From the Orange County Register:  

Sheriff Hutchens, Angels' MVP kick off Little League
Saddleback Little League goes to bat with its 53rd season of fun.

By ERIKA I. RITCHIE
The Orange County Register

LAKE FOREST -- Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Angel MVP Dave Frost will kick off Saddleback Little League fifty-third season.

Festivities will start with the traditional parade of teams at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at Aliso Elementary School. There will be carnival games, inflatable rides, a fast-pitch game hosted by the Orange County Flyers baseball team, a silent auction, a bake sale, and a raffle with prizes including a baseball autographed by Angel Scot Shields.

Hutchens and Frost will be the featured speakers.

To read the Register story click here.

Fire struck the home of Professional Services Responder Mike Reynolds this month. Reynolds was long active as a fundraiser for PROJECT 999, which provides financial assistance to the families of officers killed in the line of duty. He and his family were out of town when the fire destroyed their home but it wiped out the belongings of a lifetime. Department members rallied to his aid and he appreciates that gesture. He wrote the following note to those who helped his family and included some pictures of the fire.

To read about the fire in the Orange County Register click here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the OCSD: 

I wanted to send you out a note to first let you all know that my family and I are doing well. We have relocated in Orange County, and are settling back into some form of routine, thank you to all of those who continue to call to ask for updates, and those who pray for us daily, keep on praying we need it. 

I just wanted to express my gratitude to all of the OCSD personnel for their amazing outpouring of support , and specifically those of you who physically took time out of your day to come by the day of the fire, I can not tell you how much knowing there was a great group of people behind me at a time when you feel completely alone meant to me and my family. 

We are a family of strong constitution and even stronger faith, and know that everything in our home is just stuff, and that family, friends, and even strangers with kind hearts are what is most important.  I have included some photos of the fire, that we fortunately never saw in person having been out of town, but it is incredibly humbling to see the destruction that fire brings. Thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts. 

The Reynolds Family 

The tents are empty.

As part of the Department’s effort to cut costs due to declining tax revenues all inmates have been removed from the five tent complex at the James A. Musick Facility.  

The tents were opened in North Compound of the Musick facility as temporary housing in 1985. The use of tents were authorized by the federal court and housed up to 360 minimum security inmates.  The tents were outfitted with heating and air conditioning. 

Closing the tent complex is expected to save $1.2 million a year.

The complex included four housing tents, Blue, Yellow, Green and Red. There was also a recreational tent. All of the occupants were sentenced inmates and each housing tent held 90 in minimum security status.

The inmates included work crews for IRC and the Musick Facility.

All of the inmates formerly housed in the North Compound have been relocated to other compounds at Musick.

The staff, which included eight Deputies and four Sheriff’s Special Officers, have been given other assignments in the Custody Command. 

For more information on the James A. Musick Facility click here:

Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM) Police Services Deputy Robert Thompson received a thank you letter from RSM resident Esmeralda Marquez for his thoughtfulness after he took a theft report from her residence during October 2008. Mrs. Marquez explained that her garage was broken into and all her children's Christmas gifts were taken. Her letter reads in part, "Needless to say this was devastating for us. Being a single mother of two and with today's economy, times are difficult. My kids were sad (they knew their gifts were in the garage) and they understood that I was not going to be able to replace their gifts. We were lucky to have you as the officer who responded to my call. Even though our belongings were not recovered, two months later my children received a police car, one for each. Both my kids and I are extremely thankful for your thoughtfulness. They had a gift for Christmas!"

 On January 3, 2009, Lieutenant J Passalaqua received a letter of commendation for Deputy Ryan Root. Mrs. Lyn Townsend wrote, "On February 1, 2009, I met a wonderful representative for the Sheriff's Department. His name is R. Root." Deputy Root had arrived when Mrs. Townsend's husband had passed away from natural causes. She stated Sheriff Root was very professional. He explained everything that had to be done and made sure I understood. He is a very caring and understanding person. I wish to thank him for being there for me and my family.

