Sheriff Sandra Hutchens congratulates Deputy Kevin Spellerberg, left, and Deputy Coroner Kelly Ralph on their Heroes with Hearts Awards 

Deputy Kevin Spellerberg and Deputy Coroner Kelly Ralph of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department were nominated for Heroes with Hearts Awards by Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. volunteers Renee Lutz and Cindy Gosting.

In May of 2009 an elderly woman was found dead in her backyard by her son. Because of the circumstances of the death, family members had many questions about what happened to their mother.

Two TIP volunteers responded to the scene where they worked alongside Deputy Kevin Spellerberg and Deputy Coroner Kelly Ralph. According to the TIP volunteers, both Deputy Spellerberg and Deputy Coroner Ralph were exceptionally compassionate with the distraught family members. They spent time answering all the family members’ questions and were very available to them throughout the afternoon.

Deputy Coroner Ralph allowed the son of the deceased to be with her when she examined his deceased mother. This was very important to the son.

Family members complimented both the Deputy and the Deputy Coroner on a number of occasions. Following are direct quotes from Renee Lutz and Cindy Gosting, the TIP volunteers who nominated Deputy Spellerberg and Deputy Coroner Ralph:

• “Deputy Coroner Ralph has a lovely demeanor and is very kind.”

• “Deputy Spellerberg was very respectful and kind and takes his job very seriously.”

• “I have been on other calls with both of these individuals and they always show caring and compassion.”

For their compassionate care of citizens in crisis, Trauma Intervention Programs of Orange County is pleased to present Deputy Kevin Spellerberg and Deputy Coroner Kelly Ralph with the 2009 Heroes with Heart Awards.

For visit the Website of the Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc Orange County Chapter click here.

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...

Deputy Christensen, left, gives a presentation to the National School Resource Officers Association in 2008.  

The California School Resource Officer's Association has named Orange County Sheriff's Deputy Lance Christensen it's SRO of the year. Earlier this year he was named a runner-up for School Resource Officer of the Year by the National School Resource Officer's Assocation.

Deputy Christensen will receive the state organization honor on Wednesday during the organizaton's annual conference, this year in San Diego.

His nomination by Tesoro High School said in part:

"Deputy Christensen guides students toward making better, informed choices and he checks in on them often. He works at building long-lasting relationships with students, rather than simply doling out consequences and moving on the next case. His strong rapport and relationships with students have impacted students to confide in him when otherwise they might not, and either would have made destructive decisions or ignored when their peers have. Deputy Christensen demonstrates the "critical friend" model without asking students to be critical friends. Under this non-judgmental guidance, students are drawn from an inner sense of responsibility regarding their friend's choices as well as their own. This phenomenon has thwarted many negative outcomes."

The CSROA describes itself this way on it's Website:

The CSROA is comprised of dedicated peace officers and educators of California who readily commit their experiences, efforts, and knowledge to achieve the common goal of providing all California schools with a safe and healthy learning environment. Members of the CSROA serve California’s schools statewide, participating in various community-based prevention efforts and convene with a number of committees dedicated to recognizing the potential in today’s youth.

To view the Employee Spotlight feature on Deputy Christensen run on the Blog previously click here.

To learn more about the organization click here.

Deputy Christensen has been featured in the Deparment Blog several times. Click here to see some of his contributions to the Department's mission.

To view his nomination by Tesoro High School click: ChristensenCSROAOfficer2009Nomination2.pdf (115.42 kb)

Project 999, which helps support the survivors of peace officers killed in the line of duty, is one of the Orange County charities that benefit from United Way contributions.

To learn about Project 999 click here.

To learn more about the United Way of Orange County click here.

To view Sheriff Hutchens' Public Service Announcement click the icon below.

“Working Together to Save Lives” is the newly completed mural located in the Orange County Coroner Division facility. The mural celebrates the special collaboration between the Department and OneLegacy, the organ and tissue recovery organization serving the seven-county greater Los Angeles area.

Among those at the presentation were Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Chief Deputy Coroner Jacque Brendt, officials of OneLegacy and a couple of special ladies.

