On a recent morning at the Theo Lacy Facility a line of inmates stood with their faces to the wall to make way for a visitor. The inmates wore mustard colored jumpsuits and were guarded by Deputies in green uniforms.

A second line of inmates was further down the corridor with their faces to the wall, again to make way for a visitor. These inmates wore blue work clothes and were escorted by jail staff dressed in tan uniforms, staff that are generally unknown to outsiders.

The green uniform of the Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy is a familiar sight but jail staff in tan is rarely seen by the public. 

The Lacy staff wearing tan pants and shirts and escorting the inmates dressed in blue are Correctional Services Technicians. 

“The way I look at it, the CST’s provide all the essential work at the facility,” said Senior CST Ray Scruggs. “The Deputies provide the security and run the jail, the CST’s see to it that all the work and upkeep is done satisfactorily. We do all the behind the scenes stuff. We keep this place up and running.”

At Lacy there are 310 Deputies, 35 SSOs and 66 CST’s. Department wide there are about 1,560 Deputies, 396 Sheriff’s Special Officers and 182 CST’s.  Two former CST’s were among the graduates of Basic Academy Class 185 and have been sworn as Deputies.

There are more than 2,800 inmates at Lacy, with a wide range of security levels. There are inmate workers who clean and maintain the facility and sleep in barracks. There are Death Row inmates in the county for new trials who are kept in solitary cells and must be moved only through areas that have been cleared of other inmates. 

It is the inmate workers who provide a role for the CST’s. They supervise the inmate workers. [more]

The CST’s start their day just like the Deputies and SSO’s.  They arrive at the jail in civilian clothes and change in their locker room which they share with SSO’s. As soon as they are in uniform they muster in a large conference room, along with Deputies and SSO’s, for roll call and the daily briefing.

After briefing, it is off to their assignment inside the facility. The CST’s work in all areas of the jail, from the highest to the lowest security.

The assignments for CST’s at Lacy include not only supervising inmates in maintenance and housekeeping activities, but issuing jail clothing, repairing clothing and linens, cleaning and painting, stocking, issuing and ordering supplies in a warehouse or commissary, keeping records, receiving and returning inmate property, processing inmates for identification, performing general maintenance and monitoring inmate worker movement within the facility. They also sort and monitor inmate mail and perform other duties associated with inmate mail.

Outside of Lacy, CST duties include transporting inmate workers by passenger vehicle and operating a laundry and dry cleaning plant.

“They usually work with four or five inmate workers,” said Sergeant Rod Walker, who oversees the CST’s at Lacy.

CST’s are not sworn personnel and they supervise the inmates, they don’t guard them. They undergo extensive background checks before being hired and undergo about 200 hours of corrections training in their first year. They take another 24 hours of training each year.  Department CSTs receive the course mandated by the state for Adult Corrections Officers, the same jail academy curriculum required of Deputies, Sheriff’s Special Officers and civilian corrections officers who staff some city jails in Orange County.

They receive a wide range of instruction, including booking, searching, restraining inmates but are not ordinarily used for those responsibilities in the Orange County Jails. They work with Deputies who do those jobs.

The do have important responsibilities within the Theo Lacy Facility.

CST’s supervise the inmate work crews who perform the tasks that keep the facility operating and provide for the needs of the 3,000 inmates.

At meal time the inmate workers report to the kitchen, where sack lunches are packed in crates and stacked on carts for transport to the Mods. There are 10 Mods at Lacy. Once at the Mod, the inmate workers distribute the food. When it is sack lunches, the sacks are placed at the door to the cell. The inmate workers transport hot meals down the hall in special carts and pass the meals through slots in the entranceway to the Mod dayroom.

While the Mod inmates chow down, the worker inmates sweep or clean or do other chores to keep up the Mod areas. After the meals, the inmate workers pick up the trash or trays, always under the careful watch of a CST.

The inside of the Mods are cleaned by the inmates who live there and the CSTs must hand out, keep track of and collect all of the brooms, dustpans and other cleaning materials and supplies.

According to the county guidelines for CST’s: Many incumbents regularly work with and oversee inmates without the immediate presence of or access to sworn personnel, requiring good supervision/control skills and the exercise of considerable independent judgment in responding to nonconforming inmate behavior.

In English, the CSTs must always be alert and ready for whatever may take place. The inmate workers have been selected based on their classification as low risk individuals with a willingness to work. They earn extra time off their sentence when they agree to work inside the jail.

One place the CST’s and inmate workers toil is on grounds keeping chores outside the buildings but inside the security perimeter.

In addition to cleaning crews, CST’s also work with painting crews; often at night when the facilities are not filled with the heavy traffic they have during the daytime. It is often the job of the CST to train the inmate to perform the job at hand to the satisfaction of the Department.

Another night job is in the holding cells. During the day the inmates are constantly moving in and out, much of it due to scheduled court appearances. At night, the holding cells are empty and the inmate workers can clean up without interfering with the coming and going of the inmates.

Some of the CST’s work in the mailroom, where 3,000 letters arrive six days a week with only the name and booking number of the inmate. The CST’s must connect the booking number with the location of the inmate within the facility. They have to check the mail to insure it does not contain contraband, like drugs, weapons or pornography.

On a recent day one CST found a multipage letter addressed to an inmate and on two pages buried deep inside was pornography. It was hard to find unless you looked through each page. The whole letter was returned to sender, not just the offending pages, in accordance with jail policy.
Another CST in the mailroom on a recent day was Rene Scharfe, a veteran of eight years in the Department. He ordinarily supervises inmate work crews in one of the Lacy barracks. He was helping check mail for drugs.

