This story of a COPLINK Success Story comes from the outside the state. 

The Board of Supervisors approved the Orange County Sheriff's Department joining COPLINK on May 20.  

An investigator I know called me on a Monday and asked if my laptop and I would like to have lunch. We met at Anchors downtown while standing in line he briefed me on the case:

            On Sunday he was working an extra job at a church and found a Navy Credit Union credit card in the parking lot. He secured the card to turn into property after court on Monday. Monday came and while in court was speaking with a loss prevention officer from a local retail store. The loss prevention officer told him he was there on a bad check case. Upon showing the check to the officer he noticed it was a Navy Credit Union check. The check and the found credit card belonged to the same person. The loss prevention officer had video of the person who wrote the check as well as the vehicle (including tag) he was driving.

While waiting for our food we went to the table, I popped my wireless card into my laptop and fired it up.

            Upon running the persons (victims) name in Coplink it was determined her purse was stolen from her vehicle along with her wallet. The tag and vehicle came back to a person who had been arrested in Bradley County. The officer identified the arrestee as the suspect in the current case from the video. Warrants were taken out on the individual. Coplink also linked the vehicle to a residential burglary from 2 years earlier where tag information was obtained from a witness. The vehicle and suspect information matched the current suspect and that information was turned over to the Property Crimes Unit for prosecution.

They called our number and we sat down to enjoy a nice lunch and talked about how in less than 2 minutes we had just solved a case that would probably never have been solved because we did not have access to the information from Bradley County before Coplink. We would have never known the tag (which came back not on file) belonged to this person. The jail photo from Bradley County (30 miles away) made the identification of the suspect instantaneous. This is the most effective tool for law enforcement investigations that I have ever seen.

To read the Department blog account of the Board of Supervisors approving a COPLINK connection click here.

There is a great quote from San Clemente Chief of Police Services Lt. Paul D'Auria in H.G. Reza's Los Angeles Times story about gang trouble in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

In the story, Lt. D'Auria said:

"The community has to bond and say, 'We want our streets back,' " he said. "If the kids can get together to form a gang, why can't the parents get together to stop them?"

To read the whole story click here.

A burglary that has remained unsolved for more than 3-years may have been solved due to the good work of the Department's DNA Lab, Irvine police reported in an Orange County Register story.

The DNA evidence used by Irvine to link the suspect to the unsolved burglary was also matched to burglaries in Lake Forest and San Clemente.

To read the Orange County Register story click here.

The Exchange Club of Corona del Mar, which has been supporting community causes in Orange County for 21-years, honored five members of the Department on Thursday.

The five received plaques and kudos from the Club’s Crime Prevention Program.  The club also donated to the Department three large sacks of teddy bears.  They purchased the bears with the proceeds of their recycling program.  The bears are used by deputies when there is a need to comfort a child they encounter when duty takes them to a family crisis.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens attended the Awards Presentation. Club members, who have given the awards for several years, said it was the clubs first presentation attended by the county sheriff.

“I want to thank your club for honoring our personnel,” Sheriff Hutchens told the group.  “I think you know how much it means to them. As you see, they have brought family members and friends. It means so much, with all the negative press sometimes that we get, it really does my heart good that you are honoring these folks who absolutely everyday do a wonderful job. We appreciate your recognizing what they have done and I know they do. “

“I’m so happy to be Sheriff of Orange County,” she added.  “I’m here to serve you.  My message to you is simple; this is your sheriff’s department.  We’re going to take our direction from you. I’m going to work with these great men and women of this Department and we’re going to make it even better. “

The first presentation was to Deputy Holly Fisher of Harbor Patrol.

Harbor Patrol’s Captain Deana Bergquist said Deputy Fisher was well deserving of the award.  She has been with the Department nearly 19 years and has worked in Harbor for 5 years, serving in all three stations. She is licensed by the Coast Guard to captain a vessel of 100 tons. The license is recognition of her boat handling and navigation competence. It entitles her to wear a pin on her uniform noting the Coast Guard license. Only 16 members of the Department hold the Coast Guard license.

Captain Bergquist noted that the weather on Thursday was  near perfect but when winter comes, the day sky often darkens with storm clouds, gale force winds and waves that break over the jetties and inside the harbor.  When weather conditions turn ugly, some mariners, Captain Bergquist said kindly, “exceed their skill level.”

“Holly has been involved in a number of dangerous situations,” Captain Bergquist said. She told a story that occurred in January. More...

Here's video of the ceremony:

Sandra Hutchens was sworn in this morning as the 12th Sheriff of Orange County.

The ceremony was held on the steps of the Old Orange County Courthouse and those attending included members of the Board of Supervisors, Mayors and Councilmembers and officials of contract partners, police chiefs and law enforcement officials from the region and many members of the Department.  

