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. 

Financial/Administrative Services Director Jane Reyes discussed the Department's budget challenges with KUCI's Mari Frank.

To hear the inteview click the icon 

Earlier this week Board of Supervisors Chair Pat Bates wrote a commentary piece in the Orange County Register saying that the county budget crisis will force massive cuts in the Sheriff's Department.  Sheriff Sandra Hutches wrote a reply, published today in the Orange County Register's Opinon section, spelling out the measures the Department has taken to reduce costs and a plan for bringing federal revenue to the county to help keep public safety services at the level needed in Orange County.

Here is the rebuttal as it was published.

Reader Rebuttal: county budget
Reader Rebuttal to Chairwoman Pat Bates' column, "Delaying pain would hurt
more," Orange Grove, June 16, 2009
By SANDRA HUTCHENS
Orange County sheriff


The Orange County Board of Supervisors has taken many fiscally prudent steps
to address the growing budget challenges we have faced over the last year. I
commend them for their leadership. I would like to share some of what the
Sheriff's Department has done to address our budget shortfalls because,
while we still face a deficit, I am proud to say that we are poised to
finish this fiscal year about $20 million under budget.

Chairwoman Pat Bates' column in the Register ["Delaying pain would hurt
more," Orange Grove, June 16]states, "The Sheriff's Department is faced with
making $45 million in reductions." Our actual reductions add up to about $53
million when you include the $7.4 million in cuts that we are making and not
asking the county to restore. These cuts included eliminating hospital
security for outside agencies' arrestees, reducing maintenance of our
facilities, deferring equipment purchases, reduced helicopter flight time
and a reduction of 38 positions.

While we appreciate the board's restoration of $25 million, a number of
options have been suggested to close the $20 million gap that remains,
including eliminating vacant positions, reducing administrative nonsworn
staff, managing overtime, reducing vehicles and reducing overhead for our
contract cities - all of which we are already implementing.

Over the past year, we eliminated 67 vacant positions and cut 150 extra help
positions. We reduced overtime by 18 percent, cutting 6,000 hours of
overtime from each two-week pay period as compared with the previous year.
Additionally, we have closed 360 jail beds at the James A. Musick Facility
and, as we introduce the correctional services assistant (a civilian
classification) into our jails, we will further reduce the cost of managing
our jails.

The use of professional (nonsworn) staff is essential to our operation and
in most instances contributes a substantial cost saving when compared to
staffing the same position with a uniformed deputy. When you dial 911, your
call is answered by a nonsworn employee. The dispatcher who sends a deputy
to your aid is also nonsworn. Nonsworn personnel respond to crime scenes to
gather evidence, they staff the crime lab and the coroner's office, and they
analyze crime reports and manage the offices so our sworn personnel can be
out in our communities.

Administrative management represents 1.7 percent of our workforce. With the
addition of law enforcement management (captains and lieutenants) it's 3.5
percent - still lower than other county agencies.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that we utilize a variety of
volunteers to augment the great work of our deputies and civilian personnel.
Last year, our reserve deputies and professional service responders
performed work that would have cost the county $7 million.

I have proposed to the board that we take advantage of a recent decline in
our inmate population to enter into an agreement with Immigration and
Customs Enforcement to house ICE detainees for a fee. Revenue generated
would help us avoid significant cuts to our core services. On Tuesday, I
plan to again ask the Board to reconsider my request for $7 million to see
us through finalization of our agreement with ICE. As sheriff, it is my duty
to maintain public safety, and we cannot absorb cuts of this magnitude
without a significant impact on the superior quality of life we enjoy in
Orange County.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens pleaded with County Supervisors to provide $7.2 million in funding to stave off drastic public safety cuts while the Department secures a $20 million contract to house federal inmates.  The federal contract revenue would allow the Department to maintain public safety services basically at current levels.

Supervisors balked at the plan saying that it was too risky for them to support. 

