Government Relations Manager Ryan Burris

Sheriff's Government Relations Manager Ryan Burris was interviewed by KUCI's Mari Frank about the Department's interaction with local government.

To hear the interviews, click the icons below.

 Sheriff Sandra Hutchens led a tour of Department Jail facilities on Tuesday.  This was a part of the process to enter into an agreement between the Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for leasing jail space for federal detainees. Assistant Sheriff Mike James appeared before the Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday to answer questions about the proposed agreement.

The Board of Supervisors authorized Sheriff Hutchens to submit a formal proposal to I.C.E. as a major step toward obtaining the contract.

To see the Board's staff report on the resolution click here.

The program and potential agreement have generated a good deal of interest in the press and by officials, business leaders and residents of the cities in which our facilities are located. What follows is a Question and Answer sheet that covers much of the material that is known at this time.

Housing Federal Detainees (Beds for Feds Program)
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange County Sheriff’s Department

What is the Beds for Feds Program?

The Federal Government, Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) specifically, is responsible for enforcing the immigration laws of our country.  In the Post 9/11 era, procedures were put in place to allow local jurisdictions to enter into an agreement with ICE for local law enforcement to screen all arrestees booked into jails across the country to verify their citizenship status (this is known as the “287g Program,” named after the authorizing federal statute).  As a result of this screening, immigration holds are placed on the arrestees who are unable to provide proof that they are either a citizen of the US or living here legally on a temporary/legal condition of residency. Arrestees who are not charged by the District Attorney or who are ordered released by the Superior Court are released directly to ICE pursuant to the immigration hold.  Arrestees who are convicted must first complete their jail sentences.  Then, they are released by the local jurisdiction to ICE’s custody to begin the administrative process to determine their citizenship status.  These ICE "detainees" are housed or detained in correctional facilities across the country.  With the increased population of undocumented immigrants and the limited availability of federally operated and owned detention facilities, the Federal Government began contracting with local jurisdictions for beds to house these detainees..   

Our inmate population has steadily decreased over the past year.  With vacant beds in our facilities, we are seeking additional revenue to counter decreased tax revenue.  We approached ICE and began to explore a possible partnership to house detainees.

What if the County Inmate jail population rate begins to increase?

County inmates will always have priority. If the county inmate population begins to increase, our contract with ICE will give us a "right of refusal" to control the number of detainees as well as the ability to provide for beds on a “space available basis”. 

What types of federal detainees will be housed in the Orange County Correctional facilities?

None of the ICE detainees we house will have any criminal charges pending.  They are simply being detained while their immigration holds are being processed.  They are not prisoners or inmates.  We will house detainees of all classifications.  Our current classification system will be used to classify detainees.  The Sheriff-Coroner is proposing that ICE detainees be housed at the Theo Lacy and James A. Musick jail facilities on a space available basis.  There will be a "right of refusal" clause in our contract with ICE which will be used to control the number and type of detainees accepted.  The proposal currently includes a total of 838 beds to be used for ICE detainees, with 472 located in the Theo Lacy Facility and 366 in the James A. Musick Facility.

Why should Orange County house the ICE detainees?

Housing the ICE detainees in the Orange County jail system will generate additional revenue that will prevent the closure of more jail facilities and will help avoid significant cuts to core services of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.  By partnering with ICE, we are making a fiscally responsible decision that will lessen the financial burden on the taxpayer while maintaining our current level of law enforcement services.

The City of Santa Ana has had a similar contract for over ten years to house ICE detainees in the City’s jail facility. ICE still does not have a sufficient number of beds for detainees in California and transporting detainees to other states carries a significant cost.

Are the Sheriff-Coroner Department jail staff qualified to house ICE detainees?

The Department will provide specific training to jail staff. The Department will also be responsible for ensuring the safety of detainees through a classification process that will assign housing to detainees with persons of similar background and criminal history.

The Sheriff-Coroner Department staff will operate the ICE housing areas and provide all security and operational duties. ICE staff will perform oversight, compliance, and other administrative duties only. More...

Orange County CEO Thomas Mauk gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors on the operation of the Orange County Crime Lab since it came under the auspices of a Trilaterial Committee that includes Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, CEO Mauk, and District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. The committee was established within days of Sheriff Hutchens taking office in June 2008.

To view the PowerPoint presentation click: COOP DEPT HEAD BOARD UPDATE 2-9-2010 (2).pdf (663.57 kb)

A message from Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to the Department:

To All Department Personnel:

I've observed, from my very first day as Sheriff-Coroner, a consistent and admirable trait of the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff's Department: Your willingness to take on additional responsibilities and assignments to move this department forward, regardless of the adversity we face.