“We have to look on every page, they can even hide LSD inside blots of ink. They’ll lick it off,” he said. He runs his finger along seams and seals on envelopes. Finding drugs in the mail is an almost daily event for the CST’s.

When he is working with the inmates, they frequently come to him with their problems. Inmates draw less attention from other inmates when talking to CSTs than they do when the talk to deputies. The go to CST’s when they have lost their soap or towel. On occasion, the inmates tell him things that he reports to the Deputies, like that an inmate is suspected of stealing from other inmates and may be in danger.

The CST’s also supervise laundry exchanges. Inmates turn in their linens and clothing once a week. It is taken in a truck driven by a CST to the James A. Musick Facility. The CST also hauls the laundry for Orangewood and the Orange County Juvenile Hall. At Musick it is laundered by inmate crews supervised by other CST’s.

CST’s work with deputies when inmates enter the facility and when they leave. The inmates turn in their street clothes and personal possessions to a Deputy when they enter the jail. A Deputy accounts for what is turned and prepares the receipt.

The property is then turned over to CST for storage.

At one time the property was kept on racks, similar to those on the floor of a clothing department in a department store.

Now they are kept on clothing carousels, like the ones you see at a large dry cleaning store. The inmate clothing and property is kept in a mesh bag and placed on the carousel for easier location later. The property, includes clothes, wristwatches, wallets and virtually anything the inmate had on him when booked.

The CST’s are responsible for storing and retrieving the clothing and property of the facility’s 3,000 inmates. With those entering and departing the jail, and those who dress out to go to court, the CST’s have to handle 200 to 300 clothing and property exchanges a week.

“We keep a list from the time the inmate transfers in,” said CST Mitch Caldwell, a veteran of 16 years with the Department. “It contains their booking number, their property and clothing inventory and where we can find their property.”

When the inmate is released, the CST’s have to find all of the property on the inmate’s inventory and see that all of it is given to the Deputy to return to the inmate.

CST Jesus Fernandez runs the warehouse on the grounds, but outside the security perimeter, of the Lacy Facility. He supervises between eight and a dozen community work program members, mostly female.

They stencil clothing delivered to the facility and repair old clothes and bedding.

“I always have to watch the budget,” said CST Fernandez, “and still keep on hand a 30-day supply of just about anything the facility may need.”

He has to watch the county’s pennies and has regular conversations with vendors to get the best deal possible.

He has an operation that includes a forklift so that items can be stacked. They store everything from toilet paper to televisions, from cleaning supplies and mattresses to disposable gloves and garbage cans.  Anything regularly used by the jail staff members.  

Picking up supplies is one of those jobs that occur day after day, week after week. The CST’s pride themselves with being behind the scene, making the facility run as best it can run. Their work is often so routine that almost nobody notices it.

Routine or not, their work is important. Without the CST’s doing their best, the Theo Lacy Facility could function effectively or efficiently.

 January through July numbers for 2007, include partial numbers for January because program began on January 9, 2007.

 The numbers for 2008 show a slight reduction of total numbers and that is partially due to the need in 2007 to interview many of the 6,500 inmates incarcerated when the program began, in addition to those newly booked. In 2008, the interviews have virtually all involved recently booked inmates.

SHERIFF-CORONER DEPARTMENT
COUNTY OF ORANGE
CALIFORNIA
550 NORTH FLOWER STREET – P.O. BOX 449
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702-0449
(714) 647-7042

SANDRA HUTCHENS
SHERIFF-CORONER

PRESS RELEASE

Avoid the Ten, Orange County Sheriff Launches Intensive
Crackdown on Impaired Driving

Police Vow to Arrest Everyone Found Driving ‘Over the Limit’
America is facing an impaired-driving crisis and the problem is especially acute during the summer
months.

That’s why the Orange County Sheriff ‘s Department and the AVOID the 10 campaign today announced it will join other police agencies throughout the country in support of an intensive
crackdown on impaired driving this August 15 – September 1. Nationally, more than $50 million will be spent on this year’s crackdown, known by its tagline: Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.

In 2006 alone, nearly 13,500 people died in crashes in which the driver or motorcycle rider was legally impaired, according to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Among them were 306 children under age 15 — innocent victims of crashes that could have been avoided. Alcohol Involved deaths in California reached 1,597 in 2006 with over 31,000 injured.

“All too often, innocent law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life. Because we’re committed to ending the carnage, we’re intensifying our enforcement during the crackdown. We’ll be especially vigilant during high-risk nighttime hours when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” said Sgt. Robert Osborne.

Across the country, more than $30 million in State and Federal funds will be spent in support of the high-visibility crackdown through television and radio ads targeted to young male drivers, who are the most common perpetrators of this deadly crime. Another $20 million will be spent on extra police enforcement — including saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints — during the crackdown period.

In every U.S. State as well as the District of Columbia it’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. More than 10,000 police agencies will participate in this year’s mid-August through Labor Day crackdown, including law enforcement officers representing every State and many U.S. cities and towns.

According to the latest data, 32 percent of motor vehicle driving fatalities involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 g/dL or above — an average of one fatality every 39 minutes.

This summer, law enforcement is again asking for the public’s help. “Drunk driving is the top priority for the police, CHP, and sheriff deputies in California, but other motorists on the roads are one of the best weapons we have against drunk drivers,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “We’re asking the public to report drunk drivers by calling 911 and providing the location and a complete description of the vehicle.”