Sheriff Hutchens answered that the alternative is forcing her to impose "draconian" cuts on public safety. Cuts will result in the closing of the Women's Jail, portions of the Musick Facility and reduction in investigations and patrol services. Sheriff Hutchens is attempting to obtain a sufficent federal commitment before the Supervisors take their formal vote on June 23. She will ask them again to reconsider the public safety cuts.  

The Orange County Register story on the hearing said this of the Sheriff's remark:

Hutchens says residents across the county, even in cities that have their own police departments, will feel the impact of the cuts. The department offers countywide services that could be affected, such as jails, crime scene services, air support and response to major traffic accidents.

"I view the cuts we may have to make today as pretty draconian," Hutchens said after the hearing. "The public will feel the impact."

She also told the Register:

If the cuts supervisors approved today remain, women's central jail could be closed and employees from across the department, from investigators to 9-1-1 dispatchers, could be laid off, she said.

"Everything is on the table," she said.

Here is the Register story:

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

County to slash public safety budgets by $50 million
Sheriff's department takes the biggest hit at nearly $28 million
By JENNIFER MUIR
The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA Despite warnings that slashing the sheriff's department could cripple jails, increase response times and impact investigations, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appeared poised to cut nearly $28 million from the Orange County Sheriff's Department budget.

It's the largest cut to services that supervisors are expected to make in the next two days as they consider how to carve more than $1 billion from next year's spending plan.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said the department may soon get some financial relief in the form of a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house federal immigration detainees. The sheriff asked for $7.3 million to stave off jail layoffs for six months – allowing time for the federal contract to take effect.

But supervisors weren't comfortable gambling that an agreement could be reached.

"That means we have to make a decision based on a 'maybe'?" Supervisor John Moorlach asked. "I'm not comfortable voting on something that may happen. I may feel more comfortable voting on something once it does happen."

To view the full story click here:

To view the Los Angeles Times story click here:

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a hearing for tomorrow on the Sheriff's Department budget.  These are tough times for the county and the Orange County Register had a story over the weekend to preview the hearings.

Should the Board of Supervisors vote to reduce services provided by the the Sheriff's Department, the Department will attempt to maximize county savings by shifting those personnel now providing the cut services to other positions where they can reduce the Department's overtime costs.   

Friday, June 5, 2009

County may cut $50 million for safety, 150 sheriff's jobs
Supervisors will consider how to slash more than from the county budget. Public safety is a target.
By JENNIFER MUIR
The Orange County Register

County executives are recommending that supervisors slash more than $50 million from next year's public safety budget – including more than 150 Sheriff's Department jobs – to bring the county's spending in line with plummeting revenue.

That's part of a $5.5 billion budget proposal that county supervisors will consider – and likely change – during two days of marathon hearings that begin Tuesday.

With tax revenues slammed by a staggering economy, county staff recommends shrinking the budget by $1.2 billion. While the majority of those savings would come from changes that most residents might not notice, such as canceling capital improvement projects and changes to how the county manages its cash flow, the biggest service cuts recommended by the CEO are aimed at public safety.

Everything from jail guards to sheriffs and district attorney investigators to 9-1-1 dispatchers is on the chopping block. A youth camp for young offenders could be closed and jails could be crippled.

The Sheriff's department faces the deepest cutbacks, at $27 million, followed by the district attorney at $10.6 million. Probation is looking at a $4.9 million reduction and the public defender would lose $1.5 million.

To see the full story click here:

The Orange County Register covered today's Orange  County Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony with a news story, a display of pictures and links to lots of interesting information. To see the coverage click here. 

Among those who attended the candlelight vigil and the Orange County Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony were survivors of Orange County Sheriff's Department Sergeant Matthew R. Davis, who on September 20, 2002 became the eighth and most recent member of Orange County Sheriff's Department to be killed in the line of duty.

His parents wrote a letter to their son and they shared it with Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and consented to it being published here.

Dear Dear Matt,We are back again to not only honor you but all your fellow officers who gave their life like you did. 

This is our 6th year coming back since the 1st time we honored you on this wall.  Each time we come our hearts break just like the 1st time. 

Son we miss you with all our hearts.  We know God is taking good care of you. 