She was selected on June10 after an exhaustive nationwide search that drew 48 applicants from across the country and even one from France.

Sheriff Hutchens signing oath of office

Bob Murray and Associates, the recruiting firm hired by the Board of Supervisors, interviewed 17 candidates and presented nine semi finalists to the Board of Supervisors.  The nine were interviewed during a marathon public session of the Board and ultimately Sandra Hutchens was appointed.  Her swearing in was delayed due to requirements that her psychological and medical fitness be certified.

Despite the divided vote on her appointment, members of the Board were unanimous in giving her their support for the job ahead.

“I wish her well,” said Supervisor Chris Norby, who favored another candidate for the job. “There will be a whole lot of challenges to be met over the next couple of years.”

The Department has faced criticism in the press and by Board members, along with a special grand jury that investigated the murder of an inmate at the Theo Lacy Facility. As Sheriff Hutchens takes office, she begins work on the promise to the Board of Supervisors to provide a review of the Department in 120 days.

Sheriff Hutchens brings to the job 29 years of law enforcement experience that has included street patrol, jail work, command, administration, and, most recently, heading the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Departments Office of Homeland Security.

Orange County city police chiefs are looking forward to working with her, said Anaheim Police Chief John Welter, President of the Orange County Chief’s and Sheriff’s Association.

“The Chiefs of Police in Orange County are looking forward to a close working relationship with Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.  We've already met with her to begin discussions on important County-wide crime related issues.  She's demonstrating the personal and professional skills needed as the Sheriff of Orange County.  We have all committed to assist her whenever and wherever she asks for support.  We wish her all the best in her new leadership role,” said Chief Welter.

County courts are also looking to her as a working partner, Presiding Judge Nancy Wieben Stock of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange said that:

“We are very pleased about the possibilities for the future with Sheriff Hutchens and continue to have great respect for and confidence in personnel at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. In partnership, we can have a positive effect upon those who seek justice services in Orange County.” 

Sheriff Hutchens has lived in Dana Point for 13-years and has been retired from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for about a year. 

That was a combination that Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates found attractive.

“She brings a fresh outsider’s perspective for advancing a new culture in the Department as well as insider knowledge on Sheriff’s operations and the menu of services provided within a county,” Supervisor Bates said.  “Sheriff-designee Hutchens’ extensive background in community policing, ethics training, managing nearly 1,000 sworn peace officers and overseeing a budget with $400 million in revenues will serve her well in leading our Sheriff’s Deputies. “     

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens will be sworn in as the 12th Sheriff of the County of Orange today, June 24th  at 9 a.m. The ceremony will take place on the steps in front of the Old County Court House, located at 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd, in Santa Ana. 

The Honorable Carolyn Kirkwood, Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Panel of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange will administer the oath of office.

Members of the Board of Supervisors, dignitaries, along with city and county officials will be in attendance to witness this historic event.

Calltaker Jennifer Demers of Dispatch received a letter of commendation from Leonard Atencio, a teacher with the Birney Elementary School in Pico Rivera. Mr. Atencio was impressed with Calltaker Demers' professionalism and her willingness to extend herself beyond her duties. Mr. Atencio wrote:

"On Friday May 23, 2008, I and two of my colleagues took our seventy three fifth grade students on a field trip to Sunset Beach. We were completing our visit to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands Conservancy with a planned beach cleanup. Halfway along the beach our kids encountered a dead seal, apparently mutilated or attacked and newly washed ashore. Our group continued on with the cleanup while I attempted to inform an agency about the seal. Unfortunately, there were no lifeguards on duty.

After calling a couple of numbers given to me by a resident I was put in contact with a young lady named Jennifer at the Orange County Sheriff's Department. She transferred my call to a number which was no longer in service. After the second time, Jennifer took the initiative and setup a conference call with me while she attempted, over the next 45 minutes, to find an agency willing to take the information I was trying to report. She made a number of calls to various groups and organizations expertly, efficiently, patiently, assertively and politely guiding us through this phone maze in order to get me in contact with the right people. More...

Stuart Pfeifer and Christine Hanley write:

With her tailored suits and thoughtful, confident demeanor, new Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens appears more like a polished corporate executive than a peace officer.

But make no mistake about it: There's a lot of street cop in the new leader of California's second-largest sheriff's department.

Hutchens spent the early years of her career patrolling violent inner-city neighborhoods south of downtown Los Angeles, arresting gang members, racing to assist deputies in danger and, in one defining moment, shooting and killing a man carrying a handgun.

[...]

Hutchens rose through the ranks of the Sheriff's Department, working as a sergeant, lieutenant and eventually captain in charge of the Norwalk station, where she was responsible for dozens of deputies. When her deputies were involved in shootings, she said, she knew what they were going through.