Effective February 19th, an Assistant Sheriff and 23 Professional Staff will be laid off. The loss will be felt deeply but it will have the least impact on public safety of any of the options we had available. In addition, a Director and a Manager have found positions outside of the Department and will not be replaced; however, the cost savings will allow us to retain four investigators and several 911 Operators.

Over the last 19 months we have worked together through a number of transitions – the initial reorganization, in the fall of 2008, was designed to move department leadership into the right places.

Following that reorganization, economic conditions forced us to grapple with a $28 million budget reduction for FY 2009-10. To ensure that front line public safety was not impacted by such reductions, I chose to reduce my Command Staff by 41%, eliminating two Assistant Sheriff and five Captain positions.

We were able to reduce our budget by the required $28 million last year, only to find that because of continuing declines in Prop 172 revenue, we would need to cut an additional $24 million the first six months of this year. Therefore, we’ve entered into an additional round of layoffs while continuing our work to identify ways to reallocate existing resources – all to ensure the delivery of quality public safety services our residents have a right to expect.

These preparations will assist us with the $65 million shortfall we face in FY 2010-11. Overall, our goal remains the same: Reduce operational costs while minimally impacting front line public safety.

Last year, as we prepared for the reduction in Command Staff, I asked three of our Captains to take on the role of Commander. Tim Board, Jay LeFlore, and Dave Wilson responded, accepting all of the additional duties and responsibilities without any additional pay.

Since that time we've been operating with an extremely thin command structure -- one that I said we could not sustain over the long haul. At the same time, accountability, oversight, and discipline have been pushed down from the top of the organization to each division. One consistent theme I heard in June of 2008 was that previously, projects, discipline, new ideas and constructive feedback made its way to Headquarters, only to languish on the desks of Administration. This has changed because we believe that law enforcement organizations require empowered individuals to make decisions at all levels.

Over the last six months we’ve recognized that it is difficult to sustain the changes we are making with the diminished staffing. The changes and reforms we've been spearheading are too crucial, too important to the reputation and trust of this department, to be impeded by the continuing budget challenges we face.

To achieve cost savings while ensuring appropriate command oversight, fifteen of your fellow colleagues answered the call to take on additional responsibility without additional pay. We could not move forward an organization of this size and complexity without this type of leadership and sacrifice.

The attached organizational chart details positions and span of control of the interim promotions that become effective February 19th. Each interim will have the authority and rank insignia appropriate for their rank in the organization. As previously stated, these interim positions come without any increase in pay. We expect these temporary promotions to remain in place for the next eighteen months.

The economic conditions we face today are unlike those of the county bankruptcy. While the bankruptcy was caused by risky investments here in Orange County, the underlying economy was growing at that time, and the county could rely on a continued revenue stream.

These days are much different. There isn't a city in the nation that isn't feeling the impact of this recession. The State of California, in particular, has been hard hit, which makes it all the worse for us. However, we must not use the economy as a barrier to progress.

Throughout the final days of the previous administration, the ethics, training, accountability and oversight of the Orange County Sheriff's Department were daily topics in the media and local government. The actions of a few maligned the entire department.

When I came to this department I found an organization of professional, dedicated personnel. However, the leadership that preceded me failed to keep this department in step with modern law enforcement. In particular, they neglected to implement structures of accountability and risk management to safeguard those who put their lives on the line.

Your safety and our reputation are paramount. Because of the continued sacrifice of your colleagues and the outstanding contributions each and every one of you make every day, not even the budget challenges we face can hinder the progress we're making to provide for the protection of our personnel and the communities we serve. I am confident that the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are up to this task.

Thank you all for what you do every day to make us a law enforcement agency this county can rely on in challenging times.

I appreciate your continued support and thank you for your leadership.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens February 5, 2010

Sheriff's Department Government Relations Manager Ryan Burris was chosen by the 31 graduates of the Orange County Leadership Academy Class #12 to speak for the class before the Board of Supervisors earlier this week. Manager Burris and Research and Development Division Director Robert Beaver were the latest members of the Sheriff's Department to complete the prestigious program.   

Left to right, Undersheriff John Scott, Director Robert Beaver, Manager Ryan Burris and Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

Photos by Sheriff's Photographer Jerry Manson

Good Morning Chair Nguyen, Honorable Board Members and CEO Mauk:

I am honored to be here this morning with Wanda Florence to represent Orange County Leadership Academy Class #12.

