Finally...here's the video we've been promising...

Once again, thanks to Mrs. Giacoletti for taping the whole thing... including the victory dinner afterwards.

And, if you're wondering why they were fighting, see here. And here.

Somewhere Rocky Marciano is smiling.  It was billed as the main event and Deputy Mike "Machette" Giacoletti didn't disappoint.  With a stiff uppercut at the half way point of the second round it was clear that FBI Agent Carlos Narro wanted no more. 

Nicely done Deputy Machette! 

If you missed the fight we will have it up on the blog later this evening.... Thanks to Mrs. Giacoletti who took her video camera with her and let us borrow the disc.

Another thank you to KCAL 9 for this report.

@18:40 RYAN ADDS: I'd like to give my MacBook Pro a stiff uppercut...the video is stuck there until I can figure out how to get it to YouTube. Stay Tuned.

Tonight at 6:00 at the Long Beach Convention Center, Deputy Mike Giacoletti of the Central Justice Center will be taking on Carlos "The FBI Kid" Narro in one of three scheduled boxing matches featuring Peace Officers.  The Boxing card is the highlight of the three-day TREXPO West Conference. 

Here's the link for the Conference.

I am told Deputy Giacoletti was a late addition to the card after one of the other fighters had to be scratched. He didn't even have time to come up with a fighting nickname. 

If you can't make it down to the Convention Center tonight, we should have pictures and if we're lucky some video tomorrow. 

Good luck tonight, Deputy Giacoletti!

There's been plenty of media coverage of Acting Sheriff Anderson's first day in his new role.  Here's just one of the reports from Daybreak OC's Nancy Aziz.

A hospital is the last place a child wants to be on Christmas Eve.  Unfortunately, illness doesn’t always “stand down” for the Holidays. Tomorrow morning at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, some 200 kids will have an angel watching over them as they struggle with illness this holiday season.

Since 2002, angels have also been given to the families of each fallen law enforcement officer and fire fighter in the State of California, along with many others in our nation. Angels of Love has donated hundreds of angels to families who have experienced tragedies in their lives. These include families of the military killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Virginia Tech shootings, Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine, 911 terrorist attacks and other world events. 

But Cryder’s ministry takes on an extra special significance during the holidays. He doesn’t exactly don the red suit, and he’s not bringing that shiny new bicycle, but he does bring some much needed “comfort and joy” to children and their families. This past Friday, he delivered about 100 angels to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Tomorrow, 200 more kids, who will likely be spending their Christmas at CHOC, will be receiving a precious and beautiful gift, hand-made by the unlikeliest of elves. 

Orange County Register's Sean Emery interviews Sheriff's Chaplain Rick Yeomans. He writes:

"From the 9/11 attacks in New York and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to the devastating fires in Orange County's canyon communities, Pastor Rick Yeomans is a constant presence during times of need.

A veteran of disaster response efforts from more than a decade of experience as a senior chaplain in the Orange County Sheriff's Department and member of the Red Cross Critical Response Team, Yeomans, a San Juan resident, formed Emergency Ministry Services earlier this year. Yeomans recently helped pull together volunteers from the South County church community to assist with cleanup efforts in the canyons..."

For the record, Sheriff's Chaplains are unpaid and they work under the Community Services Division, which also comprises our Professional Services Civilian Responders (PSR's) and Sheriff's Reserves. Read the entire interview right here.

Sheriff's Special Officer Juan Villegas reports to the North Operations Security Bureau for his regular 9-5. When he's not at work, you might find him volunteering for Short Stop.

Short Stop is the Orange County Bar Foundation’s juvenile crime diversion program; it was developed in 1979 by a team of legal professionals, educators, family counselors and community leaders. Programa Short Stop is the Spanish version of Short Stop, was developed in 1989.  If a juvenile, between the ages of eleven and seventeen successfully completes the program, the original charges on him will be waived. If he or she does not successfully complete the program, those charges are then reinstated by the District Attorney. 