"I always just ask them, 'Are you OK?' " she said. "I always make sure they have someone with them and they're not put in a room alone.

"You can't assume cops are so tough that if they're involved in a shooting they'll be OK. Some are. Some aren't," she said.

She understands that patrol work can be gritty. She wants deputies who are proactive, as she was.

Read it all here.

Peggy Lowe writes:

The moment passes quickly and Hutchens repeats what she told her new staff on June 10, the day she was appointed sheriff by the Board of Supervisors.

"'This is the day we take a step away from that. Carona and everyone else just becomes another court case, disassociated from this department,'" she remembered. "That's where I'm at. And everybody in this agency is ready to do that."

Meet Sandra Hutchens, a 27-year Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department veteran who was sworn during a private ceremony Thursday as the county's female sheriff.

[...]

"Firm and fair is a very good description of what she was," said Anna, who lives in Orange. "She ran a good, tight ship. But on the other hand, you enjoyed working for her."

That kind of leadership will be much different than Carona's style. Hutchens has yet to announce her command structure, instead meeting last week with, as she says, "captains and above" in an effort to find who she will surround herself with. Carona, in contrast, won special conditions from supervisors in 1999 when he brought in two assistant sheriffs who were not qualified and later contributed to his downfall.

When she is publicly sworn in on Tuesday, Hutchens will make another statement. Hutchens' uniforms won't include a dress coat, as Carona often wore. She will wear a long-sleeved shirt with a tie.

"I prefer to dress like the deputies," she said. "In terms of the day-to-day, I'm another deputy."

Read  it all right here.

When the driver of an Hummer parked illegally in a handicap parking spot threatened Alice Chandler last week, she called 911. Three Deputies responded to the scene. They gave the man a ticket and suggested Chandler call them next time before she confronts a parking violator.

The feisty lady, five days shy of her 80th birthday, informed the deputies that she had once been a Special Deputy for the Orange County Sheriff's Department and she still had her badge and gun.

"The one deputy gave me look," she said later. "It got me wondering whether I should turn it in."

She went home and wrote a letter to Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. She congratulated Sheriff Hutchens as the first female Sheriff in Orange County. Former Special Deputy Chandler wondered whether she may have been the first female Deputy Sheriff in the Department.

"I am not sure if there was ever another woman deputy at that time, at least I never met or heard of one," she said in her letter.

Department records reviewed so far were unable to determine whether or not she was the Department's first female Deputy.

Although Department records indicate she was Special Deputy, she was given a Deputy Sheriff's badge.

"I was told by Sheriff Musick that I had the full responsiblility of a deputy sheriff and could be called at anytime should they need me and I felt so proud to have my badge and the responsibiity," she said in the letter.

She came to the Division Commanders meeting on Thursday, her 80th birthday, and formally turned her badge, identification card and gun, a .32 caliber long revolver, to Sheriff Hutchens and Captain Davis Nighswonger. She was given a birthday cake and a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" by all who were present.

To read a Los Angeles Times account of the story click here.   

Sandra Hutchens was sworn in as Orange County Sheriff on Thursday. A ceremonial swearing in will take place on Tuesday.

Chairman John Moorlach of the Orange County Board of Supervisors had this to say of the swearing in:

On March 17, 1995, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint me to the vacant position of Treasurer-Tax Collector.  I was sworn in immediately following the vote.

We appointed Sandra Hutchens with the provision that she successfully pass the required medical and psychological tests.  Consequently, she was not sworn in at the June 10 meeting after our 3-2 vote.  Not knowing how long the process would take, we scheduled a public swearing-in ceremony for the June 24 Board meeting.  You should have already received my personal invitation.  If the e-mail failed to reach you, please consider yourself invited.   

We extended an offer to Sandra Hutchens to swear her in earlier, after the successful conclusion of the tests, if she so desired.  She did.  The Board offices were invited to the meeting three days prior.  Several of them sent representatives, including Supervisor Norby’s office.

I had the pleasure, as Board Chair, to perform the swearing in.  Judge Kirkwood was in the Hall of Administration for a Commission meeting and dropped into my office.  I invited her to stay a few minutes in order to meet Ms. Hutchens and Judge Kirkwood stayed to attend the meeting.

To read the newspaper accounts of the swearing in click More...

During the fall of '07, a crew from Langley, the makers of Cops and other law enforcement based reality shows, spent two months taping 'JAIL' here in the Orange County Jails.  The segments have already started to air, but, in case you missed the first clip from the OC Jails, here it is, starring Deputy Bill Gibson.  You can tune in to watch Jail Tuesday nights at 9:00 PM on Channel 13.

