Those of you who know me know that I am seldom at a loss for words.  But there aren’t enough words to express the overwhelming feelings of gratitude and sincere appreciation my family and I feel for our extended family, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. 

I’ve been back to work for a few months now and while I’m very close to 100 percent, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about how lucky I am to be alive, and to be a part of this Department.

From the minute I was rushed to the hospital, you were there to hold up my wife.  When I was rushed in to surgery, you were there to meet my terrified family at the airport. You were there to hug my wife and hold my son when I couldn’t.  The minute my eyes opened after days of being out, you were there with smiles, kind words and familiar phrases. 

Your presence, thoughts and prayers through that horrifying time are what got us through what will hopefully be the toughest time of our lives.

From the bottom of my now “bionic” heart, I cannot thank you all enough, for the visits, the phone calls and your extremely generous donations of leave, which allowed me to undergo treatment and recover at home, without the fear of not being able to provide.

Simply put, you took care of my family when I couldn’t.   And for that, we are ever grateful.    

Again, thank you is not enough.  But please know that I pray for good health, happiness and all good things for all of you and your families.  

   -The Micalizzi's

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.

ORANGE COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREAEMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE # 1  Date:  November 25, 2008

  Time:  8:15 a.m.

ORANGE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND PUBLIC INFORMATION HOTLINES ACTIVATED

VOLUNTARY EVACUATION IN YORBA LINDA

 The County of Orange activated and staffed the Emergency Operations Center with County agency representatives at 0700 hours on Nov. 25, 2008.  The Public Information Hotline has been staffed and is ready to accept calls of inquiry in regard to voluntary evacuations in burn areas of the City of Yorba Linda. The Public Information Hotline phone number is (714) 628-7085.   

A voluntary evacuation went into effect at 8 a.m. today for three specific areas of Yorba Linda that burned in the Freeway Complex Fire earlier this month. Rainfall expected in the next few days creates the potential for debris and mud flows in these areas. Residents of these areas were notified on Monday evening at approximately 7:30 p.m. via the AlertOC System.  

The three areas subject to the voluntary evacuations include the Brush Canyon Area, the Box Canyon Area, and the North Fairmont/San Antonio area. Residents are encouraged to remove themselves from these areas until the current rain event has passed. Public safety officials will be watching all burn areas closely throughout the rain event. Residents will be alerted if mandatory evacuations become necessary. During the voluntary evacuation, the Thomas Lasorda, Jr. Field House at 4701 Casa Loma Ave. will be available as a shelter location.  

Residents who wish to receive these alerts on their cell phones, text numbers and e-mail addresses can register at www.alertoc.com. More evacuation information is available on the City of Yorba Linda’s Web site at www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us. 

Mari has interviewed several members of our department on several issues. It's time to get caught up:

Here's Sgt. Mike Gavin of OCSD's Transit Police Services:

Segment 1

Segment 2

Here's Sgt. Robert Gunzel of North Operations:

Segment 1

Segment 2

The wildfires in Yorba Linda have left yet another OCSD family member homeless. 

Retired Sergeant, Chuck Bensinger, lost his Yorba Linda home in the fires this weekend.  He is currently assigned as an Extra Help Deputy in Community Programs. 

Our thoughts, prayers and support go out to Chuck and his family.

As law enforcement personnel and firefighters continue to work around the clock battling the wildfires, at least two Deputy Sheriffs and their families have fallen victim to the fires that are ravaging parts of North Orange County and beyond.

Deputy Russell Sison, of Theo Lacy, and his wife were picking up their 9-year-old son from school when his apartment complex caught on fire.  The building was burned to the ground. 

Deputy James Russell, of Theo Lacy, also lived in Yorba Linda.  His home was a total loss as well. 

AOCDS is reaching out to help our colleagues and their families. 

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is pleased to announce the launch of our On-line TrafficCollision Report Program. This new program will reduce time and inconvenience for individualsinvolved in traffic accidents by allowing them to obtain their accident reports, free of charge, via ourwebsite at: http://www.ocsd.org. 

Traffic accident reports dated September 15, 2008 or later will be made available on-line for up tothree years from the date of incident, provided they do not involve serious injuries or fatalities,criminal offenses, or other protected or otherwise confidential information. 

While we realize the importance of making these reports available on-line to better serve the generalpublic, we recognize the importance of safeguarding report information from unauthorized disclosure.For this reason, the accident reports will be stored on our agency’s server, which is protected byfirewalls. The program will require requesters to declare that they have a proper interest in obtaining acopy of the traffic report, in accordance with Vehicle Code section 20012, and an internal audit trailwill capture the information submitted by requesters, including their IP addresses. 

Reports will still be made available upon request through our Records Bureau at: (714) 834-6454,during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Sheriff Hutchens was questioned at length by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday about her review of CCWs, licenses to carry concealed firearms. The Orange County Register has written two stories since then, outlining the controversy and some of the reasons the review was ordered.

To read those stories, click here and click here.

The Sheriff's statement on her action follows. 