“With millions of cell phones on California roadways your chances of getting busted have risen,” said Murphy. “Drunk or other dangerous driving is an emergency, where we encourage other drivers to safely call in. In addition, law Enforcement will be out in force conducting sobriety checkpoints, multi-agency task force operations as well as local saturation patrols to get more drunk drivers off the road – and save lives that might otherwise be lost.”

“Our message is simple and unwavering. If we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,” said Sergeant Osborne. “Even if you beat the odds and walk away from a DUI crash alive, motorists should be aware that the consequences of driving while impaired can still virtually destroy your life." “So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you’re under arrest.”

Violators often face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use an ignition interlock. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends, and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.

The National Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. crackdown is led by NHTSA and combines high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and
publicity.

Funding for the “Avoid” program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For more information on the crackdown, visit the California Avoid Web Site at click here. 

For traffic safety issues or concerns, visit the Orange County Sheriff Traffic Safety website at click here.  

With all that’s being written about the Sheriff’s Department PSR program, Sheriff Hutchens held a press conference on Monday to set the record straight.  She highlighted some the invaluable work and services the PSRs provide the Sheriff’s Department and the County, free of charge.  She also discussed her decision to have the badges returned.   

The press conference in its entirety can be seen here at Red County blog.

CBS/KCAL ran this story last night.    

FOX 11’s Chris Blatchford had this report.   

And here’s Eyewitness News’ Elieen Frere.

Orange County Register Reporter Larry Welborn writes about the long standing tradition of Bailffs and Donuts. Wonder who brought the donuts to the Sheriff's cubicle? Just look at the newspaper and see whose picture has been published.

For the whole story go to the Register blog click here:

The National Association of School Resource Officers has 9,000 members who police campuses from the poorest inner cities to the wealthiest suburbs and every venue in between.

Only a handful of the association’s members make presentations at NASRO’s annual conference.

Two of those selected to teach what they know at this year’s NASRO National Conference in Phoenix were members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department: Sgt. Mike McHenry and Deputy Lance Christensen.

Sgt. McHenry heads the Department’s Juvenile Services Unit and Deputy Christensen is a School Resource Officer in the Capistrano Unified School District. It’s an area with lots of wealth and comparatively little crime.

“What we have are kids with too much time and opportunity to do stupid stuff,” Sgt. McHenry told the audience. “We’re not an area that is inner city, we’re not an area that’s problematic. We’re just Anytown U.S.A.  And if it’s there for us, it’s there for you guys too. If we can find it, you can too.”

Like School Resource Officers all around the country, Sgt. McHenry and Deputy Christensen deal with the problems of drugs on campus, school bullies, gangs, fight clubs and the challenge of youngsters who break no rules but still pose a potential threat to other students. 

What is different in Orange County is “The Show.”

What Sgt. McHenry, a veteran of 19 years with the Department, and Deputy Christensen, a 15-year veteran, brought to the NASRO conference was “The Show.”  They created “The Show” to alert parents and school staff to the things they find in the course of their duties.

The drug paraphernalia collection is one of the most visually striking parts of the presentation. It includes elaborate water pipes and bongs that look too big to have been found in school lockers.  The weapons look formidable: brass knuckles, knives and replicas of handguns and submachine guns. [more]

It’s “The Show” that has made the Orange County Sheriff’s Department approach to policing schools special enough to draw more than 200 School Research Officers from across the country to the conference presentation. 

“It’s our key to success,” Sgt. McHenry said told the audience. “We’re not talking inner city and high crime. We’re talking the neighborhood where the television housewives, live. It’s an area where the teens feel entitled and the demographics show they are some of the wealthiest around, even for Orange County. If we have these problems, you’re having these problems.”   

And what “The Show” does is train School Administrators, School Security Personnel, School Supervisors and, equally important, parents exactly what the School Resource Officers are finding on campus.

“The Show” consists of two tables, peg boards and posters that display the drug paraphernalia and the weapons that Deputy Christensen confiscated from the schools where he works. About one-third of the paraphernalia was found over a three-week period. Many of the more unique items later added to “the Show” were gathered from south Orange County schools at both the high school and middle school level.  Deputy Christensen said “The Show” has become a valuable tool in the effort to police the schools and that the cooperation of the Capistrano Unified School District made it possible.

The Teen at Risk Program most commonly given at local schools runs 30-minutes in length.  Longer demonstrations are done as needed, including one for a parents group that ran over two hours. “The Show” rarely fails to surprise those who see it.

At the NASRO conference, Sgt. McHenry and Deputy Christensen start with a video found on YouTube. It gives instruction on the manufacture of stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens from everyday household materials. The instructions are complicated but set to music and presented as if they were a music video.  The two Orange County presenters are impressed by the high quality of the video and concerned about the dangers it creates.

The video shows how to make substances that can injure teens.

It can also create a Haz Mat crisis that will disrupt an entire neighborhood and potentially cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to remedy.

“The Show” is very helpful in educating parents, especially when parents see the kinds of things used to hide drugs. Soda bottles, eye drop containers and breath mint dispensers are common places to hide drugs.  “The Show” helps parents understand why Deputies are checking common everyday items that are carried on campus.

To make the NASRO presentation more effective, Sgt. McHenry passes around an assortment of smoking pipes and innocent looking containers that appear to be for soda, bracelets, even eye drops that are really places to hide drugs. 