Stuart Pfeifer and Christine Hanley sat down with Sheriff-designee Hutchens yesterday:

Newly appointed Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said Tuesday that she intends to review all the concealed-weapons permits that her indicted predecessor issued and revoke those of gun owners who can't prove a legal need to carry the weapons.

When former Sheriff Michael S. Carona resigned in January to focus on his upcoming federal corruption trial, he had issued more than 1,100 active carry permits -- among the most issued by any sheriff or police chief in the state. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, by contrast, has issued fewer than 400.

Many were issued to traditional holders: judges, prosecutors, jewelers or others whose occupation leaves them in fear for their safety.

But others included wealthy white-collar businessmen, doctors, dentists and financial contributors to Carona's political campaigns.

[...]

The department needs the reserves "if they are here for the right reasons. If you're here for personal gain, if you want a badge or a gun, we don't need you," Hutchens said. "It certainly shouldn't be a political favor."

Read it all right here.

Click the image for the details of the event

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday recognized the Department's Emergency Management Bureau, along with emergency managers from coastal cities in Orange County, for the achievement of completing the Natonal Weather Service StormReady and TsunamiReady programs. Orange County has become the nation's most populous county to earn the Weather Service honor.

To read the Board of Supervisors staff report on the issue click here.  

To see the National Weather Service press release on the county's achievement click More...

Nathan Wright of the Dana Point Times writes:

There was no question that whoever was appointed to fill out the remaining two years in Carona’s term would have their hands full, reviewing the department’s policies and procedures—and restoring the department’s reputation.

“It’s a tall order for what I see as an extremely capable, strong and committed individual who is dedicated to a great job,” said Supervisor Pat Bates, who voted for Hutchens along with Janet Nguyen and John Moorlach.

In the day following her appointment, Hutchens spoke on her goal of mending damaged relationships and restoring the faith of the staff—including 1,600 sworn officers—in its leadership. “For me, it’s a new day for the Sheriff’s Department,” said Hutchens. “It’s the first step forward in removing this department from scandal.”

Hutchens won’t officially take office until medical and psychological tests are completed but is already discussing plans for internal and external reviews for the entire department, including a jail shrouded in controversy.

“I think the vast majority of the folks are very good people and they work hard every day,” she said. “The expectations here will be very high, and I will certainly lead by example in that arena.”

Read it all right here.

Deputy Peter Mach, of Stanton Police Services, was honored recently for having the 4th highest number of stolen car recoveries of any law enforcement officer in Orange County. 

To see the Orange County Register's story on the awards click here.  

For a lot of people in Orange County, December 24, 2007 was Christmas Eve.

For Orange County Basic Academy Class 184 it was Black Monday.

That is when 49 recruits arrived at the Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy to meet Academy Commander Lt. Mark Billings and the Academy Tactical Staff and to start their training

For the 37 new Peace Officers of Class 184 who graduated Thursday night, the lessons they received on Black Monday was a gift they will cherish for many years.

Picture by Reserve Deputy Steve Sobodos

“The Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy is recognized as one of the best training academies in California, if not the nation,” said Class President Matthew Lemmon, later sworn as a police officer for the City of Santa Ana.

There were lots of tests.

 “Our physical fitness was tested, our composure under stress was tested. Our integrity was tested. The Tactical Staff commanded and expected perfection. We were a group of inexperienced individuals, many of us were thinking,  ‘what did I get myself into?’ We became a group of individuals who were united in action.  For the past 26-weeks we spent more time with our classmates than with our own families,” Officer Lemmon said. More...

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.

Motor Officers escorted participants in the traditional Hot Dog Run held to honor the graduates of Basic Academy Class 184. The class is to graduate tonight at the Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Academy in Tustin. The run took place at the Huntington Beach Pier.  The pictures were taken by Professional Service Responder George Ridley.

 RETIRED LASD CHIEF SANDRA HUTCHENS PICKED AS ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF 

Today the Orange County Board of Supervisors selected Retired Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Division Chief Sandra Hutchens as Sheriff. She will command the second largest Sheriff’s Department in California, with 4,000 employees, including more than 1,700 sworn deputies. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has a budget of more than $700 million.

A longtime Orange County resident, Hutchens emerged from a pool of 48 contenders for the job. Hutchens brings more than 29 years of high-profile law enforcement experience, including jail operations, patrol, investigations and administrative assignments. Throughout her career, she successfully moved through the ranks of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department from deputy to chief – experience that offers her intimate knowledge of a Sheriff’s Department and what a Sheriff’s organization truly needs from its leadership. 

She visited the Department headquarters shortly after her appointment and was welcomed by the Department members she met during her visit. She also met with the Departments Command Staff to discuss the transition.