Sheriff's Special Officer Ernesto Ochoa of Airport Operations received a commendation from Deputy Airport Director Scott Hagen and Captain Dennis DeMaio. On October 23, 2008, an intoxicated female drove her vehicle through a perimeter fence, across both runways and headed toward the ramp where the commercial aircraft were parked. Officer Ochoa was on foot and attempted to intercept the vehicle by running alongside the car and ordering the driver to stop. After several repeated verbal commands to get the driver to stop, Officer Ochoa realized the severity of the situation and drew his duty weapon at which time the driver complied.

Scott Hagen wrote, "Officer Ochoa's awareness and decisive actions prevented what could have easily become a dangerous and damaging situation. Officer Ochoa displayed quick thinking, restraint and discipline while dealing with this potentially threatening situation."

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair briefed Congress today on the security threats facing our nation. While he said the deepening economic crisis presents a new layer of threat to our nation, the face of terrorism is also changing.

To read his complete presentation click here.   

Also this week, FRI Director Robert Mueller gave a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington in which he described the changing face of terrorism from Mumbai to Somalia.

To see his presentation click here.

The Orange County Lawmen go up against the Los Angeles Heat in a National Public Safety League Competition.

LAWMEN TIME

The 2009 National Public Safety Football League Season is here

Orange County Lawmen

-vs-

Los Angeles Heat

Saturday: March 07, 2009

1:00 pm (1330 hrs.) Game Time

Laguna Hills High School

25401 Paseo De Valencia Laguna Hills, CA 92653

(949) 770-5447

Come Out and Support the Team

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Deputies on the Team:

Harold Abe, Dave Brant, Carlos Castaneda, Tim Dolan,

Fred Kratochvil, David Pena, Jason Perez,

Joe Slouka, Mike Walters

Deputy Lynn Ridenour and K-9 Rico, a 2-year old Belgium Malinois have joined the Explosives Detection K-9 Program at John Wayne Airport.

Rico has undergone more than a year of training and for 10 weeks the new team trained together at the Transportation Security Administration’s Explosives Devices Canine Team Program at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

“Rico’s training was 90 percent complete when I got to Lackland,” Deputy Ridenour said. “They trained me to be a dog trainer and then I completed Rico’s training.”

Deputy Ridenour and Rico join Deputy Dave Ray and K-9 Ali, and Deputy Len Letze, and K-9 Gogo. The new team replaces Deputy Kevin Nadeau, who has joined the Department Bomb Squad and K-9 Rex, who has retired. 

All of the Deputies working on the team are skilled both as dog handlers and as bomb technicians.

The Explosives Devices Canine Team Program was established on March 9, 1972.

It was created by order of President Richard Nixon following an incident in which a Los Angeles bound plane had to return to JFK Airport in New York following a report of a bomb on board. Upon landing, a search of the plane was made by a bomb-sniffing dog named Brandy. Brandy found the bomb just 12 minutes before it was set to explode. President Nixon ordered the new program later that day.

 John Wayne Airport became part of the program after 9/11. Three teams of Deputies with K-9s trained in explosives detection have worked at John Wayne Airport since 2003. More...

The Orange County Register is reporting that a terrorist response readiness drill is scheduled for this week at the Navy Weapons Station in Seal Beach, adjacent to Sunset Beach which is patrolled by the Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff's Department is also responsible for patrolling all Orange County waterways.

The story said in part:

Naval Weapons Station plans drill on threat response

Anaheim Bay may be closed to private boats during Seal Beach drill, expected between Monday and Feb. 27.

By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
The Orange County Register

SEAL BEACH – The Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station will take part in a nationwide training drill to prepare for potential threats to the base, which could include responding to terrorist activity, officials announced today.

The exercise is expected to take place sometime between Monday and Feb. 27; however, times and exact dates are unknown, said base spokesman Gregg Smith.

Residents may see increased security activity around the base and traffic may be heavy in the area. Access to the base could also be delayed; however, personnel are going to try to keep daily functions as normal as possible, Smith said.

To read the Register story click here.

Beginning this week, and when availability permits, Sheriff Hutchens will be issuing a video message instead of the standard bulletin letter. Here's the youtube version. A transcript follows.