Love You Forever,

Dad & Mom

Below is a recent etching of Sergeant Davis' name taken from the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Orange County Register today reported on the OIR report on complaints about Department security and communications at Board of Supervisors meetings.  

Monday, May 11, 2009

Report: Sheriff's Department handled misdeeds appropriately
Office of Independent Review issues report backing up sheriff's handling of problems.
By NORBERTO SANTANA JR.
The Orange County Register

The county's Office of Independent Review, which monitors internal investigations within the Sheriff's Department, concluded that Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and her staff appropriately handled misdeeds rising from a series of controversial public hearings on gun permits.

During one hearing in November 2008, sheriff's command staff exchanged disparaging text messages about county supervisors and gun activists. At another hearing in January 2009, a sheriff's investigator used a surveillance camera to view county supervisors' notes. Critics also accused the sheriff of being overly aggressive with the heavy security presence at the meeting.

To read the full story click here.

The first activity summary of the Orange County Office of Independent Review will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.  OIR Executive Director Stephen Connolly was appointed in September 2008. 

The OIR will also present a report on their review of complaints about security measures at the January 13, 2009 Board of Supervisors meeting. To see that report click: O00309-000839E.pdf (655.86 kb)

His activity report said that since he took the job he has established a protocol for reviewing the Orange County Sheriff's Department's disciplinary procedures.

"My role is to promote the proper level of investigation and responses to all cases by consulting with the Department from an informed and independent outside perspective," he said in his written report to the Board.

He has already reviewed close to 300 cases, ranging from "low-level discourtesy complaints to criminal misconduct resulting in discharge. They include allegations of excessive force, false reporting, obstruction of justice, domestic violence, racial profiling, improper detention, insubordination, failure to supervise, and various forms of harassment or mistreatment of inmates."

Director Connolly said, "While I have been impressed with the quality of most investigations-particularly the more serious ones-I have also had occasion to question the adequacy of the Department's investigative work in individual matters, and have been able to request further information-gathering and analysis.  My opportunity to discuss potential outcomes and to make recommendations has also resulted in adjustments to the Department's initial findings and determinations. I have also worked with the Department to suggest interventions outside the discipline process (counseling, training, briefing bulletins) as warranted by the circumstances of the case, and in an effort to promote a more holistic response by the Department."

To view the full report click: O00309-000839E.pdf (655.86 kb)

The Orange County Board of Supervisors today ratified and extended for 14 days the April 30, 2009 proclamation by the Chair of the Board, declaring a local emergency resulting from Swine Flu. The Orange County Health Care Agency will provide updates allowing the Board to determine any continuing need for emergency action on May 19, 2009 and every 14 days thereafter. 

Supporting the Health Care Agency is the Department's Emergency Management Bureau. 

Bureau Manager Donna Boston said the Department's role is to focus on information-sharing with Operational Area partners, made up of 114 government entities and jurisdictions in the county. 

Emergency Management staff has been working diligently on resource support and coordination, including the dissemination of the Strategic National Stockpile of pharmaceuticals and support medications.

Emergency Management staff is on conference calls daily with the California Emergency Management Agency, the Health Care Agency, and the Orange County Emergency Management Organization to ensure that situation updates, health guidance, and situation forecasts are shared with all agencies involved in preserving public health and safety.

Emergency Management is using the WebEOC software to enhance information-sharing with jurisdictions.

There have been numerous releases of information on the Swine Flu emergency. 

To see the latest Center for Disease Control Fact Sheet click: CDC FACT SHEET.pdf (54.89 kb)

Recent information from the Orange County Health Care Agency click: For HRL PHNs - Screening Testing Directive 5-4-09.pdf (27.06 kb)

Advice on publicized precautions click: Face Masks Tamiflu.pdf (63.05 kb)

Health Care Agency Update click: HCA Influenza A _H1N1_ Update #7 5 04 09b.pdf (19.24 kb)

California Department of Public Health health alert click: Health Alert 050409-health alert.pdf (633.64 kb)

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Assistant Sheriff Mike James briefed the Board of Supervisors on April 7 about the state of the Department Jails.

To view the video see below:

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 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.