The Orange County Probation Department conducts recidivism studies on an annual basis. It has been determined that Shortstop has a 92% success rate where juvenile participants do not re-offend for at least one year after attending the program. 

Eight years ago, the Short Stop Program solicited volunteers from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The program was looking for Spanish speaking volunteers who wanted to work with troubled teens.  Juan’s life experience, occupation and Spanish speaking abilities made him the perfect candidate for the position.  Juan said he, “Wanted to give back to the community and help troubled youths.”  The Short Stop Program proved to be the perfect choice and everything he wanted.  Juan’s outstanding qualities of leadership, combined with his enthusiasm and devotion to the program, is responsible for the significant contributions he has made in furthering the mission of the Short Stop Program.  

As an instructor, his job is to make the parent and juvenile aware of the consequences of delinquent and criminal behavior.  He talks about the negative effects of peer pressure, drugs, and gangs and how to cope with them.  Juveniles are shown that they have the ability to change their negative behavior.  Juan encourages, motivates, and inspires juveniles to make better decisions, obtain more self confidence, set goals, and work towards a more fulfilling life.  He teaches parents about their rights and responsibilities, drug and gang awareness, and parenting skills. 

All classes are initially conducted in the evening at the Orange County Court House, in a real courtroom setting.  Parents and juveniles are escorted into a large holding cell behind the courtroom where Juan speaks to them about what a person can expect if they are incarcerated. At this point, 3-4 Parolees (escorted by the Parole Agent) come in and speak about their lives and the harsh realities of being in the system.  The class returns to the courtroom where the parolees are excused and the class continues with “Hot seat”.  Hot seat is a one-on-one discussion with Juan in front of the rest of the class. The juvenile talks about why he or she is in the program.   

Sheriff’s Special Officer Juan Villegas has changed the lives of hundreds of young men and women.  His energetic approach and intense loyalty to the program has made him a hero in the community. 

Avoid the 10 is a coalition of cities in South Orange County with the common goal of apprehending impaired drivers and reducing injuries and fatalities caused by these dangerous motorists.  By using team made up of experienced officers from throughout the region resources are better used in this important law enforcement role.

Enforcement is conducted through a combination of sobriety checkpoints, roving saturation patrols and warrant services targeting DUI offenders.  By using Reserve Deputy Sheriffs and Explorers for appropriate tasks along with the core Avoid the 10 task force deputies resources are expanded creating a more efficient program.  Many others support the program behind the scenes, completing tasks vital to ultimate mission.

Today we recognize the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Avoid the 10 task force for their commitment to saving lives by reducing the threat from the menace of impaired driving which kills 70 people and injures over 2,000 more in Orange County each year.

We also wish to thank the California Office of Traffic Safety, lead by Director Christopher Murphy, for their continued support and funding for this program.  The ten cities in South County served by the Orange County Sheriff's Department also play a key role in the on-going success of the program.  Together we can make a difference in the fight against impaired driving.

Tune in to KDOC's Daybreak OC (Channel 6 on Cable, Channel 56 on the dish) Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. for more on Avoid the 10.

Dozens are injured and one person is confirmed dead.   Of the injured, some suffer broken bones others have third degree burns. One woman has blood shooting out of her badly injured arm.  Hundreds of certified civilians and off-duty police officers and firefighters, nurses and EMTs are on the scene pulling people out from the wreckage and tending to the injured.  It’s an awful scene.  Thankfully, it’s all fake.  

This simulated disaster in the Sheriff’s Laser Village, is the first of it's kind here in Orange County and the largest mass disaster training drill in the Nation.  With volunteers providing make-up befitting of the big screen, the only thing that wasn’t simulated was the actual moving and shaking of the quake itself.    

When it was all said and done, more than 400 people are now certified, ready, willing and able to jump into action, should disaster strike.  We’ll have video of the event soon.

