Department Reserves and Explorers pitched in to help the Raise Foundation.

The Raise Foundation is Orange County’s official Child Abuse Prevention Council.  

FAMILY FESTIVAL HELD TO SHINE LIGHT ON CHILD ABUSE

Raise Foundation’s Blue Ribbon Family Festival
Kicks Off Child Abuse Prevention Month

Costa Mesa, CA (April 4, 2009) – The Raise Foundation, the official child abuse council for the County of Orange, invites families to the Blue Ribbon Family Festival to celebrate the importance of families, while educating the public about child abuse. The event will be held on Saturday, April 4th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Mackerel Flats & Goat Hill Junction Railroad, located at 2480 Placentia in Costa Mesa.

Each year, thousands of Orange County children are abused. Over 3,000 cases of child abuse or neglect were reported this past January alone, with over 1,400 being first time incidents. In 2008, over 33,000 Orange County children were the victims of abuse and, sadly, nine lost their lives. Blue Ribbon Month was created in 1989 after a Bonnie Finney lost her grandson to abuse. She tied a blue ribbon to her car so she would never forget the bruises on her grandson’s body. Now, every April is dedicated to bringing light to the horrors of child abuse.

“This event is designed to create awareness about the ongoing issue of child abuse,” said Russell Brammer, executive director of the Raise Foundation. “Every day, there are approximately 85 reports of child abuse here in Orange County and we can all help in preventing these experiences by being educated and taking appropriate action.”

This year’s Blue Ribbon Family Festival will feature activities geared towards children and families, including: free train rides; face painting; bounce houses; arts & crafts; live music; games; as well as emergency response vehicles on display. There will also be resource booths providing information on how the public can take action to prevent child abuse.

Several elected officials and County of Orange dignitaries are expected to attend, including: Patricia Bates, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Fifth District; Allan Mansoor, Mayor, City of Costa Mesa; Bill Habermehl, Superintendent of Schools, Orange County Department of Education; Chip Prather, Chief, Orange County Fire Authority; and Mike Ryan, Division Director of Children and Family Services, Orange County Social

About Raise Foundation
The Raise Foundation is Orange County’s official Child Abuse Prevention Council as officially designated by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 1974. The organization’s purpose is to prevent child abuse, help others prevent child abuse and fulfill the mandate as Orange County’s Child Abuse Prevention Council. Visit www.theraisefoundation.org for more information about this organization and their mission to eliminate child abuse in Orange County.

Here is the intro video for this year's Medal of Valor.  It's a brilliantly produced, inspiring tour of the Department and our history, courtesy of the Video Unit's Mark De Jesus.

Sergeant David Njust tells KUCI's Mari Frank about how the Department handles complaints against employees.

Sergeant David Njust

To hear the two interviews, click below:

Five of the Department's top Sergeants have been temporarily promoted to Lieutenant. The reason for the temporary promotions is due to the uncertainty of the Department's budget. It is the Department's desire to make the promotions permanent in the near future.

Lieutenant Robert Wren joined the department in June 1986 and served in Dana Point Police Services prior to his most recent assignement as the Command Staff's Administrative Aide.

Lieutenant Sheryl Dubsky joined the Department in April 1986 and served South Operations and Laguna Hills Police Services prior to her being appointed to lead the School Mobile Assessment and Response Team.

Lieutenant James England joined the Department in April 1984 and worked North Investigations, Professional Standards Division and IRC before heading the Department's Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit.     

Lieutenant Andrew Ferguson joined the Department in July 1993 and worked Laguna Niguel Police Services before heading General Investigations for South Operations.

Lieutenant Timothy Moy worked Narcotics South and the Theo Lacy Facility before heading the Deparment's Economic Crimes Unit.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens has been presented with an honorary membership in Gamma Rho, the Alpha Phi Sigma Chapter at California State University at Fullerton.

The Sheriff spoke to students and faculty at the Fullerton campus last month.

Alpha Phi Sigma is the only National Criminal Justice Honor Society for Criminal Justice Majors. The society recognizes academic excellence of undergraduate,  graduate students of criminal justice, as well as juris doctorate.

To learn more about the national organization click here.

Medal of Valor Recipients Deputy Gary Lewellyn and Deputy Richard Olszynski

The Orange County Register detailed all of the honors bestowed at the Department's 21st Annual Medal of Valor Ceremony.  

To view the story click here.

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                                                                  April 8, 2009 
 PRESS  ADVISORY

LUNCHEON HONORS FEATS of VALOR, COURAGE and MERITORIOUS ACTION
 
Date:  Thursday, April 9

Time:   Press availability with medal recipients 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
            Luncheon and presentation of awards 11:30 a.m.