The mural captures the first time that Amber Vargas listened to her mother’s heart beat in the chest of the Karen Athey, whose life was saved by the organ donation.  Both Amber and Karen were present.  

The presentation of the mural was covered by both the Orange County Register and KCAL.

Click here to view the Register report.

Click the icon to view the KCAL report.

More than four thousand people joined the 21st Annual Walk Against Drugs and 2nd Annual South County Disaster Preparedness Expo on Saturday in the City of Mission Viejo.

This was the kick-off event for National Red Ribbon Week for Orange County. The event included a rally at Mission Viejo High School Stadium at which Sheriff Sandra Hutchens introduced Jennifer Smart, a young broadcast personality who was featured at the rally. 

The crowd, all wearing red, then walked down La Paz Rd, through the Oso Creek Trail. The one and a half mile walk ended at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center where the community was invited to a fair and Emergency Preparedness Expo.The fair along the Village Green featured music, food, game booths, crafts, inflatables as well as vehicle displays by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Orange County Fire Authority. The Expo also featured emergency preparedness booths with informative, interactive displays to educate residents about how to adequately prepare for a large-scale disaster and showcase the resources available during disaster responses.

For more pictures click More...

The Orange County Sheriff's Department Women’s Team captured 1st place in the 5K Women’s Law Enforcement Division in the 10th Annual Lupus Race for Life run on October 4 at LaMirada Regional Park.

They were well represented by, Denise Herstch, Susie Briggs, Jacquelyn Martinez, Jesicka Contreras and Susan Edwards.  Denise Herstch placed 1st and Susie Briggs placed 2nd in the Law Enforcement Individual 5K competition. More...

The Annual Red Cross Blood Drive will be held in the IRC Briefing Room from 1000-1600 hours on Tuesday October 27, 2009.

As with the past Blood Drives, the Red Cross will be offering a County-Wide drawing and assisting with providing in-house drawings for gas cards, and other prizes.  Also, as in the past, all participants will receive a Donor T-Shirt and coupon to a local restaurant.  If you wish to participate you may register on line at http://www.givelife.org/ Code: OC1 or you can call me to schedule a time.

Walk-In donors with no appointments are welcome too. I thank you in advance for your assistance.

At this Blood Drive we also will be taking advance registration sign-ups for the “4th Annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive”. Last year we finished in 2nd place behind Riverside Police Department for Donations collected (94 to 107).  With your help again, we will exceed that amount.

When you donate blood, please remember that you must bring Picture Identification.  

Thank you for your time.  

Deputy C.D. Vincent IRC – CJX                

January’s Battle of the Badges: On Wednesday, January 27, 2010 from 7AM to 7PM, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in the 4th Annual “BATTLE of the BADGES” Blood Drive.  

The Battle of the Badges Blood Drive will run for two weeks, from Tuesday, January 19th to Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010, as Police and Fire Departments throughout Southern California compete in a friendly competition to see which Badge-Carrying Personnel, Family and Friends can donate the most blood and ultimately save the most lives.  

On September 11, 2009, we received a handwritten letter from a Ms. Emily P. of Mission Viejo. Her letter states:

"Dear Police Officers! My name is Emily P. I am going to second grade. I wanted to say thank you for protecting our homes."

Anna MacKenzie from American Airlines wrote a letter of commendation for the following Airport Operations Division members:

Sergeant Dave Manley, Deputy Lionel Luna, Deputy Scott Vanover, Deputy Richard Leonard, Sheriff's Special Officer Dan Truong and Sheriff's Special Officer Charles Volkel. MacKenzie wrote: "I would like to thank the members of the Airport Operations Division who donated their time to help make Operation Snowflake a success and a lasting memory for our Snowball Express families!

The picnic will now be a yearly event, so we can continue to honor and bring some joy to the surviving spouses and children of our fallen U.S. military personnel. Snowball Express is the charity for the children of our fallen military heroes. We started in 2006 with a simple idea: Provide hope and new memories to the children of our fallen military heroes who died while on active duty since September 11, 2001. As a Nation, we are blessed. We owe it to these children to do something special and nothing is better than meeting someone who is just like you."

CSO Carrie Murray of San Clemente Police Services received a letter of thanks from Alyssa B. for returning her lost camera.

