A message from Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to the Sheriff's Department 

In the pursuit of excellence in public safety, there is one question we must continue to ask ourselves: "Are we doing enough?"

The arrest of convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner, who is suspected in the murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King in San Diego, not only had us asking if we're doing enough to protect our residents, but many in our communities are asking the same question.

This week, the Executive Command staff received a briefing on our Department's efforts to track convicted sex offenders.

The Sex Offender Notification and Registration (SONAR) is staffed by two Investigators and an Office Specialist. In 2009, the SONAR team performed 557 compliance and prevention checks, assisted with 107 probation/parole searches, and made 82 arrests.

Compliance and prevention checks are performed through residence and workplace visits, neighborhood and family checks, covert surveillance and working with personnel from Probation and Parole. SONAR investigators spend approximately 80 percent of their time working in our communities.

The 82 arrests in 2009 are a direct result of the extraordinary work of our SONAR Investigators and the civilian Office Specialist. The Office Specialist is charged with building a package of investigative material to support the re-arrest of a convicted sex offender who has not complied with the Sex Registrant requirements.

Are we doing enough? Today, there are 446 registrants within the Sheriff's jurisdiction, while our SONAR unit consists of three dedicated Sheriff's personnel. There is no doubt we're doing everything we can, given the budget constraints and California Penal Code restrictions we must work with.

We will continue to monitor sex offenders living in our communities. At the same time we will add our voice to those in Sacramento who are asking if they are doing enough to keep our communities safe from violent predators.

SANDRA HUTCHENS

Sheriff-Coroner

Orange County CEO Thomas Mauk ended his most recent message in the County Connection, the county government newsletter, with kudos to Sheriff's managers who recently accepted positions of higher responsibility without higher pay: 

This recession, though, is not over. It’s beginning to reach bottom and perhaps stabilize, but we have a ways to go. So please bear with us. As I read about the County of Los Angeles eliminating 4,000 jobs and the Boeing Corporation laying of 10,000 employees, I am at least grateful that the County of Orange employee population is not even more dramatically affected. We must say to ourselves what Sheriff Hutchens said to 14 of her Managers two weeks ago, which basically was (paraphrasing) “you are being asked to do more work with no increase in pay, but with a corresponding increase in responsibility”; and the men and women involved said “Yes”.

And, so must the rest of us. We will need to continue to reduce expenses and increase responsibilities.

I know Orange County employees and they (we) are up to the task!

There will be more to follow in the weeks ahead – Hang in there everybody – and support your fellow

employees.

Thomas G. Mauk

County Executive Officer

To View the full Newsletter message click: mar10b.pdf (242.68 kb)

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.

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 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]

Will Federal Detainees be transferred to Orange County from other locations?

ICE has a severe shortage of housing for immigration detainees, and needs bed space.  The shortage of available housing is critical in Orange County.  Currently some Orange County ICE detainees are being housed as far away as Arizona and New Mexico.  Our contract will allow ICE to house Orange County detainees locally.  If this need is met and vacant bed space remains available, ICE may house additional detainees from outside of Orange County. 

Additionally, there are a number of 72-hour temporary detention facilities throughout Southern California who contract with ICE.  ICE has stated we will receive detainees who require longer term housing from these facilities.

Will the County incur any additional costs?

No, all associated costs of the contract will be paid by the federal government.  Additionally, many of the costs of staffing and building upkeep that we currently pay out of the Orange County Budget will be transferred to the Federal Government, resulting in a significant savings.

Housing the ICE detainees in the Orange County jail system will prevent the closure of more jail facilities and will help avoid significant cuts to core services in the Sheriff-Coroner Department.

No, the Orange County Sheriff's Department will be responsible for the care and custody of the detainees in accordance with the National Detention Standards. 

Detainee health care will be provided by the Health Care Agency/Institutional Health Services medical staff while detainees housed within the Orange County jail system.

ICE personnel will handle the "administrative" component of the detention.

We are seeking a 5 year contract with the option of a rate/contract adjustment annually. Both parties will have a 120 day "opt out" option. 

The bed-rate can be reopened annually to accommodate changes in the costs of housing the detainees.

According to County Risk Management we should not incur any additional liability.  The Federal Government determines the need for the detention of the alien.

The liability exposure for detention conditions will not differ from our current level with regards to inmate incarceration.  

To hear the broadcast of the interview with Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, which aired on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 8 a.m., click here. On that page click the icon that looks like the one above.