On behalf of our entire class, I want to thank each of you, as well as our department heads, for your continued support and empowerment of the Leadership Academy.I would also like to thank Dr. Mark Maier and Lori Zucchino for their leadership, guidance and, most importantly, the passion they have for Servant Leadership.

Thirty one of us, representing 18 departments, were brought together last September to work, learn, and discover the essence of true, quantifiable leadership -- leadership that encompasses both brain and heart. We learned together that leadership was more than just checking off completed tasks.

Robert Greenleaf, the grandfather of Servant Leadership defines this type of leadership with the following questions: “Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves, to become servants?”

Here in the county we must endeavor to lead our fellow colleagues and members of the county family, while also engaging our hearts and our minds in service to the public.

I’ve been a member of the County family since January, 2003, when I joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Department – directly serving the Sheriff-Coroner.

Many of you may not know this, but we’ve been through some challenging times.

There were a few years where we were not applying the values of Servant Leadership. Our focus had shifted from doing what was best for the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department – things such as building and strengthening relationships and maintaining the invaluable trust and reputation we held in the community.

Our former Sheriff left under a dark cloud, leaving the department with the daunting task of rebuilding.

If we are to serve our colleagues, we must serve as encouragers and communicators– and we must, above all else, serve with integrity and a focus on what is best for the organization, and the county, as a whole.

The next challenge is how all of us, as a county family, are serving the residents of Orange County.

Here in this room, I’ve witnessed some great moments in servant leadership.

Just a few weeks ago, a draft of the county’s 10-year plan to end Homelessness was approved by this Board. And time after time, we have witnessed county bureaucracy and red tape come face to face with this Board.

None of us has ever heard a taxpayer say that they wish government had more bureaucracy. If anything, they wish we were more human. The Board understands this and, while the process might be slow, the end result is that there’s more heart and less red tape in county government. Earlier this morning, OCLA Class #12 presented an engraved clock and a set of books to Lori and Mark – our academy facilitators.

We felt the books were appropriate because of a passage written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the African philosophy of Ubuntu: “The person who portrays the wonderful quality of Ubuntu is friendly, hospitable, generous, gentle, caring, and compassionate. In other words, someone who will use their strengths on behalf of others – the weak and the poor and the ill – and not take advantage of anyone. People with Ubuntu are approachable and welcoming; their attitude is kindly and well disposed.”

Board of Supervisors' Chair, Janet Nguyen, led a unanimous vote honoring Sergeant William "Bill" Riddle on his retirement from the Department. He had many assignments, including patrol, custody, investigations, supervisor of the mounted unit and security for the Hall of Administration.

To view the Board resolution click:

To view the Board resolution click:PRESENTATION-01262010[1].pdf (55.65 kb)

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Lieutenant Mark Long and 16 speakers from the public joined Orange County Supervisors in discussing the funding and duties of the Harbor Patrol.

The Supervisors voted to have Harbor Patrol funding reviewed by the County's Performance Auditor.

Here is a report prepared by the Working Group on Harbor Patrol Funding and Goverance and Finance: O00109-002170E.pdf (4.35 mb)

Here is a presentation prepared by Supervisor Chris Norby: Harbor Patrol 1-12-10.pdf (1.23 mb)

Here is the presentation made by Supervisor John Moorlach: Harbor Patrol - Moorlach Modified 1.pdf (83.18 kb)

The Orange County Board of Supervisors today meets for their first of 33 scheduled public meetings for 2010. Chair Janet Nguyen will begin by presenting her State of the County address.

Items of interest for the Sheriff’s Department include the following:

Agenda item #7 – Approve actions with U.S. Marshals Service to support law enforcement operations related to Regional Fugitive Task.

Agenda item #8 – Accept donation of evidence grade refrigerator for OC Crime Lab.

Agenda item #9 – Authorize use of County resources for employee participation in meeting with Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Sunshine Foundation of Canada.

Agenda item #25 – Approve amendment 2 to price agreement with Kone Inc., for elevator maintenance and repair.

Agenda item # 34 – CEO’s report on County financial and budget status. (The presentation will be available after today's meeting)

Agenda item #35 – Oral Presentation, receive and file Analysis of Harbor Patrol Governance and Finance Issues Report.

The Board meeting begins at 0930 and can be viewed here.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to the Department  

This year the Sheriff’s Department is faced with an even greater budget deficit than last year. These financial problems are primarily the result of the national, state and regional economy and are beyond the control of the Department and county government.  

It appears that layoffs will have to take place; the numbers are subject to change, in large part dependent on our success working with various employee unions to find other ways to reduce our deficit. I am also working with a county committee to explore ways to reduce our budget problem by cutting the fewest possible services and personnel.  