Sgt. McHenry attempts to pass around a bottle with synthetic urine but several of those in the audience balk. He assures them that there is no real urine in the bottle but several SROs refused to touch it.

The synthetic urine is used by teens to pass drug tests given in school.

The Sergeant believes strongly in the value of “The Show.”

“If you do not have one, we’ll show you how we did it,” he said. 

The stakes are high.

Deputy Christensen tells of seven youngsters transported to hospitals over a three-week period due to a prescription drug being provided to students.

There are always those willing to sell drugs on campus. Deputy Christensen related a story about a campus supervisor.

“Our campus supervisors are mostly moms, they are nosey and get right in their face. We had one who looked right inside a car and saw 300 pills. We went in the car found evidence of auto burglary. We found $800 in cash and 500 pills, prepackaged in 1 inch by 1 inch baggies and all set for sale to Middle School children.

The cross-training had helped teach the Campus Supervisor what to look for.

And what to look for includes jewelry at school dances, like bracelets with hiding places for drugs, and students who refrain from athletics but sit in class with mouth guards in their teeth. Those high on stimulants tend to grind their teeth and mouth guards are used for protection.

Once the teens have a drug to smoke, there are smoking devices everywhere.

One new danger on campus is a substance sold legally in California that puts teens in an uncontrollable state. A YouTube video was shown where the teens were smoking the substance on campus and within seconds they seemed to be in another world.

Just as disturbing as drugs is the problem of gangs and groups of teens whose conduct borders on that of criminal street gangs.

Some of the groups have logos reminiscent of White Supremacist organizations.

“These are ground fighters, they train hard to fight all out for 10-15 minutes at a time,” Deputy Christensen said.  He said they are a danger to law enforcement and there have been cases of their attacking law enforcement officers.

“If you have groups like these, keep in contact with your gang units,” Deputy Christensen said. “We just wait for them to cross the line to become a criminal street gang.”
The groups are varied in appearance and do not look like traditional street gangs. They come close to the definition of criminal street gang when their members invade local parties and attack other teens. 

One group professes to stay free of drugs and abstain from sex, seemingly youngsters who would make their parents proud. But the group also targets and attacks other teens they suspect drink alcoholic beverages or engage in sex.

“Aggression and rage and anger and fighting, these kids incorporate into their lifestyles,” said Deputy Christensen.

One of the tips Deputy Christensen is keeping an eye on is graffiti. He recently found his name included in a graffiti attack on a local drainage culvert.

Monitoring graffiti can help to identify local gangs and groups that are close to being criminal street gangs.

After the presentation, Sgt. McHenry and Deputy Christensen answer individual questions and allow the SROs who came to the class to get close to the exhibit and examine the collection of contraband. Many of the SROs ask for advice in putting together “The Show” for their own use. 

“The Show” has been a valuable tool for School Resource Officers and can be just as valuable when used to educate school officials and parents.

The Saddleback Civil Forum on Saturday included appearances by presidential candidates Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama. The forum proved to be an opportunity for the nation to observe its leading presidential candidates engage in the political process in a controlled environment. This forum also gave us the opportunity to assess our efforts in providing security to a packed house, in a venue with limited road access on church grounds that offered many obstacles to the security of those in attendance.

This challenge was well met by the U.S. Secret Service and Orange County public safety agencies. Thanks to extensive planning and coordinated efforts by Lake Forest Chief of Police Services Lt. Don Barnes and his staff, a large number of demonstrators were able to exercise their First Amendment protected rights without significant incident. The demonstrators gathered in the vicinity of Saddleback and Portola Parkways prior to the candidates' arrival and, during the event, engaged in heated debate that had the potential for a hostile confrontation. However, due to the involvement of liaison officers and prior meetings with event organizers, virtually all physical confrontation was avoided.

I want to applaud the performance of our Department members, Reserves, Support Personnel, volunteers, and Command Staff. I also want to thank the local agencies that supported our effort, including California Highway Patrol, the Orange County Fire Authority and the police departments of Anaheim, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Irvine and Santa Ana. We recognize that true success can only be accomplished when allied agencies work together for a common purpose. Our public safety effort insured that there were no injuries, arrests or public disruptions.

SANDRA HUTCHENS

Sheriff-Coroner

A tentative settlement has been reached in the lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union against the Department on behalf of day laborers in the City of Lake Forest. The city had previously settled with the ACLU. The case against the Department had been scheduled to go to trial in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

To read the Oragne County Register report of the case click here.

To read the version published in the Los Angeles Times click here.

For the Los Angeles Examiner's Associate Press story click here. 

Several news organizations have reported on the Department's Policy on the use of Tasers and these reports have caused some confusion.

The Department revised its policy on the use of Tasers on April 18, 2008.

The Orange County Grand Jury issued its annual report on The State of Orange County Jails on June 4, 2008.   That grand jury report raised several questions concerning the use of Tasers in the jails.

The Department responded to those questions on August 8, 2008, as part of our overall response to the State of Orange County Jails report. The grand jury posted our response on their Website on Monday.

There have been some inquiries made that indicate some people believe we changed our Taser policy this week. The April 18 revision is the latest revision. The news reports this week are about the Department's response to the grand jury.

To see the grand jury report and the response, click here.

Captains Lee Trujillo (left) and Mark Billings 

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens announced the promotion of two captains and a reorganization of some divisions in the Department.

The two promotions went to Department members of long standing who have helped the Department with skill and dedication throughout their careers.  