Assistant Sheriff Michael Hillmann

Assistant Sheriff Mike Hillmann looks back on his 17 months of service with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and sums up his feelings in one word: “bittersweet.”

He knew when he joined the Department, after 42 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, that his role in Orange County was transitional.

Except for circumstances, he would have wanted to stay a while longer.  He has made many friends and he has work unfinished.

On the positive side he feels that his leaving now is a symbol of what his law enforcement career has been about: personal sacrifice to help safeguard public safety and aid fellow law enforcement professionals.  He is being laid off by Sheriff Hutchens for financial reasons, to avoid the demotion of four Investigators and the layoffs of several 911 operators.

His accomplishments over the last 17 months are considerable. There remains much to do but Assistant Sheriff Hillmann said he is confident the organization he leaves behind is up to the task. 

He came to the Department with credentials that Sheriff Hutchens said were unmatched anywhere in law enforcement.

“Any Department in the country would benefit from his contributions, including the one he left in Los Angeles,” she said.

“I’m honored that Assistant Sheriff Hillmann agreed to come to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department with his experience and background and assistance during the transition,” Sheriff Hutchens said. “His contributions will be part of the Department far into the future.”

While an Deputy Chief with LAPD, he served on regional Homeland Security committees with Sheriff Hutchens, while she was Chief of Homeland Security for the Los Angeles Sheriff.

One of his first tasks with the Orange  County Sheriff’s Department was to reorganize elements of the Department to meet current Homeland Security needs.

He took existing resources, such as Harbor Patrol, SWAT, Air Support, K-9, the Hazardous Devices Section, the Emergency Preparedness Bureau, Mass Transportation Bureau, Counter-Terrorism Bureau and Emergency Preparedness and created the Homeland Security Division.     

Other changes he implemented included the 1-866-TIP OCSD telephone line for anonymous reports of suspicious activity.

For the first time ever, units of the Department turned out for formal inspection to greet the incoming Sheriff. It was more than ceremonial; it gave the Sheriff and her Command Staff an opportunity to meet each Department member face to face. [more]

Some changes he shepherded were administrative but with the purpose of addressing Risk Management issues. One of the first was implementing Command Staff review of all K-9 Bite Reports.

As Chief of Field Operations, he took charge of the OCSD part in the state-wide “Golden Guardian” earthquake exercise – implemented and trained personnel in establishing a “Department Operations Center concept for assembling and coordinating Department and allied agencies resources for Mutual Aid.  Within a week of the drill, the county Emergency Operations Center was activated in response to the Freeway Complex Fire, which destroyed hundreds of homes before being brought under control.   The role of OCSD was to coordinate law enforcement mutual aid by outside agencies.

Assistant Sheriff Hillmann personally conducted an aerial assessment of Orange County infrastructure for potential problems during natural disasters.  He also assisted with Airborne Command/Control and fire fighting during the Freeway Complex Fires.

Chief Hillmann also took an interest in world-wide law enforcement affairs, arranging to have Department personnel briefed on the lessons of Mumbai, India, Fort Hood, Texas and the shooting of four police officers in Washington State. 

When Field activity and training was not taking up his time, Assistant Sheriff Hillman updated both the Operational Area and the County Emergency Operations Plans, covering all phases of emergency management, including response operations in the Emergency Operations Center.  Both plans required National Incident Management System integration.

And then, he completed and implemented OCSD Mobile Field Force (MFF) Policy.  Training of Department personnel led to the establishment of 860 members of the Department being qualified to participate in Mobile Field Force activities.

In 2008, he participated with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department,  Las Vegas Metro and the Los Angeles Police Department to develop the “Multi-Assault  Counter Terrorist Actions Capabilities (MACTAC).

Last year Assistant Sheriff Hillmann presented the MACTAC Concept, managing multiple simultaneous terrorist attacks,  to the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Major Cities Chiefs Association.

In the field of Emergency Management Assistant Sheriff Hillmann took a leading role. He coordinated the update of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Emergency Operations Plan for Orange County and arranged to bring the lessons of Hurricane Ike, in Houston, Texas  to Orange County public safety organizations.  He did the same for the 2008 Metrolink Train Crash in Chatsworth.

When Los Angeles called on Orange County for mutual aid, to prepare for the Michael Jackson funeral and the Station Fire, Assistant Sheriff Hillmann again took the lead. Never one to waste an opportunity, he debriefed the lessons of the Michael Jackson Funeral, special event traffic management, planning/preparation, dignitary protection and crowd management.