Disasters kill or injure thousands each year in the United States. Being prepared for a disaster can help to keep you and your family safe.  September is National Preparedness Month and The Orange County Sheriff's Dept in conjunction with the Orange County California Citizen Corps Council, is hosting a mutual aid disaster drill on September 15^th at the Sheriff’s Department Training Facility in Orange.

Volunteers will complete IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS) and IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction and will then form teams created from the various jurisdictions and have a practical “hands on” exercise.

Being disaster prepared is more than just knowing what to do in case of an earthquake or a fire. It’s also about preparing a 72-hour disaster supply kit for your home, office and car; developing and practicing an emergency plan for your family; understanding your community’s warning systems and evacuation routes; knowing who to contact in your community for more information, and how you can get involved.

This exercise is the first of its kind in Orange County, the State of California and possibly the Nation. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department received funding from the Homeland Security Grant Program.  400 volunteers from 26 different jurisdictions in Orange County will be participating in the exercise.

In July 1984, the Sheriff’s proposal for a helicopter support unit was approved by the Board of Supervisors.  After selection of personnel and equipment was completed, an extensive training program began.  On May 21, 1985, during ceremonies dedicated to the life and memory of actor John Wayne, the Sheriff’s first two helicopters entered service as “Duke I” and “Duke II”.   

The Air Support Bureau is part of the Airport Operations Division commanded by Captain Dennis DeMaio and managed by Lt. Mike Mullen.  The current members of Air Support are:  Sergeant Mike Sharpe and Deputies Santos Garcia, Don Dear, Mike Russell, Dave Tilstra, Mark Northart, Rob Mergen, and Jeff Crowley.   

   These are technologically advanced aircraft equipped with such devices as a Wescam Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) thermal imaging camera, a gyro stabilized color video camera with 14X magnification, a 50-million candle power Nightsun, and gyro stabilized binoculars.  The aircraft also has a Lojack stolen vehicle tracking system and a GPS-based moving map system capable of displaying Thomas Brothers maps, topographical maps and aviation maps.  The flight crew is also equipped with night vision goggles that increase Air Support’s night mission capabilities significantly. 

Through the years, Air Support has been extremely effective in assisting narcotic units with discovering marijuana fields growing in the Cleveland National Forest and surrounding areas.  In 2006 alone, Air Support assisted in finding over 25,000 marijuana plants growing in several locations with a street value of over 16 million dollars.  Because of these efforts by the Air Support Bureau and the Department’s Narcotics Unit, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department won the 2006 National Marijuana Eradication Award, which was presented to members of the Department in Washington D.C. 

Over the years the Air Support Bureau has been recognized for their excellence by several agencies and organizations.  The Bureau has received several Commendation Awards and Letters of Appreciation.  Individual member awards include the Department’s Medal of Valor, Medal of Courage and three American Red Cross “Bravo for Bravery” Life Saving Medals.  In 2005, two members of Air Support won the “Captain Gus Crawford” Memorial Aircrew of the Year Award in recognition of their outstanding performance in Airborne Law Enforcement operations.     

In June the Sheriff was a guest on Inside OC with Rick Reiff.  KOCE recently re-aired the program. The Sheriff discussed many of the hot button issues concerning the Department including: Civilian Oversight, The Harbor Patrol and Immigration.

Many Southern Californians stopping to fill their cars with gas have, undoubtedly, seen Sheriff Carona on the fuel pump recruiting for the OC Sheriff's Department.  As the Grand Jury reported earlier this year, "In 2006, 4,414 people applied to the OCSD for a deputy sheriff position, 1,146 passed the written exam, and 118 completed the background process and were hired. Of these 118, 19 were lateral transfers from another law enforcement agency and the rest were sent to the OCSD Academy. Of the 99 sent to the OCSD Academy, 49 graduated." 

PumpTop TV was brought to us by a generous member of the Sheriff's Advisory Council. Recruiting isn't getting any easier and we are always looking for new ideas to get our message out.