Layoffs are a last resort; we take great effort to select, background, and train our employees. We are all on the same team and we work well together. It is a hardship for the Department and for me personally to lose an employee in a layoff. It will also be a hardship for the public because every one of our employees is engaged in a task that impacts the public. I realize that the greatest hardship is on the employee who loses a job.  

One of the most disheartening aspects of a layoff is that individuals are terminated through no fault of their own. They may be just as hard working as their co-workers and have a responsibility that is integral to public safety.  These selections are made because the budget constraints force us to eliminate a service that is less a part of our public safety mission than other jobs.  

The person holding that job may have job rights that allow a “bump” to another position that is not being eliminated; so a hardworking individual in a key position can find themselves laid off.     

The process we go through before laying off an employee is determined by law and union agreements.  

Before employees are notified of their potential layoff, the County must first meet and confer with the affected labor organizations.  The term “meet and confer” is not just a technical step in the process, it is a legal obligation that requires the County to discuss options in a good faith effort to find ways to mitigate the layoffs.  

Until that process is completed, it is not legally permissible for the department to contact the potentially affected employees.   

Therefore, any questions regarding your employment status or labor rights should be directed to your appropriate labor representative. 

Once an employee is notified of a layoff, the Department will schedule a seminar for the affected employee.   Topics at the seminar include unemployment benefits, medical benefits, retirement options, financial aid, training opportunities, resume’ writing assistance and aid from the Employee Assistance Program.   Employees who are laid off or reduced are placed on a County Preferred Eligible List, for a period of two years, for the class from which they were laid off or held before accepting a reduction. 

Due to the circumstances that none of us could have anticipated we are facing a budget deficit that is unprecedented in Sheriff’s Department history. Given the extraordinary times, we are doing all we can to make this process as palatable as possible.   

Sworn personnel and professional staff accomplished a lot in 2009, despite the unprecedented challenge of a budget-tightening that caused the first employee layoff in the Department in recent memory. 

Here are some of the highlights of 2009, as reported on the Department Blog:

1.       Deputies continued to make life tough for criminals; after all that is one of our core services. Here are a few examples of excellent police work: 

  This Week's Score: Deputies 2, Bank Robbers 0.

Quick Response to Home Invasion Robbery Nets 4 Suspects in San Juan Capistrano.

Motorcycle Deputy Arrests Bank Robbery Suspect.

2.       For criminals who managed a quick getaway, they then had to face top investigators and the best crime lab in the country and, for graffiti vandals, the innovative TAGRS program that won national recognition. Coroner’s investigators are now being trained on a life-like mannequin: 

Department's Crime Lab Breaks Its Record on DNA Hits in 1-Day.

DNA Lab Hits Again and Again and Again.

DNA Lab Honored by National Association of Counties.

TAGRS and DNA Case Management Programs Recognized.

TAGRS is Embraced by Costa Mesa Police Department.

Called Dummy by Some, Manny Helps Train Coroner's Investigators.   

3.       The Department is going from good to great and the process entails a few innovations.  Here are some of the biggest:

  The new S.A.F.E. Division  (later reduced to the S.A.F.E. Bureau due to budgetary constraints.)

Sheriff Hutchens Introduces Department's Mobile Field Force.

New Era, Big Savings.

Testing Starts for First Class of Correctional Services Assistants.

Classes for Department's First Correctional Services Assistants.

500 Apply in Latest Recruitment for Correctional Services Assistants. 

Class 1R Graduation Heralds a New Era of Training at Sheriff's Academy. 

4.       Heroism is part of the job in the Department.  Sometimes it comes with the training and sometimes it comes from a person who just has a lot of heart:   More...

The Orange County Board of Supervisors regular meeting was held today. There were a number of items on the agenda which impact our department.

Chair Pat Bates, Supervisor Bill Campbell, and Supervisor John Moorlach voted to adopt an Ordinance of the County of Orange regarding “Bail Bond Agent and Criminal Defense Attorney Advertising Signboards in the County Jails”. Supervisor Janet Nguyen voted in opposition of the ordinance and Supervisor Norby was absent.

The other significant item on today’s agenda was the CEO’s report on the county financial and budget status. The powerpoint presentation can be found here (or here).As noted by the CEO’s Budget Director, Frank Kim, the economy is showing mixed signals. We’re seeing many signs of improvement, but unemployment continues to rise and the State has yet to implement any long-term, fundamental fixes in the state budget.

The next meeting of the Board of Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8^th.