In October 2009, he reorganized Field Operations and consolidated Investigative Services into one command – currently 1050 sworn personnel.

He also reorganized OCCSA Law Enforcement, Mutual Aid Protocols #102 and #122. The reorganization included modeling the Operational Area into five (5) Geographical Areas and assigned law enforcement coordinators.

Assistant Sheriff Hillmann also re-instituted Field Interview Card (FI) system within Field Operations Command.

He mentored many Department members of all ranks and positions.

Like all members of the Department, he has had to deal with the fiscal crisis, managing attrition and layoffs.

Chief Hillmann sums up his tenure, saying only that his intent was to provide focused leadership and well defined expectations of Field Operations & Investigative Services Command.

Lieutenant Mark Long was interviewed about Marine Operations by Mari Frank on KUCI.

Lt. Mark Long 

To listen to the interviews click the icons below.

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Correctional Services Assistant Mercedes Barron monitored the panel controlling the doors which secure all the inmates in the Mod.

“I’ve been learning to handle the controls, this Mod is a little harder,” she said. The Mod she trained in earlier had been all “white banders” or general population inmates.  The Mod she worked the morning of the interview had a range of inmate security levels.

The inmates were going to medical call and to classes and court.  Each time an inmate was moved, CSA Barron had to open three doors. 

First she opened the door to release the inmate from her cell.

Next she opened the dayroom door, allowing access to the area outside the dayroom which is commonly called “The Beach.”

Finally the door was opened to the corridor between the Beach and the Recreation area was opened. The corridor leads away from the Mod.

A Deputy waited in the corridor to escort the inmate to a medical visit.  

Each step of the way, CSA Barron had to know exactly who was going to have access to the inmate.

“Pop out the wrong one and there could be trouble,” CSA Barron remarked.

CSA Barron was a member of CSA Class #1, part of an initiative undertaken by Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to use non-sworn CSA's to staff about 35 percent of the positions in the jails.  The plan is to reduce the number of years Deputies must serve in the jails before being eligible for patrol duty, saving the county as much as $10 million a year.

Facility Training Deputy Maria Bowman has been watching CSA Barron carefully and is confident she knows her job well enough to meet the standards of excellence demanded at the Intake Release Center.

CSA Barron is one of 23 CSA’s who complete their Facility Training this week. They begin work as full members of the IRC security team beginning next week.

“It’s a big responsibility but she’s ready,” said Deputy Bowman. [more]

She said the first class of CSA’s have been widely accepted by the jail staff, in part because they had all previously worked for the Sheriff’s Department.

CSA Barron had been a Data Tech for the Fraud Investigation Unit.  Ironically, she encountered one of the inmates she had helped to build a case against. Before she worked for Investigations, CSA Barron had been a Department Explorer.

CSA’s do not have contact with the inmates. In the Mods, the CSA's work exclusively in the security booths, freeing Deputies to have more contact with the inmates.

In addition to opening security doors, CSA Barron answers the phone and maintains the Mod log. The routine fluctuates from all quiet to everything happening at once.

“We didn’t realize how much we do here before the CSA’s arrived and took on some of our burden,” said Deputy Jennifer Mc Clain, who has worked with several of the new CSA’s.

“Getting Deputies out to have more face to face contact with the inmates helps everybody,” said Deputy Bowman.

“The more they see us, the less they know they can get away with,” she reasoned.

When inmates leave the Mod, they must pass through Housing. CSA Son Tran was on the job there.

Before joining the CSA program, CSA Tran was a Correction Services Technician at the James A. Musick Facility.  He worked there along with Deputy Don Ploghaus.  Deputy Ploghaus was helping train Tran in the Housing booth.

Deputies were constantly entering and leaving the Housing area, sometimes with a single inmate and sometimes with a line of inmates.

CSA Tran had to keep track of each contingent, where they were coming from and where they were going.

“This group has done well,” said Deputy Ploghaus of the CSA's. “They all had experience with the Department before and it shows.  There was some skepticism on how they would do once they came in the jails but this group has done better than I expected.”

CSA Tran is happy with moving up to be a CSA.

“It is a lot more challenging that it was as a CST,” CSA Tran said. “We learn a lot about security.”  He said that he has had to learn about inmate classification as well as how to control inmates, answer phones and complete logs.