Miss B. said she spent over $1,000 of her babysitting money for her camera and it is one of the most important things in the world to her. She inadvertently left the camera on the beach and was excited to find out CSO Murray found the camera and returned it to her.

Miss B. said, "Your honesty means a huge amount to me and I think that life will reward you for that eventually."

Lieutenant Paul D'Auria of San Clemente Police Services received a phone call from Don H. of Sea Pointe Estates. Mr. H. called to commend Deputy Sherri Gilman for the manner in which she handled a call at his residence last month. Mr. H. said he had arrived home late one evening from a trip out of state. He was exhausted and left his vehicle parked outside, leaving the doors unlocked. The vehicle was ransacked later that evening and Deputy Gilman responded to take the report. Mr. H. said Deputy Gilman was very professional and helpful and feels she is a real asset to the Orange County Sheriff's Department and San Clemente Police Services.

Lynn Woods from the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce recently sent a letter of commendation and appreciation to Sergeant Nancy Gafner of San Clemente Police Services for her work in making the annual Street Fiesta a success. This event attracts over 40,000 people and with Sgt. Gafner organizing and preparing the security for the event, the Fiesta was a safe, family-friendly event for all attendees. Ms. Wood wrote, "I have worked with San Clemente Police Services on many Chamber of Commerce events, however the Fiesta is a major event that needs the strong direction of a law enforcement leader. Sgt. Gafner is that leader and without her direction, this event could not continue to be as successful as it has been since she has coordinated the law enforcement services."

Office Technician Leo Figueroa of Airport Operations Division received a letter of commendation from passenger Terri K., who is a teacher for Odessa High School in Washington. K. wrote: "While returning home with 16 students, one of the student's laptops was left behind. I contacted the Sheriff's Lost and Found and was relieved to find out the laptop was safe. Because of Leo's help, the laptop arrived in perfect condition!"

On September 3, 2009, Kristin Kvesic from the Orange County Food Bank wrote a letter thanking the Airport Operations Division for a recent food donation. Kvesic wrote: "Because of your efforts, we collected over 114 pounds of much needed food for the County Food Bank. We would like to thank Sheriff's Special Officer Sterling Young for delivering the food to us and to all of those who participated in the food drive. Many will benefit from your generosity!"

Cash Awards up to $250 are being offered this year to top performers at this year's Survive & Thrive 5k Run/Walk.

2009 Survive & Thrive 5k Run / Walk
Health & Safety Expo

Saturday, October 10, 2009
Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base,
Los Alamitos , CA

For Details click here

From the Crime Survivor's Website

About the Cause

Vision
Crime Survivors vision is for victims of crime to recover from their experience mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially, by receiving the respect, support, and protection from law enforcement, the judicial system, and the community.

Mission Statement
The mission of Crime Survivors is to ensure the public knows victims’ rights and needs and to provide resources, support, and information to empower crime victims to survive and thrive.

Proceeds to Benefit 
Monies RAISED from the Annual Crime Survivors 5k Run / Walk -- Health & Safety Expo will benefit the following Crime Survivors, Inc. Programs.

• Victim Emergency Bags
• Resource Guides
• Let’s meet Officer Frank Books
• What’s Happening in Court Books
• Web Site
• Self Defense & Safety Classes
• Safety Kits & Safety Book
• Giving Thanks Campaign
• Thanksgiving Meal Baskets
• Christmas Meal Baskets
• National Crime Victim’s Rights Week
• Awards Banquet • Miniature Golf Tournament
• Run Walk Health & Safety Expo
• Survivors Gift Drive & Elf’s Holly Day

Victim Emergency Bags
Victim Emergency Bags are provided to victims / survivors of crimes and will be distributed through Police Departments, Fire Departments, Ambulance and all medical, in addition by non profit organizations assisting victims / survivors of crimes.

Resource Guides
Our goal is to develop, print and distribute Victim Resource Guides to each law enforcement vehicle in Los Angeles County and Orange County, California.  The Resources Guides will include contact information for all organizations that provide services to crime victims in each county.  Law enforcement officers, who are usually the first on the scene of a crime, can then provide the Resource Guide to crime victims at their critical time of need. 