Transcript:

As protectors of the public we are always faced with new challenges. When called upon to enforce the law, even unpopular laws, we rely on our training, our skills, our integrity and best judgment to act without bias and in a fair and honorable way.  It’s not an easy task but it is one we are well prepared to carry out.

Protecting the public is far more than enforcing the law. We are often asked to be problem solvers.For instance, our deputies are called to respond to a myriad of issues: a car broken down on the road, a runaway child, a noisy neighbor or, all too often, a circumstance that defies easy explanation or obvious solution.

Even today, our Department must act to help solve a problem that is also confronting local governments across the entire state. The dire financial crisis is having a dramatic impact on the revenues that fuel the operations of our Department and the county as a whole. 

For several months we have been working with the county to balance public protection within current budget constraints. In January, we eliminated the hospital security we were providing to City Police Departments – this saved our department over a million dollars annually.

Earlier This week we announced that we are closing the tents at the James A. Musick Correctional Facility. This move will save our department 1.2 million dollars annually.We also announced that we would be returning to a part-time SWAT team.

Last year, we assigned 7 Deputies to work full-time on the SWAT team. The goal was to provide improved protection for the county and to increase officer safety in responding to known high risk situations.However, due to financial concerns, we are reassigning these personnel. This decision would make absolutely no sense if the financial picture were better, but I believe it is necessary in this time of economic crisis.

Over the next year we will need to make additional sacrifices and reductions in services – and this will continue until the economy improves. Now, more than ever, we have to focus on our core mission and look for cost effective methods to ensure the safety of those we serve.

I ask all of you to continue to find ways to reduce our costs with a minimum impact on public safety and I Thank you all for your unwavering commitment to our mission and to the residents of Orange County.

On Tuesday, February 17th, The Sheriff commended Investigators from the Investigations Division that responded to a homicide in South County in March of 2008.  The investigators and their sergeants, worked tirelessly through the night in an effort to identify all the suspects in this homicide.  Due to their tenacity, superior job knowledge, and determination, all the suspects of this homicide were arrested within 24 hours. 

Also commended was Investigator Gene Inouye from the Economic Crimes Detail.  Gene has been the point person in a large and ongoing card skimming investigation.  This complex and expanding investigation has unique challenges that Gene met head on.  Thanks to Gene’s hard work, multiple suspects have been identified and the successful investigation will lead to many arrests in the near future.

From the Orange County Register:

On the night of Dec. 4, Gutierrez, 17, was doing homework in his San Clemente home when he heard loud screams coming from the building next door. He rounded up his 15-year-old sister, Carla, and 16-year-old cousin, Jenni Hernandez, and grabbed a fire extinguisher from his apartment building.

The trio rushed outside and saw smoke pouring from the three-story apartment building next to theirs, Gutierrez said.

Orange County sheriff's deputies were already on scene breaking windows and assisting with evacuations at one end of the building, near where the fire started, Gutierrez said.

But at the other end of the building was a panic-stricken elderly couple waiting for help at their open front door.

Their second-story windows had become blackened by smoke, and the woman was in a wheelchair crying and screaming for someone to please help her, Gutierrez recalled.

[...]

Q. You're a cadet in the Orange County Sheriff's Explorer program, which teaches you about law enforcement and emergency first response. How did those experiences help you?

A. Firefighters take care of the fire, but if you're the first one on the scene, you make sure everyone is OK and make sure no one is inside the house. You break windows and open doors. That's what came to my mind when I was helping out. I don't think I was doing anything special.

Read it all right here.

Friends,   I owe a great many of you a great deal for all the support and help with training Taffy and encouraging me!

     Last week on Animal Planet the 2008 Eukanuba National Championship was shown.  Taffy and I were not competing in the dog show, but we did receive an ACE (Achievement in Canine Excellence),  award in the Search and Rescue category.  It is a huge honor and I realize I owe a great deal to many many people for all the help and support.    The ceremony was about 10 minutes as each dog was introduced and the owner / handler received a sterling silver medal for their dog.  I have the segment recorded from my tivo.  Only about two minutes was actually shown on TV.  The two minutes segment is like 18 MB in size!!  I managed to convert it down to about 8 MB but the quality is starting to get fuzzy.  I was told at the ceremony there would be a DVD made of the event but as of now this video clip from Animal Planet is all we have.  I tried to send the big 18 MB file yesterday but I don't think it went through???  So hopefully this 8 MB will get through some of the servers.  As many of you know due to age Taffy is semi retired now.  She has had a great career!