“I have to be able to answer phones and keep an eye out for the Deputies,” he said. A major part of their job is watching Deputies in direct contact with inmates and calling for backup if it is needed.

“I have to deal with life and death in here,” said CSA Tran.

“We always need an extra set of eyes,” said Deputy Ploghaus.

CSA Kindra Mello had been an Investigative Assistant in the Professional Standards Bureau.

Deputy Isaiah Hicks said that the challenge with the CSA's is to teach them many of the duties performed by Deputies without having the experience of Deputies.

“You have to think like a Deputy but they don’t have the face to face contact with inmates that the Deputies have,” Deputy Hicks said.

CSA Mello said that she has been getting used to serving a different clientele, inmates instead of members of the public applying for jobs with the Department.

“They’re still my clients,” she said of the inmates. “Without them, I’d have no job.”

She had never been in jail before becoming a CSA but has learned to adapt.

“You have to keep on your toes,” she said. “You don’t realize how much multi-tasking is involved.”

Deputy Stacy Camarena said she has been impressed by the program and the caliber of CSA’s.

“It frees us up so we are out in the Mod, we can be closer to the inmates and know what they are up to,” said Deputy Camarena.

 “This helps the Deputies,” said CSA Mello. “What we’ve done is take the Deputies out of the lockdown position.”

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

The Orange County Register went along with Deputies on a warrant sweep last week. Here is the report.

Furloughs help deputies find wanted

SANTA ANA The boy lived in a 4-by-6-foot shed in the back yard.

He had been living there since Thanksgiving, with a portable heater and a television to keep him company. His mom stashed him there while she kept up appearances, living with her on-again, off-again boyfriend in a garage.

Photo courtesy of LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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.   

Correctional Services Assistant Class 1 graduated last night. Here is a peek at the kind of training this new classification of staffers  endured over nine weeks and what some of their instructors think of their readiness.   The 23 graduates will begin working in the jails in January, under the direction of Facility Training Officers for the first six weeks.  They are the first, but plans are for CSA's to eventually make up about 35 percent of the jail staff at a savings estimated at $10 million a year.

The formation of four ranks of trainees, wearing the new brown uniform, was straight, but not quite straight enough for Deputy JJ Langhorne and Sheriff’s Special Officer Veronica Equihua.

“Dress right,” comes the order from SSO Equihua.

The trainees place one arm out straight, hand on the shoulder of the next trainee, eyes fixed 180 degrees in the other direction.  They move just enough to straighten ranks. 

“Attention.”

Deputy Langhorne and SSO Equihua shout out questions to the Correcitional Services Assistant trainees, the words barely audible over the noise of gunshots fired in the adjacent small arms range.

The questions vary in subject, from the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department chain of command, to radio codes, the California Penal Code, contract partners of the Department and Arrest Control Techniques.

Any deviation from the perfect answer is met with criticism doled out in a loud voice, up close and personal. 

Less than perfect brings a command to drop to the ground for pushups.

Following the questioning, the ranks are re-formed and the personnel inspection begins.

Responses are called out loud and salutes must be regulation before they are returned. Pushups are ordered for those who have not met the standards for haircuts, shined shoes or equipment. [more]

These recruits do not seem as quick in their responses as the graduating classes of Deputies and SSO’s and there is a good reason for that. These trainees undergo just nine weeks of training.  SSOs train for 16 weeks and Deputies for 26.

Deputies, who the CSA’s will assist in the jails, spend much of their time training for patrol.  The CSA’s receive the same Custody Service Training as the Deputies and the SSO’s who are assigned to work in the jails.

The stress element is less for the CSA’s.  Deputies often stand their inspections with as many as ten Tactical Officers listening to their responses, checking their gear and participating in class inspections. For the CSA’s there are just two Tactical Officers, Deputy Langhorne and SSO Equihua.

Deputy Langhorne, who served in  the Marines as one of the Corps’ legendary Drill Instructors before joining the Department, said the CSA’s are having it far from easy.

“It’s no walk in the park,” he said. “Deputies who have watched an inspection of the CSA’s have remarked that they are going through some very tough training. They’ve done pretty well.”

Deputy Langhorne teaches Arrest Control Techniques in the Basic Academy and he has taught them to his satisfaction to the CSA’s.

The class itself is very different from the typical Basic Academy Class.  It started with 38 trainees ranging in age from 19 to 61.