Let’s Meet Officer Frank Books
In partnership with author Officer Frank Caruso, Crime Survivors’ goal is to purchase
and distribute copies of Let’s Meet Officer Frank to libraries, daycare centers, police departments, and other children’s services centers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California.  This popular children’s book, with its affirming message, focuses on the human aspects of law enforcement, helping children understand the important, positive role that public service has on their lives.  Such awareness can lead to a greater knowledge and respect for fellow citizens, which in turn can help prevent future crime and violence. 

Lieutenant Michael Mullen is the first member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in seven years to graduate from POST’s Command College.

The 18 month course operating under the auspices of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards & Training, is designed to prepare law enforcement leaders of today for the challenges of the future.

“We went away for one week every other month for a year and then we were off for six months to study and write our thesis,” said Lt. Mullen, second in command of the Department’s Airport Operations Division.

His thesis was the Role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Sheriff’s Department of the Future.  He sees the tool, now used extensively by the military in the War on Terror, as having growing importance in the coming years as a part of the Sheriff’s Air Support capability.

“They’ll be used in emergency operations and surveillance. They will continue to take on a growing role,” said Lieutenant Mullen.

He said the admission process to the course was one of the toughest screenings he has undergone in his career. He was admitted along with 20 other law enforcement managers from all over the state, including two Commanders from Santa Ana and a Lieutenant from Buena Park.

“I believe the Command College has given me the skills and knowledge to anticipate and prepare for the future of the Sheriff’s Department. It has validated a lot of my existing beliefs,” Lt. Mullen said.

He said one of the benefits of the course was the experience of working closely with highly motivated police managers from across the state.

In addition to his duties at the airport, Lt. Mullen was assigned to a special investigations team during the time he was attending the Command College.

“It was a great experience in multi-tasking,” he said. “All of us in the course were ordered to put our Blackberry on “Command College mode,” which meant off. During the breaks we would all be on the Blackberry answering important messages.”

He said that the Department will benefit from his experience because he will use what he learned in mentoring sergeants and deputies who he works closely with everyday.

“The Command College validated my belief in ‘a servant leadership’ philosophy. That is one in which you strive to make a difference at the lowest level of your command, you do the best you can and you know that when you leave it is better than it was when you first showed up.”

Lieutenant Chuck Wilmot, in the process of transferring from Chief of Police Services for Rancho Santa Margarita to command the S.A.F.E. Bureau, is currently attending Command College and is due to graduate in May. No other Department members are now enrolled in the program.

To learn more about the Command College click here.

Supervising Radio Dispatcher Karen Daly

Karen Daly was interviewed by KUCI's Mari Frank and she gave tips for public on when to call 911 and how to most effectively call in an emergency.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens joined Aliso Viejo Mayor Donald Garcia and other officials from the city and the Department to introduce Chief of Police Services Lieutenant Bob Osborne to city residents.

“When I first took office I went around to all of the City Managers to find out if we were doing our job, if there were issues,” Sheriff Hutchens said at the meeting. “I got nothing but accolades about what the men and women in the contract cities are doing.”

Patrol Operations Division Commander Mark Billings said, “We tailor our contract police services exactly the same as if you had own police force. We find we all become one family.  Deputies who come here to Aliso Viejo become members of your community. At least that is what we strive for. “

Lt. Osborne at microphone with Sheriff Hutchens and Capt. Billings

Photos by Professional Services Responder Randy Frager

He then introduced the guest of honor, Lieutenant Osborne, appointed to serve as Aliso Viejo Chief in April 2009.

Lt. Osborne noted that there was a small turnout and remarked that is probably a sign that most residents are content with their police services and he then proceeded to explain why.

“An interesting fact is that almost every city created in California in the last 50 years has become a contract city. It’s kind of a trend as to how things are going now.”

He explained that the Sheriff’s contract with the city combines the advantages of a small town police force with a large regional law enforcement agency.

It includes a motorcycle Deputy who is known by his first name in the community and a SWAT unit and Search and Rescue Team that have been deployed in Aliso Viejo in recent weeks due to separate incidents of a barricaded man and a missing woman.  More...