Next week the Orange County Board of Supervisors will meet for their thirty-fifth public meeting of the year. Over fifty agenda items will be considered, ranging from county contracts, Board appointments, adoption of new county ordinances, and a report on the county’s financial and budget status.
 
Most of what occurs during these regular public meetings never makes the news. The Sheriff’s Department typically has numerous items on each Board agenda and, in preparation for a Board meeting, various staff from impacted divisions work from Wednesday of the preceding week to the Monday before the meeting. They ensure that all agenda items are “present and accounted for” when it comes to the research and historical information necessary to satisfy the questions of the Board and, hopefully, make for smooth sailing on Tuesday.
 
The Sheriff meets regularly with members of the Board to discuss the department’s day-to-day operations, current challenges, budget and accomplishments – these meetings are in addition to any that might be necessary to prepare for a Board agenda item. Accompanying the Sheriff, depending on the topic of discussion, is the Undersheriff, Assistant Sheriffs James and Hillmann, Executive Director Rick Dostal, our Commanders and, when necessary, other members of our department.
 
We also attend regular CEO briefings, usually held on Thursday, to go over the following week’s agenda items and answer any questions the Board, their staff or the CEO’s office may have. These meetings are extremely helpful, as they give us an opportunity to understand Board perspectives and direct our efforts to alleviate any concerns or misunderstandings.

There are eight items on the Board agenda for Tuesday, November 24, 2009 that could have some impact on Sheriff’s Department operations. These items include:

Item 29 – Consider second reading and adoption of "An Ordinance of the County of Orange, California Adding Section 1-2-126 to the Codified Ordinances of the County of Orange Regarding Bail Bond Agent and Criminal Defense Attorney Advertising Signboards in the County Jails"

Item 45 – Report on County financial and budget status; and,

A closed session item: Human Resources Department - CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR - Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6:
Agency Negotiator:  Thomas G. Mauk
Employee Organization:  Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriff (AOCDS)
RE:  Terms and Conditions of Employment

Various Department personnel, including Assistant Sheriff Mike James, will attend Tuesday’s Board meeting to address questions related to our agenda items. You can watch or listen in on the Board meetings by visiting www.oc.ca.gov. In addition, you can review the agendas and pertinent documents and exhibits related to each agenda item.

Each of these meetings involves an extraordinary amount of work and, as we move forward, we want to ensure that we share the highlights (and impacts) of these Board meetings with our department personnel.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the Department faces another $65 million in budget cuts primarily due to the faltering sales tax revenues.   Assistant Sheriff Mike James gave the Board an update on the state of the Department's jails.

Click here to view the Orange County Register story on the presentations.

To view the PowerPoint presented by the Sheriff and Assistant Sheriff James click the icon below. 

To see a Department Blog story on Lieutenant Mike Mullen's achievement click here. 

To see the Certificate presented by Supervisors Chair Pat Bates click: Mullen Cert.pdf (1.55 mb)

A message from Sheriff-Corner Sandra Hutchens to Department personnel.  

On Monday, September 21st all Division Captains and Directors will submit a plan to reduce their respective budgets by 15 percent. This is a follow-up to Command Staff talks this summer on downsizing our operation and restructuring to fulfill our public safety mission in the most cost-efficient way possible. We are reinventing ourselves.

This information will be used as part of the Strategic Financial Plan for FY 2010/2011. Any information that comes out of these reports will be for the purpose of financial planning and are not being submitted as operational inevitability.

The goal of this plan is to prepare the department to meet the mandate of the Orange County Board of Supervisors; that we cut our costs in the next fiscal year by an estimated $60 million. The reductions (referred to as the C-4 cuts) will be deep and it remains to be seen the ultimate impact these cuts will have on the department and our service delivery. We will do our best to serve all of our stakeholders, the Board of Supervisors, department personnel and, most importantly, the public we serve.

One area we will evaluate is the use of "extra help" by the department. As you may have seen in recent press reports, the department has been criticized for the use of extra help employees. These employees provide special skills and fill seasonal needs at a savings to the county as an alternative to hiring new full time employees.

Board of Supervisors Chair Patricia C. Bates relaunched ReadyOC this week; a formidable tool in preparing Orange County for an emergency. Participating in the Chair's press conference was Donna Boston, the manager of the Department's Emergency Management Bureau.  

September is National Preparedness Month, a time for all to assess whether they are ready for fire or earthquakes, floods or other natural and man-made disasters.

For more information go to http://www.readyoc.org/  

Here is the information sheet released at the Preparedness press conference. 