There were 23 at graduation. All worked for the Department before they joined the CSA class and many are related to Deputies. For example, one class member is the mother of one Deputy and the sister of another. Another CSA is the son of an Investigator.

Deputy Langhorne said that prior experience working in the Department will help the CSAs assimilate into the jail work routine. Their previous jobs included cook, records, Correctional Services Technicians, commissary warehouse workers, evidence clerks and investigative assistants.

A few joined the class because their previous jobs had been eliminated in last year’s layoffs.

“I think they’ll transition pretty well,” Deputy Langhorne said.

Following the inspection, the class had a test that included spelling, radio codes and the phonetic alphabet.

Then there was marching, practice for their graduation and reciting the Class Cadence that announces their arrival as they march to the graduation hall.

The class wrote their Cadence, as do Deputy and SSO classes.

CSA Class 1’s Cadence goes like this:

CLASS ONE, MARCHING BY,

LOOKING GOOD, FEELING FINE,

UNIFORMS PRESSED, BOOTS SHINED,

WEARING BROWN FOR THE FIRST TIME,

STANDING TALL, WORKING HARD,

TO EARN RESPECT FROM OUR PEERS,

COMING THROUGH WITH HONOR AND PRIDE,

CUFFS AND SPRAY ON OUR SIDE,

PAVING A ROAD, THAT NO ONE KNOWS,

LEADING THE PACK, WE GOT YOUR BACK,

IN SUPPORT WE CHANT AND SHOUT,

WE ARE A TEAM, DO NOT DOUBT,

one trainee: HIGHLY

class: MOTIVATED

one trainee: ALWAYS

class: DEDICATED

THROUGH THE BLOOD, THROUGH THE PAIN,

BRINGING THUNDER, WHEN IT RAINS,

WE WORKED HARD, TO GET THIS FAR,

NINE WEEKS LONG, TWENTY-THREE STRONG

HERE WE ARE, WEARING THE STAR,

Following the drill around the parking lots of the Katella Training Facility, the CSA trainees take a break and for a few minutes they talk about what inspired them to join the class.

Career enhancement is a major reason.

Many were intrigued by the opportunity to be the first at something important.  They believe CSA’s will become an integral part of the Department

Many worked in the jails and have seen the inmates through glass or close up on clothing exchange lines and others have worked with them directly as CST's.

 Some see a challenging time ahead by joining the jail staff.  After graduation, they will work under Field Training Deputies until fully qualified to work on their own.

Some said they hope their inclusion in the jail staff will enable Deputies to move up to Patrol work to get on their ultimate career track more expeditiously.

After lunch, CSA Class 1 went to Less Lethal weapons training. They do not learn how to use the weapons, such as Tasers and pepperball guns, but do become acquainted with how the weapons operate and how they are used.  They handle the weapons and watch them in use. Even a grenade that blasts rubber pellets over a 50 foot diameter is exploded for the class.

If a Deputy were to be assaulted in the jail and lose control of a Less Lethal weapon, the CSA would be expected to ensure that it was secured until the Deputy was able to take possession of it. To secure it safely, the CSA’s must know how the Less Lethal weapons work.

Retired Deputy Jim Card conducts the training. He served with the Department for 27 years and spent 22 years with SWAT and served as a Tactical Officer at the Academy.

“I take my hat off to you,” he said to CSA Class 1. “You are the first class. You may not be accepted universally but you do a good job. You have worked hard to get here. Be proud of who you are.”

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]

Sheriff's Explorer Saves Woman from Burning Building.

Baby Boy Born in the Central Women’s Jail. 

Department Honors 42 for Valor, Courage, Lifesaving and Meritorious Action.

Air and Ground Efforts Coordinated to Rescue Man Lost in Remote Canyon.  

5.         The County Budget crisis, coupled with an unexpected decline in the inmate population, caused some major cutbacks and changes:

 Supervisors Take Straw Vote to Impose "Draconian" Cuts in Public Safety Services.

Sheriff Hutchens Seeks Support to Cushion Public Safety Cuts.

Tents Housing Inmates are Vacated in Economy Move.

Sheriff Hutchens to the Department: Women's Jail Must Be Closed.

6.       One Division in the Department celebrated three quarters of a century of serving the public:

Presentations at Commemoration of 75th Anniversary of Communications and Technology Division.

Orange County Communications Turns 75.

7.       And new forms of communication were begun in 2009:

Sheriff Hutchens Answers Questions in Online Town Hall with Orange County Register.  