Thanks for all the support!

Doug & Taffy

This just in from Dean Gialamas, Director of Forensic Sciences Division:

Burglary/Larceny/Theft:  21

Robbery:  5

Homicide:  3

Sexually Motivated Crime:  1

Arson:  1

Assault:  1

The Lab is one of the most renowned in the country and last year won International Accreditation.  To see the Blog story on that accrditation click here.

On May 23, 2008 the OCTA Board of Directors entered into a new contract with the Sheriff’s Department and one of the new provisions in the contract called on Transit Police Services to add a bomb detection dog. As a result of the new contract Deputy Timm Pusztai was sent to Auburn University Training Center at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. There he joined with Foose, a Chocolate Labrador Retriever that had already been trained for nearly a year and a half. Deputy Pusztai and Foose completed their last 10 weeks of training together in Alabama.

The team of Deputy Pusztai and and K-9 Foose were the focus of a press conference earlier this week.

To read the Orange County Register story click here.

The KNBC coverage of the press conference is below.

The family of Elizabeth Palmer, 49, of Fountain Valley, gave a press conference at Department headquarters today seeking the public's assistance in finding her killer. Mrs. Palmer, a secretary at a mobile home sales office in Stanton was killed last week along with a salesman for the firm.

The Orange County Register had this story:

Official: Stanton double killing 'not a random act'

Sheriff's investigators believe 1 or both of slain people targeted in deadly attack at manufactured home sales office.

By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA – With few leads and no apparent motive for the killing of two Stanton co-workers last week, investigators today asked for the public's help in locating a missing car critical to the investigation, and information that could lead them to the killer.

Mathew Scott, 42, of Costa Mesa, and Elizabeth Palmer, 49, of Fountain Valley, were found shot to death inside the sales office of Golden Sun Homes, 12331 Beach Blvd. Authorities said it appears that the culprit may have specifically targeted one, or both, of the victims, but after a week of investigating the two deaths, there are no suspects, no persons of interest, and no motive.

"It's very frustrating for our team," said Orange County sheriff's Investigator Joe Hoskins after a news conference held at sheriff's headquarters. "We've been working it since Day One."

To read the whole story click here.

To read the Los Angeles Times story on the case click here.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors heard the Sheriff and critics of the Department’s CCW policy on Tuesday. When all was said and done, the Board members expressed disagreement with the policy change but agreed that the Sheriff has the authority to go forward.  

“It’s over,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Patricia Bates.

For information on the Department's CCW Policies click here.

The issue was first addressed at Tuesday's meeting in a report from Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

Good morning madam Chair and honorable members of the Board. I just want to provide a brief overview of how we got to where we are today.
In July of last year I ordered a review of all existing concealed weapons permits, specifically looking at the issue of good cause. I implemented a new policy and that was adopted in September of last year. The main issue we have been discussing for the last several months is the issue of good cause.
There are some who have alleged that this is a Second Amendment issue.

I would disagree.

This does not impact an individual’s right to have a firearm in their home of their place of business. The fact is there is a law in the State of California prohibiting the carrying of a concealed weapon. I can’t change that. That exists. There is a section that gives the Sheriff or Police Chief of a jurisdiction the ability to issue a license as an exemption to that law. That law specifically states that the person must have good cause. 

I believe that I have taken a common sense approach to good cause, that is: you must demonstrate that you are at some greater risk than anyone else in the general population. In November of last year I made a presentation to this Board on CCW’s and on good cause.

I listened to the concerns by members of the public and members of this Board, as I plan to do today.  Following that meeting, I attempted to address the concerns about a revocation appearing in the automated firearms system data base maintained by the California Department of Justice.  As a result of those discussions we came up with the option of changing the expiration dates so there would be no data entry. We did have communication yesterday with the California Department of Justice. They are working with their IT staff today to come up with a date. So, while you have a letter in front of you we do not have a date yet that they will be able to accomplish that.

