retroactive portion of the benefit that everyone keeps singling out? Why should people who retired prior to 3% @ 50 get the benefit? 

Any person who retired prior to approval of 3% @ 50 did not receive any increase in their pension benefit. If an individual retired at 2% @ 50 they still receive 2% @ 50. Only those individuals who were employed at the time 3% was approved and implemented received the increased benefit.  

We repeat: The benefit was not retroactive. All retired personnel were subject to the pension benefit they received at the time of retirement. Nothing more.

Well, the 3% @ 50 is really nothing more than an “unintentional mistake” made by an uneducated Board of Supervisors back in 2001. Had they only known what they were voting for, they never would have voted to okay this public safety pension.  

You appear to be stating opinion more than asking a question, but we’ll answer anyway.