8.       For some Department members it was a year when they received national recognition for their athletic achievements:

SSO Tanya Reed Sets Three World Power Lifting Records.

Deputy Shane Ellis.

9.       The Department claimed national attention, too:

Sheriff's Department Helped Protect President Obama, Town Hall Participants.

10.    And we all took a moment to recall those we lost:

Mission To Honor Fallen Oakland Police Officers Accomplished.

Sheriff Hutchens Orders Black Bands Worn to Honor Two Fallen Firefighters.

Orange County Sheriff's Detail Will Honor Four Fallen Officers.

11.   The Jails continued to impress all of those who inspected:

Grand Jury Finds OC Jails are Well Run and in Good Overall Condition.

Statistics Show OC Jail Death Rate Lowest of 30 Largest Jurisdictions.

Chinese Delegation Tours IRC. 

12.   For pure fun, who can beat this episode, which drew international press attention:

 Ahoy: Where'd You Learn to Steer a Fireboat?  

It was also a year that saw a Swine Flu Pandemic cause a quarantine in the jail (Swine Flu Quarantine at Men's Central Jail Lifted after Six Days) and cause the death of Reserve Sergeant Kendall M. Sanders Jr., Helped Those in Need.  

Some of the honors for 2009 included:

Deputy Lance Christensen is California's School Resource Officer of the Year and the Board of Supervisors Honors Lieutenant Mullen - Command College Graduate.

SSO Jim Wallace is Bailiff of the Year and Traffic Safety Programs Coordinator Will Funk Honored.

And finally  Aviation Support Unit Welcomes Three New Fliers.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens announced today that the East Compound of the James A. Musick Facility will close immediately. If the inmate population allows the compound to remain closed for a full year, the savings is estimated at more than $1 million.

The compound houses minimum security inmates and has 256 beds. There will be no early releases due to the closure and most of the inmates now housed there will be assigned to other sections of the Musick Facility in Irvine. About 40 inmates will be transferred to either the Sheriff’s Central Jail Complex or the Theo Lacy Facility.

Staff assigned to the East Compound will be transferred to other duties in an effort to reduce overtimes costs in the jails. Maintenance and repairs will be done to the East Compound while it is closed.

The Exchange Club of San Clemente recently held their awards luncheon and honored three members of the Department for good work.

Those honored were Deputy Rod Valdez, Senior Volunteer Bill Waibel and Investigative Assistant Karen Huggins. Included are the remarks given when they received their awards.

DEPUTY OF THE YEAR

 Deputy Rod Valdez

Deputy Rod Valdez was hired by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in August of 1986 as a deputy sheriff where he was assigned to the jails. 

In 1994, Rod transferred to the contract city of San Clemente where he has spent the past 15 years. 

He spent three years as a motor officer working traffic in San Clemente, during which time he was struck while on the motorcycle in two separate collisions – neither was his fault, but after the second accident he decided to not tempt fate and returned to driving a black and white patrol vehicle.  [more]

He spent many years in patrol as an FTO (field training officer) where he trained new patrol deputies.  His most recent assignment is School Resource Deputy for San Clemente. Rod’s duties on campus are vast and include acting as the law enforcement liaison between the Capistrano Unified School District and Police Services, conducting mediation, taking theft and criminal reports, Parent Project Instructor, Sheriff’s Explorer Advisor, supervising sporting events, school board hearings, overseeing parking violation issues, attending district school committee meetings and working closely with the deputies assigned to the department-wide SMART team who handle all county-wide crimes occurring at the Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction schools. 

Deputy Valdez spends the majority of his shift on campus interacting with the students and administration.  His authority is well respected and he is often the first law enforcement responder and contact the students have when faced with criminal activity on the school campus.  Rod has developed a good rapport with the students, displaying a command presence while maintaining the ability to be approached by students. Rod participated in a mock DUI presentation at San Clemente High School.  This event was well attended by parents, students, faculty, and police and fire personnel. Rod is one of our Police Explorer advisors. 

He is responsible for weekly meetings where he trains the explorers doing field simulation problems.  He is dedicated to improving the explorer’s physical fitness program, having the explorers run and exercise as part of each weekly meeting.  

Rod is one of the instructors for our Parent Project.  This 10-week program is held several times during the year, after hours at the local high school.  The curriculum taught during this program is invaluable to parents.  Rod is dedicated to the parents and often helps them with the difficult tasks associated with raising adolescents.  