For a look at the new organization chart click here: Scan003.pdf (27.09 kb)

Captain Lee Trujillo, a 23-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, has been promoted to Captain and placed in charge of the Department's Investigations Divsion.

He previously had served as Chief of Police Services for the City of Stanton.

Captain Trujillo has held many positions with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, including patrol supervisor for San Clemente and Stanton, sergeant of the Directed Enforcement Team, and watch commander at the Intake Release Center (IRC) and the Emergency Communications Bureau (ECB).  Lt. Trujillo is also a former member of the Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT team and worked narcotics and gang enforcement.  He brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Medal of Merit for his part in the setting up the Department's Cross Designation Program with Immigration Customs Enforcement to identify illegal immigrants incarcerated in the Department's jails.

Captain Mark Billings holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biological Science from California State University, Fullerton and a Masters in Conflict Management from Caifornia State University Dominguez Hills.

He joined the Orange County Sheriff's Department in 1985 and worked Corrections until 1989. He was promoted to Deputy II in 1989 and held assignments in Special Enforcement, Traffic and served as a Field Training Officer. He promoted to Sergeant in 1995 and returned to Corrections until being assigned as a Tactical Sergeant at the Sheriff's Basic Academy. He served at the Academy from 1996 to 2000.

He was made Lieutenant in 2000 and worked Corrections, as a Watch Commander and as the County Mutual Aid Coordinator-Terrorism Warning Group Chair/Commander, Operations Support Division from 2001 to 2002. In 2002 he was assigned as Chief of Police Services to the City of Dana Point and he remained there until 2006. He was named Commander of hte Sheriff's Regional Training Academy in 2006 and served in that position until his promotion to Captain and Command of the newly formed Homeland Security Divison. In 1994 he was named Dana Point Deputy of the Year and was a Gold Star recipient, ACT  and Course Instructor  at the Basic Academy, and trained as a Drug Recognition Expert.

Hundreds of demonstrators showed up at the Presidential Forum at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and the Department response succeeded in keeping the peace without injury or arrest. 

To see the Orange County Register's account of the demonstration and Department response click here.

Here are some of the scenes at the demonstration on Saturday.

Professional Services Civilian Responders serve an important role in the Department but a California Attorney General opinion has made it clear: PSRs cannot keep their current badges, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said.

She made the statement at a meeting that drew more than 100 PSRs at the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy in Tustin.

“I understand what you do for us everyday, I am an admirer of your organization. Some of you are like full time employees,” Sheriff Hutchens said. She told the PSRs that the organization had been formed many years ago and was the subject of press and public controversy at its founding.

 “It probably started as something not so good but it has evolved into something that is very good,” she said.

The badges that have been used in recent years by PSRs must be returned, she said. Her biggest concern is an opinion of the California Attorney General that the Department and the County may be held civilly liable a badge is misused. The opinion said in part: “A sheriff’s gift of an honorary badge to a private citizen violates California law if (1) the badge falsely purports to be authorized, or would deceive an ordinary reasonable person into believing that it is authorized, for use by a peace officer.” The current badge is very similar to badges used by Texas Rangers and U.S. Marshals, she said. [more]

Sheriff Hutchens apologized to the PSRs for having made a statement in the press about recalling the badges before she had a chance to tell them personally. She said she was asked the question by a reporter and answered it, in the spirit of transparency.

Some advisors have told her that there are loopholes that might be employed to keep the current badges but she said she dismissed the idea. “As a law enforcement agency we shouldn’t be looking for loopholes,” she said. Her aim is simple, she said. “I follow the law and I apply the law fairly.” She fielded questions for about 45 minutes after her presentation. PSRs who are lawyers gave opposite opinions on the Attorney General’s opinion.

Several PSRs who work at the Airport said that the badge gives them the respect and identity for the public to feel comfortable asking them for help. “It’s not the badge, it’s your identification with the Department that gives you the respect of the public,” she said.

A committee of PSRs has been formed to create a new form of identification to replace the badge.

She said she is considering placing the returned badges in Lucite to allow the PSRs to have them as keepsakes in a form in which they can not be confused with law enforcement badges.

She noted that 40 PSRs have reported losing their badges. There are about 420 PSRs. “That’s a high number,” she said. There are about 275 Reserves and in he same period of time, just four Reserves reported losing their badges.

Many of the PSRs came forward to meet the Sheriff after the meeting. Two PSRs who had come to the meeting and not turned in their badges on arrival, returned them before leavning. In all, 70 badges were returned on Saturday. A total of 109 had been returned prior to Saturday. Two PSRs who had earlier reported losing their badges, turned them in at the meeting saying that they had found the badges.

The auditorium was packed when Class 185 marched in from the hallway, the ranks in step, voices loud and in unison; they sent the message that these 35 law enforcement officers were well prepared.

Basic Academy Class 185 graduated Thursday evening, producing 22 new Deputy Sheriffs for the Department. The other graduates were sponsored by the Anaheim, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Manhattan Beach Police Departments.

Academy Commander Lt. Mark Billings told the audience  at the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy what made this class possible.

“The Tactical Staff is the heart of the Training Academy. You’ll not find a more professional nor dedicated group of training officers in all of California. They take inexperienced recruits and mold them into leaders of our community.”

Academy Tactical Staff  

  Photos by Reserve Deputy Steve Sobodos and Professional Services Responder Fred Arnow

The Class President was Officer Michael Harvey of the Costa Mesa Police Department and he also applauded the work of the Tactical Staff.