Where: Hyatt Regency Irvine
             17900 Jamboree Road,
              Irvine, CA 92614 

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens will present awards to 42 individuals for acts of valor, courage, lifesaving and extraordinary achievement.  

The Medal of Valor, the Department’s highest award, will be bestowed on Deputy Gary Lewellyn and Deputy Richard Olszynksi for their heroic actions while confronting a heavily armed serial robber in Mission Viejo.

Medals of Courage, awarded for bravery or heroism, will go to five individuals. One of those honored is Deputy Patrick Kinney, who climbed out on an overpass ledge on a freeway to save a woman attempting suicide.
   
The role of the press in helping the Department will be recognized in the Medal of Merit award to Public Affairs Director Jim Amormino, who solicited press coverage in the violent kidnapping in Foothill Ranch of a young boy who was later found safe in Juarez, Mexico.

Others will be honored for helping to save lives and solving crimes in ways that bring credit to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. 

For more information call the Sheriff’s Public Affairs Office at (714)647-7042.

For a list of the medal recipients click: Medal of Valor Awards.pdf (3.83 mb)

Class 15R at the Sheriff's Regional Training Academy in Tustin graduated on March 19 and among the 33 graduates were two Orange County Sheriff's Department graduates.

Reserve Deputies Sammy Chan and Edwin Tang received a total of 164 hours of training in the Modular Training Format. They studied criminal law, laws of arrest, search and seizure, ethics and community policing. Training they underwent included use of firearms and arrest and control techniques, first aid, use of force, report writing and use of less lethal weapons. 

Reserve Deputy Sammy Chan, Academy Commander Lt. Jeff Bardzik and Reserve Deputy Edwin Tang

Photos by Professional Services Responders Randy and Kyle Frager

As Level III Reserves they are authorized to augment regular duty Deputy Sheriffs and Police Officer in the performance of their duties. Some duties they can expect to work as Level III reserves include: special events, search and seizure operations, traffic control, transport evidence, enforce parking laws and transport prisoners. They must be supervised by a Level I Reserve Deputy or a full time Deputy when they perform those duties.

Other members of the class included Reserve Police Officers from Garden Grove, Claremont, Orange and those sponsored by Santa Ana College, and Biola University.

Youth Members of the Mission Viejo Community of Character Committee, headed by Sheriff’s Department Crime Prevention Specialist Tammy Descoteaux, has been awarded the 2009 Red Ribbon Week Award.

The Award was given by the Orange County Health Care Agency, Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team and the Prevention Coalitions of Orange County for their “outstanding contribution to the field of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention in 2008.”

The youth group played an integral role in planning Mission Viejo’s 20th Annual Walk Against Drugs and Community Fair on October 18, 2008.  The event was a partnership  with the city and the Sheriff’s Department and the local schools.

The event was geared to bring local businesses, schools, parents, and youth in the community together with law enforcement to fight against drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse.  Annually, an average of 4,000 people gather for a rally at Mission Viejo High School and walk to Oso Viejo Park for the community fair celebration.  Event coordinator, Crime Prevention Specialist Descoteaux, challenged the committee youth to target the teen audience for the event. 

From beginning to end, young members of the committee planned activity booths, entertainment and staffing.  Special highlights included design of the event logo and T-shirts. A citywide essay contest was held with the theme: “What the Walk Against Drugs Means to Me.” There was live band music by Sterling Heart who wrote a song for the event, “Outside the Crowd.”

Assistant Sheriff Mike James and Chief of Mission Viejo Police Services Lt. Steve Bernardi were on hand to congratulate the youth.

“The involvement and effort of these outstanding kids helped to make the 20th annual drug walk inspiring and special,” said Lieutenant Bernardi. “Throughout the year they work hard and contribute so much to the city of Mission Viejo and we are very proud of them.”

Assistant Sheriff Mike James updated the Board of Supervisors yesterday on the ongoing changes and reforms in our Custody Operations Command. The Orange County Register's Norberto Santana attended the meeting and interviewed Sheriff Hutchens after the report.

...Deputy overtime – mostly at the jail — has been trimmed by 13 percent during each pay period, meaning that more than 4,000 hours have been cut, Hutchens said. And a new, cheaper, class of civilian jail worker should be arriving by December to Orange County jails – the second largest jail system in the state.

[...]

Capt. Mike James gave a morning presentation at the weekly board meeting, noting that a cultural change has taken place at the jails that has lowered costs as well as violence and incidents of unprofessional behavior by deputies.