I also adopted the language provided by the Board resolution into my CCW policy.  While it did not fundamentally change the issue of good cause, I think it went a long way to explaining what the good cause criteria might be.  You see that in my policy.

You should have a copy of the letter.

I discussed with County Counsel their opinion on several issues raised by the Board.

Following the Sheriff’s presentation, the Board heard from County Counsel Ben deMayo.

County counsel gave the opinion that the Sheriff has the authority to revoke CCW’s issued by a previous Sheriff and that an individual who is having their CCW revoked  can opt to have the Sheriff include it in the Department of Justice database as an expired license.

All five Supervisors and more than 40 members of the public spoke on the CCW issue and on the controversy surrounding a security tape of the January 13 Board of Supervisor’s meeting, security precautions taken by the Sheriff’s Department at the meeting of the 13th and text messages sent by Command Staff during the November 18 Board meeting.

A resolution appears to have been reached between the Department and the Board on the access to the security tape of January 13th, during which the camera briefly panned on the notes on the desk of Supervisor Chris Norby and the Blackberry of Supervisor Janet Nguyen. 

Sheriff Hutchens said an investigation is continuing into why a Department Investigator panned the security camera on the Supervisors’ desks during the five hour long meeting.

Sheriff Hutchens countered allegations that the beefed up presence of uniformed and plainclothes personnel at the January 13 meeting was intended to intimidate CCW proponents who attended.  No immediate press accounts of the meeting made mention of intimidation but two days later some CCW proponents contended the extra security was intended to intimidate them.

The extra security was due to security concerns over several issues on the Board agenda that were expected to bring in large numbers of people. In addition to the CCW issue on the agenda, those expected included county workers facing layoffs, supporters of Supervisors Nguyen and Bill Campbell, who were  being sworn in that day, and a group of “open carry” advocates who have been testing state firearms laws by carrying unloaded firearms openly.

Sheriff Hutchens also apologized for inappropriate text messages sent by some of her staff during the November 18 meeting. She said those individuals had been admonished and that the Department policy has been amended to limit the use of text messages to having a business purpose and a professional tone.

The meeting continued after the CCW issue was resolved the Sheriff and several members of her staff remained in attendance to answer questions another pressing issue: the Department budget.

The California Robbery Investigator’s Association has selected Orange County Sheriff's Deputies Rick Olszynski and Gary Lewellyn as “Officer of the Year.”

The honor was bestowed because of the March 9, 2008 incident at the Mission Viejo Mall when a serial armed robber held up a jewelry store, fired his handgun toward a group of shoppers and then fired at the two deputies who were blocking his escape.

The confrontation took place in the parking structure where dozens of shoppers were fleeing in terror due to the gunshot fired and the ongoing pursuit.
The Department account of the incident is as follows:

On Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 1725 hours an armed robbery of a jewelry store occurred at the Mission Viejo Mall.  The suspect was armed with a loaded high powered handgun along with extra clips containing armor piercing rounds. During the robbery the suspect pointed and waved his handgun at employees as well as other shoppers. During the robbery numerous 911 calls were made. The suspect took a large quantity of jewelry and was in the process of fleeing the mall, at which time he fired one round in the direction of shoppers.

At the same time OCSD patrol Deputies Olszynski and Lewellyn, both assigned to the city of Mission Viejo, responded and arrived within a few minutes of the first 911 call. Upon arrival these Deputies saw the suspect as he fled across a bridge that connected the mall and a nearby parking structure.

The suspect ran into the parking structure. Deputy Olszynski additionally armed himself with a patrol shotgun. Both Deputies made a tactical approach to the parking structure where they encountered the suspect, who held a handgun in his hand. The suspect fired one time at the Deputies during his attempt to flee the area and then doubled back toward the Deputies as he maneuvered between parked cars. The armed suspect came out from behind a car where he encountered Deputy Olszynski. Fearing for his life, Deputy Olszynski engaged the suspect with his shotgun. The suspect fell to the ground and despite medical aid was pronounced dead at Mission Hospital.