IT’S SIMPLE, IT’S THE LAW         
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

As a citizen, I support the 2nd amendment and the rights of law-abiding gun owners.  As the Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, it is my sworn duty to uphold the law and apply it equitably to all people.  Recently, there have been some who have questioned my policy on the issuance of concealed weapon permits.   I would like to take this opportunity to give you the facts.  California Penal Code Section 12025(a) prohibits a person from carrying a concealed firearm.  California Penal Code Section 12050 authorizes the Sheriff of a county or the chief of a municipal police department to issue a license to carry a pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.   Penal Code Section 12050 was designed to be an exception to Penal Code section 12025(a)—not a way around it. 

Penal Code Section 12050 reads in part:  The sheriff of a county, upon proof that the person applying is of good moral character, that good cause exists for the issuance, and that the person applying satisfies any one of the conditions specified in subparagraph (D) and has completed a course of training as described in subparagraph (E), may issue to that person a license to carry a pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person ………

The only guidance on “good cause” is from a 1977 Attorney General’s opinion :  Opinion No. CR 77/30I.L. states “the issuing authority must determine whether the threat to the applicant (or other causal situation) is as real as the applicant asserts (e.g., is there a clear and present danger to the applicant, his spouse, his family, or his employees).    Finally, if the danger is manifest, the authority should determine whether that danger cannot be significantly alleviated by alternative means of security and whether in fact can be lawfully mitigated by the applicant’s obtaining a concealed weapons license.”

As the Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, it is my duty to follow the law as it currently exists.  Some have argued that I am somehow impacting their 2nd amendment constitutional rights.   This could not be further from the truth.    My decision to issue or not issue a concealed weapons permit to an applicant in no way impacts that individual’s right to bear arms in their place of business or in their home.      In fact, I would encourage those who are concerned about the concealed weapons permit policy to put their energies into getting the law changed.   And, if the State of California decides to change Penal Code section 12025(a), I will support that law as well.

I encourage anyone who believes they have good cause to apply for a Concealed Weapons Permit to apply.      It’s simple: The decisions I make and those made by the over 4000 members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are to follow and uphold the law.  I believe that is what the citizens of Orange County want us to do and what I was hired to do.

Investigators with the Orange County Sheriff's Department use new database to track down 11 suspected taggers.

LAKE FOREST – Eleven teenagers accused of tagging public property were arrested this morning in a sweep by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, the latest effort to curb vandalism in the city through the use of a new electronic database.

Deputies served four search warrants in two South County cities this morning, as well as one in Los Angeles County, in an effort to rub out vandalism in Lake Forest, which officials say has been experiencing an increase the dollar amount of costs associated with graffiti in the last three months.

Using an electronic database called Tracking Automated and Graffiti Reporting System, or TAGRS, sheriff's investigators tracked down the 11 minors, who are believed to be responsible for 68 cases of vandalism on public property, causing about $10,000 in damages, said Lt. Don Barnes.

"We want to significantly reduce the number of incidents of graffiti," Barnes said.

To read the rest of the Register's story click here.

Sheriff's special officer Bob Kiefer has saved lives by training others, and most recently, by helping man in Vons supermarket.

On May 25, 2008, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Investigators assigned to Special Operations received information that OCSD employee Lissa Marie Domanic, age 42, of Yorba Linda was providing confidential law enforcement information to gang members and gang associates and was associating with members of a racist criminal street gang. Domanic has been employed as an Office Specialist/911 call taker for the OCSD since February 2007.

On 9-3-08, members of the OCSD Gang Enforcement Team and Special Operations Bureau served a search warrant at Domanic’s residence. During the search letters and photos suggesting gang involvement were located.

On 9-22-08, the Orange County Grand Jury indicted Domanic on two counts of CPC 653F(a), Solicitation  to commit a violent crime and one count of CPC 11142, providing confidential law enforcement information to an unauthorized person(s). All charges have a gang enhancement due to Domanic’s gang involvement. The defendant is ineligible for bail.

On 9-23-08 investigators arrested Domanic at her residence in Yorba Linda. She was booked into the Orange County Jail on a $50,000 warrant. At the time of the arrest Domanic was in possession of methamphetamine and was also determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

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.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ACTIVATED AFTER 5.4 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE  

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Chino Hills area at 11:42 a.m.  The Orange County Emergency Operations Center has been activated.  Officials from several County agencies are currently collaboratively assessing the situation. County officials are ready to address any potential issues and/or needs, locally, or the needs of other neighboring jurisdictions. Currently no significant injuries or major structural damage has been reported.

Some areas are experiencing interrupted phone service.   Please continue to monitor your local news coverage for the latest information. For tips on earthquake preparedness, log on to http://www.readyoc.org/ Unless you have a life threatening emergency please do not call 911.

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

 On Friday February 22^nd, 2008, Ta Wana Win, a white former show horse, better known as TW, passed away and left this earth for Fiddler’s Green to join many other Police Horses and Mounted Police Officers who have passed before him.