ReadyOC Unveils Web-Based Campaign to Urge and Empower Residents

and Businesses to Prepare for Major Emergencies

Part of OC’s Largest Emergency Preparedness Initiative, ReadyOC.org Provides Readiness

Tools and Resources for Responding to Earthquakes, Wildfires, Terrorism and More

SANTA ANA, CA, Sept. 15, 2009 – ReadyOC, Orange County’s largest disaster preparedness initiative, today unveiled a new web-based campaign to educate and empower residents and businesses to prepare for and respond to emergencies using resources available at ReadyOC.org.

With nearly 80 percent of county residents reporting they are not prepared for a major emergency, ReadyOC.org provides individuals and organizations with access to the step-by-step advice and tools they need to be ready for earthquakes, wildfires, flooding, terrorism and other disaster situations. This initiative is administered jointly through the Santa Ana and Anaheim police departments as part of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), a grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The relaunch of ReadyOC.org, which debuted in November 2006, was formally announced this morning by Orange County Fifth District Supervisor and Board Chair Patricia C. Bates at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

“Preparedness is the cornerstone of emergency readiness, and what we do now will determine what our lives will be like after a major disaster,” said Bates, a long-time emergency preparedness activist and a supporter of the ReadyOC initiative. Bates also announced a proclamation recognizing September 2009 as “National Preparedness Month for the County of Orange.”

“We urge everyone in the county to actively pursue emergency preparedness by going to ReadyOC.org,” she added. “The site offers the resources you need to quickly and easily make a plan, get an emergency kit together and stay informed with real-time emergency information.”

ReadyOC.org features live breaking news, information about emergency preparedness classes, training and events, videos and downloads, access to Twitter, FaceBook and YouTube channels, emergency kit checklists, family planning tools, online games for kids, and more. The interactive site also includes links to local, regional and national emergency preparedness and response resources.

Content is provided in both English and Spanish.

About ReadyOC

ReadyOC is a public service campaign funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) aimed at educating and empowering Orange County residents, businesses and the community to better prepare for any kind of natural, health or man-made threat. Through http://www.readyoc.org/, the goal is to get local residents and businesses better prepared for a variety of emergency situations that could impact the county, and also to offer opportunities for concerned citizens to get involved with area readiness efforts. Working together, everyone can make a difference in creating awareness, motivating preparedness and encouraging involvement.

The first round of testing for the new position of Correctional Services Assistant took place on Saturday.  Sixty-seven candidates passed the written test, physical agility and background prescreening.

Photos by Staff Specialist Paige West

All of the candidates are currently employed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and are in line to be members of the Department’s first CSA Recruit Training Class #1.  Future recruitment will be opened to the public.

The Department’s goal is to have a class of fifty complete nine weeks of training and begin working in the jails in January 2010.  In the future, CSA's could make up about 35 percent of the jail staff. The program is expected to save the Department $10 million a year.

The Correctional Services Assistant will assist sworn personnel with monitoring inmate movement, maintaining order and controlling entry and exit to jail facilities.The Department continues to work with the county Human Resources Department to complete the job of making CSA's an important part of the Department’s team. More...

The Orange County Grand Jury issued it's annual State of the Jails Report in June and, while giving the Sheriff's Department high marks for their operations, made several recommendations and asked for responses from the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors.

The report said in part: "The overriding conclusion reached by the Grand Jury is that the Orange County jail system is well run and in good overall condition. The delivery of service continues to improve under new leadership and the morale of the jail staff is improving."

The Grand Jury found that the facilities are aging quickly, staff overtime remains a concern and the challenges for command and line staff are many. Still the Grand Jury said it applauds the work of the OCSD men and women and the HCA staff in operating a jail system that has no shortage of tests and challenges."

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens filed the Department's reponse on August 17 and the Board of Supervisors approved their response at today's Board Meeting.

To view the full grand jury report click here.

To view the Sheriff's response click here.

To view the response approved by the Board of Supervisors click here.

Letter from the Sheriff

Fifty years ago newly hired Deputy Sheriffs were assigned to work in the Orange County Jail for the purpose of

observing criminal behavior before working the streets on patrol. They rarely spent a full year working in the jail.

That quaint training experiment has grown into our modern day custody operations force that requires deputies to stay

in the jails for up to eight years before they have the opportunity to transfer to patrol and it costs the county millions

of dollars a year.

In the interest of both fiscal responsibility and enhancing the careers of both sworn and non-sworn members of the

department, we have opened recruitment for a new class of department employee, the Sheriff's Correctional Services

Assistant.

This recruitment has been met with a lot of interest and it showcases the fact that, despite the challenges we currently

face, our future is bright.