“I know all of you can appreciate the level of accomplishment we are feeling tonight.  I can confidently say that everyone has earned their way. The training the Tactical Staff gave us was mentally and physically difficult but not impossible.”

He said to the Tactical Staff: “There is no way to thank you for your commitment to our training. We can only do so by representing ourselves as law enforcement officers in our futures. You expect nothing but the best.

Sheriff Hutchens also praised the Tactical Training Officers in her keynote address at the graduation.

“Your instructors were selected because they know the demands of policing; they know who has the skills, character, and, most importantly, the heart to do this job.  They had the courage to do the hard job of deciding who should stay and who was not cut out to wear the badge.  They did their job well and you can be proud that you are here tonight.”

She also praised the families of the graduates.

“ Secondly, I want to acknowledge all of the family and friends who are here to celebrate your great achievement.  I know that you would not be where you are tonight were it not for their unwavering love and support.  Family and friends, this night is also a celebration of your contributions.” [more]

The rest of the Sheriff’s remarks  are included later in this Blog entry.

Among the graduates singled out for recognition were Deputy Christopher Rix, for physical fitness; Deputy Kevin Taylor, arrest and control techniques, and Deputy Paul Chiron, for written exams.

The Department members who graduated with Class 185 were:

Christopher Allan, Juan Anguiano, Richard Baeza, Zachary Bieker, Andres Briceno, Jay Casas, Howard Chang, William Chavez, Paul Chiron, Claudia Cortes, David Dowbachuk, Jeffrey Fardig, Michael Hernandez, Lizette Lopez, Nicole Oddo, Miguel Pallanes, Alexander Queano, Christopher Rix, James Russell, Robert Stewart, Kevin Taylor, and James Warner.

Class 185 by the Numbers

1  Graduate donated a kidney to his older brother.  (And one graduate overcame Cystic Fibrosis at age 3 and completed the physically and mentally demanding training program.)

2   Police Chiefs attending the graduation, Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters and Manhattan Beach Police Chief Rod Uyeda.

3   Veterans of Navy or Coast Guard graduated.

4   Graduates born in other countries: Taiwan, Phillipines, Mexico, and Nicaragua

5.  Combined number of graduates from Santa Ana and Anaheim Police Departments

6    Law enforcement agencies represented by Class 185 graduates.

7    Veterans of the Marines who graduated with Class 185.

8    Combined number of graduates from Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Manhattan Beach Police Departments

10  Tactical Training Officers assigned to work with Class 185.

13   Graduates who speak more than one language.

16  Class members have bachelor degrees.

20   Pounds lost during training by Class 185 President Officer Michael Harvey of the Costa Mesa Police Department

22   Orange County Deputy Sheriffs in the class.

25   Weeks of training.

35   Graduates in Class 185

44  Recruits who began training with Class 185

57  Estimated number of lives that may be saved with blood donated by Class 185 members.

130   miles run as a class by graduates.

140  Combined years of experience within the team of Tactical Training Officers who worked with Class 185.

200     Dollars donated by class members in memory of former Academy Commander Lt. Darrell (Guy) Poncy, who died in April.  

3,285   Dollars donated to charity by Class members.

5,000 Approximate number of rounds fired during training by each graduate of Class 185.

Sheriff Hutchens remarks, continued:

 “As I began to prepare my remarks for this evening, I thought back to the time some years ago when I graduated from the academy and sat with my fellow cadets.  I can remember it like it was yesterday just as you will remember this night.  We have something in common you and I.  Today, you are starting a new, exciting, and rewarding career in law enforcement.    On June 10th of this year I, too, started a new, exciting, and rewarding career in law enforcement—again.    We both face extraordinary challenges ahead, but with potential for immeasurable personal pride and satisfaction. 

Noted author Stephen Covey said, ‘The nobility of policing requires the noblest of character.’  You have that character.  You would not be here tonight if you did not.  You worked hard to join the law enforcement family.    Thousands apply and don’t make it past the background process; others are unable to complete academy training.  You have worked very hard over the past six months  to develop the skills, the knowledge, the tactics, and the physical conditioning to prepare you to effectively perform your duties and to serve your community.  This is not a career for everyone and you are now part of an extraordinary and elite group.    A group of people who will run to danger and put their lives on the line to help another, even when that person is a complete stranger.  They do this not because it is required by law, but because they have the courage and compassion to always do what is right, to take the leadership role, to make the hard calls.  After all my years in law enforcement, I am still humbled every day by the heroic and selfless actions of law enforcement officers. 

Tonight represents the first accomplishment in what I hope for you will be a long and distinguished career.  What you do and where you go in your career is entirely in your hands.  The opportunities are endless and it’s your responsibility to prepare for the future.    Some of you will work the jail, some will work patrol, some the courts, and some investigations—narcotics, gangs, homicide—some of you will work SWAT teams, bomb squads, or counter-terrorism.  Some of you will decide to promote, and some of you may even aspire to be a Sheriff or Police Chief some day.  Do your best every step of the way.  Do not become so driven by the goal of what can be tomorrow that you miss the experience today.  Even though you may not see it at the time, everything you do will prepare you in some way for the next step you take in your career. 

The veteran officers in this room will tell you to be prepared for change because it is coming.  But change is a positive thing.  Don’t let any of those grizzled veterans tell you it was better in their day—I was told the same thing 30 years ago.  I am here to tell you that policing is better than it has ever been before and will be better when you are ready to retire.  You are better trained and better educated than those before you.  You have better communication skills.  You have the benefit of technological applications and less lethal weapons.   And you have more challenges—more is expected of you by the public.  The public and your Department will always set the bar higher for you.  You are role models for the community and ambassadors of your Department.  The definitive test of character is doing the right thing in that module, on that dark street corner, on that car stop—especially when no one is watching. 