"Chamberlain was so shocking," Hutchens said after the meeting, referring to the cover ups over the 2006 beating death of inmate John Derek Chamberlain.

The shock, Hutchens said, came from the fact that there was lack of accountability under the former administration of Sheriff Mike Carona – who was indicted by federal prosecutors just as the Chamberlain grand jury took form.

Jail reforms were also discussed in an article on the county's offer to settle a lawsuit on a jail beating that occurred in 2006:

...The update on the reforms in our jails is also discussed in an article on a settlement the county is offering in a jail beating which took place in 2006.

At issue in both cases was the fact that sheriff's deputies weren't always walking the floors of the jail and in many cases left inmates to manage each other.

"We are under the understanding that changes were in progress but regretfully didn't get implemented before Chamberlain," said Supervisor John Moorlach, who voted for the settlement offer. "But they are definitely in place now."

Supervisor Bill Campbell, who also approved the settlement, said he had questions for the Sheriff's Department to ensure that such cases are a thing of the past.

"The question the board was most concerned about was, 'have we changed how we are doing things?' " he said.

At an update on jail issues Tuesday, Capt. Mike James – now in charge of jail operations – said there has been a sea change in culture at the three jails operated by the department in Orange County.

James told supervisors that the department has instituted ethics training using the Chamberlain case as an example. He also added that numerous structural modifications – such as cameras and recording devices – have been introduced into the jails.

Also, James said, he has deputies walking the floors of the jail much more often.

[...]

Moorlach said the update offered this week makes him confident because "we learned a lot from the Chamberlain case and the investigative work done by the district attorney released last year. There was a culture that needed to be changed," he said.

The goal today is simple, Moorlach added.

"We should not have inmates being brutally attacked by other inmates."

The study by the Pew Hispanic Center was reported on the Orange County Register's Website.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Top law enforcement officers react to Latinos' mistrust in system
O.C. officials say they're concerned with study finding, but some say they're not surprised.
BY CINDY CARCAMO
The Orange County Register

Latinos' interaction with the criminal justice system has increased, yet they don't have as much trust in law enforcement as whites, according to a study released today by the Pew Hispanic Center.

Hispanics' confidence in law enforcement is closer to the low levels expressed by blacks than to the high levels expressed by whites, according to the "Hispanics and the Criminal Justice System: Low Confidence and Growing Exposure" study. The Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization based in Washington, D.C.

A little more than 60 percent of Hispanics say they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence that police in their local communities will do a good job enforcing the law, compared to 79 percent of whites and 55 percent of blacks, according to the Pew study.

Statistics are even grimmer when researchers asked Hispanics whether they were confident that they would be treated fairly.

To read the full story click here.

To read the full report click: hispanics and criminal justice system_final_EMBARGOED.pdf (533.06 kb)

At the Department’s Tustin Regional Training Academy on April 2, 2009, 35 New Professional Services Responders were appointed by Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.
Professional Service Responders come from all walks of life. Some are business owners, corporate executives, retirees, teachers, doctors or lawyers.

The most recent group includes anesthesiologist, an architect, retired university professor, an emergency room doctor, Chief Financial Officer, retired police officer, retired DA Investigator, and a Legal Assistant.

Photos by Professional Services Responders Randy and Kyle Frager

The Professional Service Responders will be assisting the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in a number of non-law enforcement related duties. Many have already been attending meetings with the Search and Rescue unit which is made up entirely of volunteers. Some expressed an interest in working in the newly formed Crime Prevention Unit, conducting Neighborhood Watch programs in the unincorporated areas of North County.

 Some will work at the John Wayne Airport as a travelers’ liaison, assisting travelers with baggage and questions about the airport. They are also an extra set of eyes on the lookout for suspicious activities.

A few will work in the High Tech Reserve Unit taking pictures and videos of Sheriff Events, including Academy Graduations and the recent Explorer Awards Ceremony.
Professional Service Responders will work with the Harbor Patrol conducting boater safety classes.

Community Programs uses the PSR’s at their functions to educate the public about the many services the Sheriff’s Department has to offer.
Our PSR’s assist the Bomb Squad with repairing and servicing their equipment. They also assist with Disaster Drills, Mounted Enforcement Training and in Recruiting on Saturday morning for the testing of new hires.

The carcass of a California Gray Whale estimated to be 26-feet long was found early this morning on Sunset Beach.  The Mariner Opertions Bureau dispatched units to tow the whale to sea. In the picture below, the second Marine Operations fireboat is the whale being towed.

To see the Orange County Register's Report of the whale click here.