As stated by the program coordinator, “Rod goes above and beyond with the guidance he offers the parents, utilizing techniques taught during Parent Project.  Rod continues to help in patrol, working overtime and often filling in as the acting patrol sergeant.  Rod is always willing to assist his fellow deputies with “other than the ordinary” call for service or report. 

During Rod’s time off, he enjoys spending time at the river on his boat, attending family events, and riding his Harley.  Rod is here today with his daughter Christina, father Leonard, father’s girlfriend Dottie and his sister Pam.

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

 Investigative Assistant Karen Huggins 

Karen Huggins was hired by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 1993 as a field Community Services Officer.  She was responsible for writing parking citations and storing abandoned and over-parked vehicles.  In 1995, Karen took a job-share position in Records as an Office Specialist. 

Karen’s duties were vast; from assisting citizens at the front counter, answering phones, data input, care and storage of video tapes, report duplication, citation processing, and general daily assignments.  She was always the first to volunteer to learn something new or try something she hadn’t done before. Everyonehas heard of the TV series, Survivor, but only a few know that Karen trained for and tried out for this show.  Though she didn’t win, the image of her emerging from the pond with a whole salmon in her mouth is forever embedded in the minds of many of the employees who have passed through San Clemente Police Services. 

Last year, on October 24th, 2008, Karen was promoted to a full-time position as an Investigative Assistant assigned to San Clemente.  As with everything Karen does, she jumped in going Mach 2 with her hair-on-fire and giving 120%. 

Her supervisor states:  “Karen is developing into an outstanding Investigative Assistant.  Karen has written many search warrants, has assisted in the service of search warrants, inputs all San Clemente cases into the records management system and maintains the pawn slips and field interview cards.  Karen has become a vital part of the San Clemente Investigative team.  She is considered a valued member and is well respected by her peers, deputies and supervisors.  Karen is an outstanding employee and a joy to supervise.” 

That is all so very true and that’s the reason we’re here today to honor her. It would not be fair to stop there.  Sadly, Karen has also fallen victim to the budget difficulties and she has been afforded a new opportunity with the Department, and when this bleak economy begins to turn we would be foretunate to have her return. 

While working as an Investigative Assistance Karen has had many opportunities few get to participate in.  

Karen has had the privilege and the ability to work cooperatively with numerous allied law enforcement agencies on many occasions. Many will never get the glorious assignment of sitting in a vehicle for hours without fresh air, water, or a bathroom while doing surveillance, yet Karen did.  Many sworn officers will never write a search warrant, yet she has done a number of them.  Many will never have the knowledge and confidence to correct a judge and tell him that he is wrong, yet Karen did. 

The only goal that she didn’t accomplish in her time here as an Investigative Assistant was that she wanted to tackle somebody. Most recently, Karen was instrumental in one of the most complicated and on-going investigations of this year.  Rashes of car burglaries stretching from Rancho Santa Margarita all the way to the city of Chula Vista were occurring with a common loss of credit cards. These credit cards were then being used almost exclusively at Target stores and Albertson’s throughout the southern California area.  Karen tenaciously pursued leads and put many miles on her car, traveling around picking up video that showed a female using the cards repeatedly.  Karen, along with our investigators, spent many hours on surveillance.  The woman was finally identified and, at the end of last month, an arrest was made and multiple searches were done. Several thousands of dollars of property were recovered, thanks in large part to her efforts. 

It is with great honor that we acknowledge her and her work ethic as San Clemente’s Civilian Employee of the Year.  Karen is here today with her husband Kyle, daughter Stephanie, mother and father and sister Colleen.

  Retired Senior Volunteer Program Volunteer of the Year 

San Clemente Police Services

BILL WAIBEL  

Bill Waibel became a member of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP at San Clemente in August 2005.   RSVP's are volunteers who contribute significant work each year for the City of San Clemente. Their work as a whole is vital and necessary to providing excellent law enforcement services. Prior to his volunteer years, Bill spent his career as an engineer, where he lived and worked many years in Brazil.

Bill was selected as the Police Services Volunteer of the Year due to his dedication and amount of time he worked. Among his accomplishments he was instrumental in a remodel of the PACT house to include an area for bikes, and countless hours assisting with Beach Patrol. His other duties were vast and included work that would have taken deputies out of the field to complete.

