As a resident of Dana Point for the past 13 years, I know that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department operates each and every day because of the 4,000 professional men and women who work to serve the residents of Orange County.
When I am sworn in on June 24th as your next Sheriff I will not only have the pleasure of living in one of the safest places in the nation, but I will have the distinct honor of working side-by-side with the men and women who work to create our extraordinary quality of life.
The next few weeks will give me the opportunity to talk with many of you as I visit our various divisions and share my vision to become one of the best sheriff’s departments in the nation and a model for the other law enforcement agencies. I begin this undertaking with the knowledge that we have the people and the skills to achieve this goal.
I will also be reaching out to our law enforcement partners, contract cities and labor management to ensure that we are working together to confront the challenging issues we face with budgets, jail overcrowding and an economic downturn. I believe it is essential that we pursue collaboration and teamwork in the solutions we are seeking.
Finally, I will begin my own internal and external assessment of our operation to address the cultural concerns and lack of leadership that were brought to light six months ago.
I’m sure we will all agree that these are very challenging times for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. But these are also very promising times. We have the opportunity to challenge old assumptions and unlearn outdated practices.
Together, we will rebuild the confidence of the residents we serve by always being open, transparent, trustworthy and honest in everything we do.
I thank all of you for your passion and dedication and I look forward to meeting and working with you all.