Thank you for your collaborative and innovative efforts to explore new ways of accomplishing our mission. The press release is below:

"In a move that's likely to save the Orange County Sheriff's Department $10 million a year, Sheriff Hutchens announced the recruitment

for the position of Sheriff's Correctional Services Assistant Trainee. The Correctional Services Assistant will assist sworn personnel with

monitoring inmate movement, maintaining order and controlling entry and exit to jail facilities."

"The Correctional Services Assistant is an extremely important addition to the Orange County Jail system. This new classification of

department personnel will not only assist us in our mandate to provide for the safety and well being of our inmates, but it will provide a

significant savings to our operating budget," said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. "Just this year we have been required to reduce our budget by

$28 million and next year we're looking at a $60 million reduction. Any savings we can obtain is of great benefit to Orange County

taxpayers."

The initial recruitment is open to current Orange County Sheriff's personnel; however, we anticipate opening this position to individuals

outside the department in the next few months.

The first class of fifty Correctional Service Assistants will attend nine weeks of training and should begin working in our jails in January

2010."

SANDRA HUTCHENS

Sheriff-Coroner

August 21, 2009

A Message on the Department Reorganization
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens 

Our Core Values:

Integrity without compromise;
Service above self;
Professionalism in the performance of duty;
Vigilance in safeguarding our community.

We all continue to feel the effects of these challenging economic times, both in our professional and personal lives.  The Fiscal Year 2009/10 budget approved by the Board of Supervisors requires our Department to cut 28 million dollars from our budget this fiscal year. Based on revenue projections, we must prepare for an additional 60 million dollar cut in fiscal year 2010/11.  When faced with these unprecedented budget cuts, I directed my Command Staff and Division Commanders to “deconstruct” their commands and look at our core functions—those functions that impact our responsibility for direct public safety services.  The decision of who would be laid off was made as a result of what functions could be eliminated and/or combined without directly impacting our core mission.  These layoffs were not based on performance; they were based on the elimination or consolidation of functions and were made solely because of our current financial situation.  

During the past few weeks, I have met with each Assistant Sheriff, Executive Director, and Captain.  The purpose of the meetings was to tell them if they were staying or if they would be laid off.  For me, this has been one of the most difficult and gut-wrenching of tasks.  As I have publically stated, given the budget cuts we have been directed to make, I felt it my duty to preserve the delivery of front-line law enforcement so that the residents of Orange County would continue to enjoy the benefit of our public safety services and not be impacted by our budget cuts.

You will see from the attached Organization Chart that the shape of the Department has been dramatically altered.    I have cut two Assistant Sheriff and five Captain positions. Assistant Sheriff Hillmann with be responsible for Field Operations and Investigative Services. Assistant Sheriff James will be responsible for Custody and Court Services.  Executive Director Dostal will continue to be responsible for Administrative Services Command. 

Of the remaining nine Captains, two will serve as Area Commanders.  The Area Commander will assist their respective Assistant Sheriff with their expanded commands.  Tim Board will serve as the Area Commander for Field Operations and Investigative Services and Jay LeFlore will serve as the Area Commander for Custody and Court Services.

Director Gialamas, in addition to his Crime Lab responsibility, will assume command of Support Services.  Undersheriff Scott will assume direct responsibility for Professional Services Division and I will assume direct responsibility for Coroner and the Crime Lab/Support Services Divisions.I view these cuts as temporary and something that we cannot sustain for more than a couple of years. I fully intend to rebuild the department when the economy improves.In addition to our Command Staff cuts, we are having to impact the lives of 30-40 of our employees either through demotion or layoffs.  This process will be completed sometime in September.

I want to personally acknowledge the tremendous contributions of our personnel who are impacted by these budget cuts.  They have all contributed to the success of this Department and are to be congratulated for their commitment and dedication. Their service and individual contribution to the success of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will not be forgotten.

Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and willingness to go the extra mile to secure the safety of all and to continue the great reputation of community service that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department so richly deserves.  Your actions serve to make me proud every day. It is an honor to be your Sheriff and to serve side by side with you.   My decisions have and will always be based on what is best for the public safety needs of Orange County and the continued success of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.  

To view the new Organization Chart click: New Org Chart.pdf (2.15 mb)

To view the old Organization Chart click: Old Org Chart.pdf (1.43 mb)

This information was originally published in the County Connections Newsletter  

Cogeneration Power On Its Way To Civic Center

operators and mechanics who have for 41 years made sure the County, city, state and federal government buildings in the Civic Center Campus had heat or cool air.