Actually it is really quite simple-- there is no right way to do a wrong thing. 

The badge bestowed upon you today comes with an awesome responsibility—a responsibility so large that few choose to accept it.  I want you to feel the weight of the badge as it rests on your chest.   When you feel that weight, I want you to think of your brother and sister officers who are here today, the officers on your department, and all of law enforcement.   When you feel the weight of the badge, I want it to be a reminder that what you do in both your professional duties and your private life reflect on us all.  I want you to think about the lives you will impact in your daily duties.      I want you to think about the immense power the public has entrusted you with.  My advice is to never take that power for granted.  You have the power to take someone’s freedom away and the power to take someone’s life.  You have the power to take a child away from its mother and the power to save someone’s life.   You will be asked to handle it all with a command bearing, a calm demeanor, and compassion.    When you feel the weight of the badge, I want you to remember all of those law enforcement officers who have gone before us, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  You owe it to them above all others to conduct yourself honorably. 
I also want you to see the glimmer of light that casts off of your badge.  When you see that glimmer of light I want you to think of the hope it represents to all of those you protect each and every day.  It represents the confidence that the public has placed in you to keep their families safe and the respect of a small child who looks up to you and wants to be like you someday. 

And in conclusion, to sum up the commitment that you made both in your training and in your choice of careers, I would like to quote Teddy Roosevelt: 

Thank you, and God bless.  

Tactical Training Officers like to hear when Recruits are at the door of their office so they install thick boards of oak on the wall to be banged on, loudly.

When recruits pound on the board, Tactical Training Officers have been known to complain that they are unable to hear it.

These pieces of wood are tough and generally last a long time. The ones used by the Tactical Training Officers who train Deputy Sheriffs and Police Officers at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Regional Training Academy have withstood the pounding of fists from 49 classes of Recruits since they were donated by Basic Academy Class 136.

Sheriff’s Special Officer Class 36, which graduated in February, donated a thick oak board so future SSOs would be able to pound loud enough to be heard on the door of their Tactical Training Officers, Deputy Joseph J. Langhorne and Sheriff’s Special Officer Oliver Didio.

The new pounding board failed to make it through SSO Class 37.

SSO Class 37 member Tait Afualo was trying to be heard. Each time he thought the Training Officer was having trouble hearing his knock, he pounded a bit harder.  

The SSO pounding board broke in two.

Afualo, who played offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Department, said he was not trying to break the board, he just wanted his Training Officer to be able to hear him.

To view a video of the graduation ceremony, click ther play button below the screen.

Sheriff’s Special Officer Tait Afualo was one of 22 SSOs who graduated at the academy Wednesday after 580 hours of training over a 16 week period. All 22 were sworn as peace officers and many have said they hope to make a career of law enforcement.

The graduates join an SSO force that numbers 396 and works throughout the Department to help fulfill the Sheriff’s mission at John Wayne Airport, Courts Operations, Jail Operations, Orange County Transportation Authority and the Security Bureau. [more]

Their training includes arrest laws, CPR/First Aid, baton and pepper spray use, handgun and shotgun proficiency, field tactics, arrest and control techniques, physical fitness and Department policies, procedures and regulations.

Captain Catherine Zurn, commander of the Training Division, said the families of the graduates are a key factor in their successful completion of the rigorous course.  

The graduates chose Aron Grumbles as Class Sergeant.

Sheriff’s Special Officer Grumbles spoke at the graduation and thanked the Tactical Training Officers.

“They set an example for us on what it means to be peace officers.”

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens had a few words for the graduates.

“You are joining the OC Sheriff’s Department at a time of change and transformation and you will be part of the effort to make it even better than it is today This is not a career or everyone. You are now part of an extraordinary and elite group. A group of people who will run to danger and put their lives on the line to help another, even when that person is a complete stranger. They do this not because they are required by law but because they have the courage and compassion to always do what is right. To take the leadership role and to make the hard calls.”

Several of the new Sheriff’s Special Officers were recognized for their outstanding performance in the training course.

SSO Grumble was honored for firearms proficiency.

SSO Aaron Yturralde for proficiency in arrest and control techniques.  

SSO Brian Howlett for highest academic scores.

SSO Amy Lindquist was selected as Overall Outstanding Officer.  She received a $250 gift certificate from the Sheriff’s Advisory Council.

The graduates were:

Leonard Abbot, Tait Afualo, Stephan Brittsan, Todd Calderon, Jesus Carriedo, Robert Creasy, Jesus Diaz, Christopher Garcia, Aron Grumbles,  Andrew Ha, Chad Hernaez, Richard Hoffman, Brian Howlett, Austin Jones, Gabriel Ledesma, Amy Lindquist, Zachary Meredith, Nicholas Pfeifer, Joseph Putulowski, Michael Thomas, John Villanueva, Aaron Yturralde.

Duke and Harbor Patrol Fireboats were among the Department Units that saluted the Recruits of Basic Academy Class 185 at the traditional Hot Dog Run at the Huntington Beach Pier on August 13. 

The class is to graduate tonight.

Harbor Deputy William Nelson took these pictures of the Air-Sea salute and high speed maneuvers that followed.   