The FBI, The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, The Los Angeles Police Department, and The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squads, have combined 13 bomb technician divers together to form a regional “Underwater Hazardous Devices Team” known as UHDT-ONE. This team now supplements the capabilities of the many existing local public safety dive teams and significantly increases the public safety dive team’s expertise in the area of underwater explosives and improvised explosive device tactics, techniques and procedures.

Read the whole story here.   may_jun_2007_article_8.pdf (430.43 kb)

In a recent Greenhut blog post, Steven laments, "Community policing -- the idea that police are members of the community and can reduce tensions by acting more humane -- seems to be going out the window." Geez, someone should let the men and women of the department know because community policing is alive and well here – and we’re using up valuable time and resources on this important work.  

The Orange County Sheriff's Department Traffic Safety Programs just released their April to June update. Take a look at what's been going on. Warning to Greenhut: don't read below these lines. We wouldn't want to force you to end your lamentations on the evils of law enforcement.

By the way, to find the podcasts mentioned below, search iTunes for "FADD" under podcasts. These mock DUI video podcasts remain two of the most popular Local Government podcasts on iTunes.

Is Your Teen at Risk Program:Community partners from the areas of Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Coto de Casa and the surrounding communities joined together to create a information and resource program for parents and teens.  The program was presented on Monday, April 30^th at the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower.  We presented information on traffic safety while partnering with the CHP and OCFA.  A display booth with traffic safety information was also set up at the event.  Over 500 parents at teens attended the program. Another Is Your Teen at Risk program was hosted by the Cities of San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo on June 11^th at Capistrano Valley High School.  In addition to presenting information on choosing a vehicle for your new driver a display / information booth was also set up at event.  Over 150 parents and teens attended this program. 

Mock DUI Crash Events:Three Mock DUI Crash events were conducted during the second quarter reaching nearly 4,000 students in the region.  As with all of our Mock DUI presentations we receive enormous support from several community partners including Steve Concialdi of Friends Against Drinking and Driving (FADD), the Orange County Fire Authority, several ambulance companies, tow companies, mortuaries, Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) and the schools themselves. Mission Viejo High School:       On April 5^th Mission Viejo High School presented their first Mock Crash event at the school in over 12 years.  The impetus for the program originated from a member of the school’s Safe Rides club who contacted our department asking how the program could be presented at the school.  The school’s new activity director, Tom Turner, assisted in creating an assembly full of impact. Santa Margarita Catholic High School:  For this year’s program Santa Margarita Catholic High School conducted a full, two-day Every 15 Minutes program on May 15^th and 16^th.  With assistance from the City of Santa Margarita a street adjacent to the school was closed to traffic and used for the program.  In addition to the usual community partners who assist with mock crash programs we asked if the California Highway Patrol would participate since the event at Tesoro High School was cancelled for this year. Aliso Niguel High School: The final Mock DUI crash event of the year was held on June 8^th at Aliso Niguel High School.  The ASB responsible for this event was the first group to address the issue of young women’s involvement in alcohol related collision by using a female impaired driver.

Journey Safe Walkathon: Journey Safe, a non-profit foundation formed after the traffic related deaths of s South County resident Gillian Sabet and her boyfriend Jonathan Schulte, conducted their second annual walkathon at JSerra Catholic High School on June 9^th.  Sheriff Carona attended the event with Captain White and spoke during the opening ceremonies.   Our traffic safety booth displayed information about our programs and was staffed to answer traffic related questions.  We continue to support this teen peer to peer program as clubs spread throughout the region. 

MADD Victim Impact Panels: Our relationship with Mothers Against Drunk Driving continues with the monthly victim impact panels in Laguna Niguel.  First time (and sometimes repeat) DUI offenders are sentenced by the court to attend this program where speakers representing victims, family of victims, offenders and law enforcement present personal stories and information on the consequences of drinking and driving.