These duties include vacant home checks, transporting vehicles to and from the many garages in Laguna Niguel and Santa Ana and the communications center @ Eckhoff in Orange.  While on patrol, Bill is responsible for issuing Handicapped and Expired Registration parking citations, deploying the city’s three Radar Trailers, assisting with traffic control at serious and fatal traffic accidents, street closures at crime scenes, crowd control at the beach and the city’s many special events, weekend at the PACT house at the Pier, ride-a -ong program on the summer beach patrol on the ATV’s, assists with the Spanish-speaking Parent Project Classes and works at the Records front counter.  Bill is a member of the RSVP steering committee and because of his dedication and work ethic will assume the duties of RSVP Coordinator in April of 2010. 

Bill enjoys vacationing in Lake Genova, Wisconsin.  He is an avid snow skier.  You can usually find Bill with a smile on his face and he is always friendly around the station. He is here today with his wife Adrian.  

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. 

Letter from the Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

Department's Newest Training About to Begin

In a few weeks we begin a new era in the Orange County Jails. On October 22, the first class of Correctional Services Assistants will enter the Academy to begin training.

During the nine week course, the candidates will undergo 360 hours of training in curriculums established by the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Orange County Sheriff's Department Training Division. The courses will include leadership, professionalism and ethics, laws of arrest, search and seizure, use of force, cultural diversity, classification of inmates, cell extraction, booking and receiving, report and record keeping, scenario training, and many other courses designed to prepare these men and women as custody professionals.

Following formalized training, each graduate will be paired with a Jail Training Officer for four to six weeks of individualized mentoring.

Many department personnel have worked very hard to achieve this extraordinary milestone. These men and women of the CSA Class 1 are pioneers and I ask each of you to help them through this challenging transition and welcome them into our jails as "teammates" who will assist us in fulfilling our mission to ensure the safety and well being of our inmates - while responsibly safeguarding the taxpayers of Orange County.

To those in CSA Class 1: Congratulations! We look forward to working with each of you in your new role.

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.

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]

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

From the press release:

Sheriff opens recruitment for first class of newest jail personnel

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.

Additional information on the Correctional Services Assistant can be found at http://tinyurl.com/mektxe  or by contacting the Media Relations Department at (714) 647-7042.

###

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]

Hall of Finance & Records (Buildings 11 & 12)

Public Defender Building

Old Social Services Building

County Courthouse

County Law Library

Superior Court Civic Complex

CenterCentral Utility Facility

County Sheriff’s Department Headquarters

Civic Center JailsCounty Coroner

Osborne Building

Sheriff Forensic Science Building

Twin Towers Parking Structure

Courthouse Parking Structure

Transportation Civic Center Garage

From Sandra Hutchens 

Sheriff-Coroner

Throughout the last several weeks the Division Commanders, Executive Command Staff and I have been meeting to discuss our Strategic Financial Plan for fiscal year 2010-2011 and our preparations for a $60 million shortfall. I've asked each of them to deconstruct their divisions and evaluate our core services to ensure we provide the best public safety services possible with the budget that was approved by the Board and the potential cuts for next year.

Tuesday, July 28th I attended the Board of Supervisor's meeting to provide a status report on the budget reductions we are currently implementing. We have already implemented $13.7 million of the $20 million we must cut from our budget this year by temporarily closing the Women's jail, temporarily closing the Musick North Compound, reducing overtime for ICE screening, reducing contracts, and deleting vacant positions.

We are also looking at additional cost savings, reductions and revenue by changing jail schedules, relocating inmate workers, implementing the Correctional Services Assistant classification, and housing federal detainees.

Implementation of any of these plans would bring us cost savings this year, and assist us in preparing for the next fiscal year.

Also being finalized is our layoff plan in which 199 positions are affected by these reductions. Anywhere from 25-30 of our department personnel will be laid off. We are also reducing our command staff by 42 percent - this reorganization will reduce the number of Assistant Sheriffs from four to two while Captains will be reduced by six. Throughout this week I have been meeting individually with each Captain and notifications will continue next week with Assistant Sheriffs. Following these meetings, County Human Resources and ACLEM will be contacted. We expect to discuss, in detail, our reorganization sometime after August 17th.

I realize that these are challenging and uncertain times for you all. Our goal is to guide the department through these extraordinary economic challenges while ensuring our mandate to protect the public we serve. I want to thank you all for your hard work, dedication and patience as we work through this process.

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)