A squad of Orange County Sheriff's Department Explorers carried the U.S. and California State Flags at the Pakistani Independence Day Celebration at Exposition Park in Los Angeles. The Event organizers called it a rare show of unity, faith and discipline in the ranks Pakistani-American community.

The Explorers at the event were Alex Wong, Yanira Rojo, John Leahy, and Sebastian Marin. 

Assistant Sheriff Mike James attended on behalf of Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

Pakistani-Link ran and article on the event. The article is at the bottom of the front page and headlined:

Vivid Manifestations of

Unity, Faith and Discipline

On the second page there is a series of pictures, those carrying the American and California flags are Department Explorers.

To see the article click: PakistanLink-August152008-Pages12627.pdf (952.68 kb)

One of the event organizers sent a Thank You note to the Department. It said:

More than a million people attended the 2008 Orange County Fair and the Department staffed the 21-day long event with 954 shifts, including Deputies, Sergeants, Reserves and Bike Patrol Teams.

Department services were provided under contract to the 32nd District Agricultural Association of the State of California. The fair ran from July 11th through August 3 and attendance ranged from a low of 31,433 on Thursday, July 24 to a high of 70,767 on Saturday July 19th.

Photo taken at OC Fair 2008 by Deputy William Nelson

A total of 1,043,467 people attended the fair, making it the 13th largest of all of the state and county fairs in the country. There were fewer people at this year’s fair than in 2007 but this year still ranked as the third highest attendance record for the Orange County Fair.

Calls for service were up by 25 percent over 2007. Department personnel responded to 620 incidents and/or calls for service.

There were 323 incident reports written, including 124 for criminal activity. Of the 124 criminal activity reports made, 74 resulted in arrests. Of those, 69 were for misdemeanors and five for felonies.  During the 2007 Fair, there were 51 arrests, 47 misdemeanors and four felonies. In 2007, there were 199 incident reports filed at the Fair.
                               
A total of 954 shifts were staffed for the 21-day duration of the fair.  An overview of uniformed field deployment is as follows:

 544 shifts were staffed by Sergeants and Deputies assigned to operations for a total of 5,474.50 hours

 57 shifts were staffed by the Bicycle Patrol Team for a total of 456 hours.

 410 shifts were staffed by Reserve Bureau Personnel for a total of 3,068 hours.

The 87-foot long Coast Guard patrol vessel Narwhal will be berthing at Department's Harbor Patrol Dock while the federal governments upgrades the Newport Harbor Coast Guard Station.

On Sunday, August 10, 2008 at approximately 6:00 p.m. a 22 year old female made access onto the outside bridge railing of the Alicia Overpass, over the southbound I-5 Freeway. The female was over a traffic lane holding on to the 1 X 1 chain-link fencing and standing on a 2 to 3 inch ledge. Deputies attempted to talk the female into returning to safety; however she appeared determined to jump.

As Deputy Gunsolley talked to the female, she closed her eyes and extended her arms, appearing to ready herself to release. At that point, Gunsolley grabbed her fingers to hold her from jumping. CHP OfficerRand and Deputy Wehrli both positioned themselves on the outside ledge in an attempt to hold the female. With little footing and the female being resistive, the three held her....

To view the rest of the Department's press release on the incident click here: 08-11-08%20Women%20Hanging%20From%20Bridge.pdf (74.85 kb) 

To view the Orange County Register's story on the incident click here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/armando-woman-going-2121170-job-firefighter

To view a video of the incident click here: http://www.ocregister.com/video/index.php?bcpid=1127694947&bclid=1125901233&bctid=1725296448

Page 2

CCW Policy

August 8, 2008  

Applicants may be required to meet new provisions under the policy to include: 

• Applicants may be required to submit to psychological or polygraph testing as part of the background investigation. 
• License restrictions may be utilized for those holders who have situation-specific needs.   
• Applicants may be required to submit a medical clearance letter from their physician. 

CCW licenses will only be issued to applicants who meet the issuance policies set forth in the attachment.   

The possession of a CCW license brings great responsibility and increased accountability.  I expect holders to exercise sound judgment and discretion.  Concealed firearms should never be displayed or drawn except under the most dire circumstances and only as a last resort.  License holders will be held directly responsible for misuse of weapons or their licenses and be subject to license revocation or criminal prosecution.  

Sincerely,    

Sandra Hutchens

Sheriff-Coroner

A note from Lieutenant Roger Neumeister to the Reserve Deputies who worked hard in July:

This is the busiest time of the year for Department Reserve Deputies and our men and women turned out to fill the need.

From July 1, 2008, to the end of the Orange County Fair, August 3, 2008, Reserve Deputies worked over 550 event shifts. This represents a monetary value of approximately $275,000 to the taxpayers in Orange County. It also represents an untold value in additional public safety. Outside of the Fair duty, Reserve Deputies continued on patrol, aero missions, search and rescue call-outs, along with transportation shifts and investigations details during this busy season.

The need for Reserve Deputies was in high demand during July, not only because of the Fair but due to Independence Day activities in virtually all of our Department contract cities.

 The following Reserve Deputies worked double digit shifts during this period:

Reserve Captain Rick Olson                     14 shifts

Reserve Deputy Roger Huff                      14 shifts

Reserve Deputy Frank Weber                   12 shifts

Reserve Deputy Barry Bowyer                  11 shifts

Reserve Sergeant Don Hanson                  10 shifts

Many more Reserve Deputies worked more than the expected 3 shifts during this busy season. All who contributed to this effort should be thanked.

Thank you Reserve Deputies!