During additional follow-up investigation it was determined that the suspect was involved in additional criminal acts involving weapons in Arizona and California. The suspect was linked to three bank robberies in 2007 in San Diego by DNA evidence that was submitted to the OCSD crime lab by OCSD Homicide. OCSD Homicide investigators linked the suspect to 13 violent felonies with actual victims in this incident. Crimes include attempted murder on a police officer (2 counts) armed robbery (2 counts) and assault with a deadly weapon/firearm (9 counts).

Division Commendation
Deputy Frank Tomeo

On Friday January 9, 2009 the Field Operations Command held its’ first crime analysis meeting.  In attendance were Sheriff Hutchens, Executive Command Staff and the Field Operations Commands Division Commanders and Bureau Commanders.

In order to conduct the meeting, two lengthy synchronized presentations incorporating each of the Field Operations Commands statistical data were needed to be crafted into a Power Point presentation.  With the meeting just 24 hours away, on January 8, 2009 Deputy Frank Tomeo of the SAFE Unit was asked for assistance in developing the presentations.  He was tasked with compiling the statistical data of the five different divisions containing 26 different bureaus, units, sections or teams. 

Each command area included crime statistical data from 2007 and 2008 identifying the number of crimes and arrests as reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting Index as well as maps depicting the location of the incidents. Deputy Tomeo received information from the different areas to be presented throughout the day.  Several times he had to replace and update data that was provided earlier in the day.  He was able to complete the Power Point presentation allowing a side by side comparison of the data which facilitated questions from the Sheriff and Executive Command Staff to the Bureau Commanders in charge of the particular area. 

Deputy Tomeo realized the importance and benefit to the department this crime analysis meeting could provide.  He did not hesitate to reprioritize his assignments so as to be able to utilize his exceptional computer programming skills to the benefit of the department in creating this presentation. 

Deputy Tomeos’ presence of mind, ability to see the big picture, commitment and selfless attitude are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. 
On behalf of the Sheriff, Executive Command Staff and the Field Operations Commands you are hereby commended for your contribution and commitment to the Department. 

A Letter to the Department by Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

Most of you have seen or heard news accounts of the inappropriate text messaging between some members of my staff during the November 18, 2008 Board of Supervisors meeting. Those individuals have been admonished appropriately. That meeting included hours of public comment by those opposed to the Department's change of policy on Carry Concealed Weapons Permits and concerns by the Board of Supervisors.

I bring this to your attention not to further embarrass those who were singled out by the press but to remind all of us that there is an important lesson to be learned. While on duty, our communications, with few legal exceptions, are public record. We are a transparent Department and if a Public Records Act request is made, we are required to release those communications and embarrassment is no legal exception. We must act accordingly.

On another level, we must respect those we serve. When criticized, we must respond professionally and not succumb to the all too human instinct of making comments and remarks that disparage our critics.

We are held to a higher standard than others in society because we are in law enforcement. That is how it should be. We must enforce the law and at times that makes us unpopular. We all know that when trouble strikes, we must step forward while others run and seek shelter.

What we must remember is that when we don't like what others say about us, we must put our personal feelings aside and listen; giving them a fair chance to state their case and possibly change our minds.

When all is said and done, we must do what we know is legal and right.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is a professional organization composed of individuals and therefore subject to human frailty at
times. Let's all remember to put our best foot forward.

This is a report from Reserve Deputies Scott Klappenback and Jim Wharrie, who with their K-9 partners Roan and Mona augment the Department’s K-9 coverage, especially in the City of Lake Forest.

Reserve Deputy Scott Klappenback & K-9 Roan

Reserve Deputy Jim Wharrie & K-9 Mona

The 2 reserve teams, Reserve Deputy Scott Klappenback & K-9 Roan and Reserve Deputy Jim Wharrie & K-9 Mona have been assigned to the City of Lake Forest for the past 5 years. The two reserve K-9 teams provided patrol and narcotics K-9 coverage on every Friday and Saturday night throughout 2008. 