Every member of the cogen team has an average of more than 20 years experience running the large boilers and chillers in the Central Utility Facility (CUF). In the late 1990s when Southern California was experiencing electrical brown-outs, Facilities Operations’ managers reviewed the plant and concluded the County could produce its own electricity. In 2004, the County began design and construction on the conversion of the existing CUF to produce electricity through the power of cogen. Designed for electric reliability, the new County cogen plant has been constructed adjacent to the existing plant and will provide electric power to County Civic Center buildings. The CUF will operate in parallel with Southern California Edison power. In the event of a power failure from cogeneration electric production, all County buildings will immediately receive Edison power. The plant’s new cogen turbine engines operate at almost 15,000 RPM and can produce up to 10.4 megawatts of electricity.That is enough power for 8,600 homes, based upon average home use of 10,665 kilowatt hours per year.

The new cogen plant also stores natural gas compressors that condense gas to 250 pounds per square inch and drive the turbines. The turbine combustion engines, often referred to as aircraft engines, produce electricity and heat. The excess heat from the turbines is sent to the heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), which are often called boilers. The HRSG technology is similar to an old fashioned steam train. The generators produce steam to power the existing chillers that produce cold air for air conditioning in the summer and heat for warming buildings in winter.

(Over the last year, more than three miles of new piping was installed to heat County buildings and 41 miles of new electrical wire was installed for power. The project will be completed in October, when the CUF will begin to supply its own electricity to the OC Civic Center.

Below is the list of buildings that will be powered by Cogen:

Hall of Administration (Building 10) More...

The meeting begins at 0930 hrs and can be viewed at www.oc.ca.gov.

Here's the PowerPoint presentation the Sheriff will use at the meeting (Adobe required)

Dear Department Personnel:

This afternoon, prior to their final vote on the 2009-10 budget, I addressed the Board of Supervisors to again express my concerns on the recommended budget for the Sheriff-Coroner Department. We cannot absorb a $30.7 million dollar budget cut without it having an impact on public safety services.

Over the last year, we eliminated 67 vacant positions in the department and cut 150 extra help positions. We reduced overtime usage by 18 percent, cutting 6,000 hours of overtime from each two-week pay period as compared to the previous year. We eliminated hospital security for outside agency arrestees, we limited annual leave pay-downs, ended gunshot residue testing, reduced helicopter flight time, and we closed 360 jail beds at the James A. Musick Facility.

We’ve also deferred equipment purchases, reduced the utilization of take-home vehicles, and deferred capital projects. Unfortunately, these reductions do not close the budget gap we’re facing. This is why I asked the board for $7 million to fund us for the next six months, while we continue to move forward with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a deal to house their detainees.

The board voted unanimously for the budget that the CEO’s office recommended, which means that we must begin the process of laying off and/or eliminating a total of 30-50 positions. I shared with the board that I do not have the option of not staffing a jail or a patrol car so we would have to look at investigators, dispatchers, Forensic Scientists and crime lab services. These positions have a direct impact on our contract cities, our unincorporated communities, and the entire county.

Each member of this department is important to us and integral to our operation and we will do our best to find positions for those affected as we move forward to ensure we are working within the limitations of our budget.

Sincerely,

Sandra Hutchens
Sheriff-Coroner

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens will have a statement for the Department later today on the action by the Board of Supervisors.

Sheriff to lay off up to 50 employees

une 23rd, 2009, 1:37 pm

posted by Jennifer Muir

Despite last minute pleas from Sheriff Sandra Hutchens that proposed budget cuts could cripple the quality of law enforcement, county supervisors reaffirmed their decision to shrink her department’s budget by $28 million today.

Up to 50 sheriff’s department employees will be laid off  from across the department because of the cuts, Hutchens said. At least one floor of the Women’s Central Jail will be shuttered, response times will increase and investigations will move along at a slower clip, Hutchens said.

“I can not absorb $30 million in cuts without the public feeling this,” she said.

Supervisors heard from the sheriff one final time before adopting the final budget for next year — a spending plan that’s $1.2 billion smaller than this year as a staggering economy continues to slam tax revenues. The county’s general fund budget now hovers at $700 million, after supervisors shaved some $55 million from services — the majority coming from public safety.

Hutchens asked supervisors today for about $7 million to keep her department afloat for six months while she negotiates a deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house federal detainees, which she believes could bring in up to $18 million a year. And she was hoping to avoid layoffs and deeper program cuts until that money starts flowing in.

Supervisors acknowledged the sheriff presented a “compelling argument,” they weren’t willing to gamble that the ICE deal would come to fruition.

“When you have something firm, come back,” Supervisor Bill Campbell told the sheriff.

Check back with ocregister.com  for a full budget story.