The statistics outlined below summarize the 2 Reserve K-9 Teams collective accomplishments in 2008:

• 109 Patrol shifts completed (1,153 total patrol hours)
• Participated in over 832 hours of formal K-9 Section training, including monthly evaluations and annual narcotics certification
• Responded to 13 Off-Duty Call Outs for K-9 narcotics searches
• Conducted 6 K-9 demonstrations for the community
• During routine patrol responded to a total of 582 calls for service

Of the 582 total calls, 232 (40%) were K-9 narcotic detection or evidence search deployments with the following results:

* 70 (30%) resulted in a narcotic related arrest (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium)
* 121 (52%) resulted in a narcotic “alert” without an “arrestable” quantity of narcotic present (confirmed residue, debris, paraphernalia or odor present)
* 35 (15%) resulted in no “alert” but significantly increased thoroughness of search while reducing the consumed search time for the patrol deputy
* 6 (3%) resulted in an unconfirmed alert (unable to substantiate presence of narcotics)

• The reserve teams conducted K-9 narcotics detection and evidence searches for Dana Point, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita , San Clemente , San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, North & South Investigations, GET, Narcotics Interdiction Unit, Garden Grove, Laguna Beach, DEA and California Highway Patrol

The conclusion of 2008 also marked a significant milestone for the 2 reserve K-9 teams. At the onset of this “trial” project we were each asked for a five year commitment to the K-9 team. We have now been deployed in patrol for 5 years working shifts every Friday and Saturday night in addition to K-9 demos, call outs, special assignments, K-9 section training and other reserve bureau obligations. After reviewing our years of cumulative records, the following highlights our combined contributions to the K-9 section, City of Lake Forest and the Sheriff’s Department:

• Completed over 544 patrol shifts (5,464 hours)
• Responded to more than 3,000 calls for service of which 808 (27%) were K-9 related deployments resulting in 280 narcotic related arrests in addition to recovered evidence from K-9 article searches (weapons & stolen property)
• Participated in 39 K-9 demonstrations for the community
• Completed over 5,499 hours of weekly K-9 section training, monthly evaluations and annual narcotics certification

Over five years ago we were offered a unique opportunity that level 1 reserve deputies in our department had not previously been able to participate in. We feel privileged to have been the first two afforded the chance to become members of the OCSD K-9 section and hope our results were worth the investment.  We want to thank all those who helped us along the way. We appreciate the continuing support and guidance we have received during the past 5 years from the entire OCSD K-9 section, Community Services Division, and the Sheriff Department’s personnel in the City of Lake Forest.

The Orange County Register reported that the Department Police Community Reconciliation program has drawn high praise.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Sheriff department complaint program draws praise

BY NORBERTO SANTANA JR.
The Orange County Register

A new county mediation program that seeks to help sheriff's deputies and residents resolve differences drew praise on Tuesday, with Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson saying the effort helps both sides better understand each other.

The Police Community Reconciliation Program was set up in May 2008 with nearly a $100,000 budget with the goal of offering an outlet for residents who want to air complaints that don't rise to the level of a formal investigation.

In its first six months evaluation, the voluntary program has received 43 complaints, mainly involving the perception of rudeness or profiling. It has successfully handled nine cases with another two dozen in the process.

To see the whole story click here.

California Sheriff, the official magazine of the California Sheriff's Association featured an article in this edition about the Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Conference. The article makes special note of the participation by Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

To read the article click: Law Enforcement CSSA_Mag_Jan09_lr.pdf (394.72 kb)

The FBI has released its 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment. It was prepared by the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). It reported that approximately one million gang members belonging to more than 20,000 gangs were criminally active in the U.S. as of September 2008. 

The assessement made clear that living in the surburbs is no protection against gang threats. The report shows that Orange County has one of the highest number of gang members of any county in the Pacific Region, which includes California and Nevada.  

“Gangs have long posed a threat to public safety, but as this study shows, gang activity is no longer merely a problem for urban areas. Gang members are increasingly moving to suburban America, bringing with them the potential for increased crime and violence,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser, FBI Criminal Investigative Division.

To see the FBI Press Release click here.

To see the full report click here.