(Note: Updates from Nov 8th included below) 

This blog was created to keep you and the community educated and informed on issues, activities and events related to our Department.  I was recently informed Supervisor John Moorlach is questioning not only the appropriateness of a county-paid trip in April 2007, but he is also questioning the integrity of those of us who went on the trip. Sheriff Carona, other key department members and I traveled to Lyon, France and London, England to view numerous law enforcement programs and systems in person.  The trip involved an aggressive schedule of meetings and conferences so that it would be as productive as possible.

This trip was never intended nor reported to be solely for the purpose of reviewing DNA laboratories.  We looked at numerous programs that had potential application to and could benefit the residents of Orange County.  In today’s post 9/11 world we face new challenges and risks never before imagined.  Criminals are not always local; neither are best practices.  We have always prided ourselves on being an organization that aggressively pursues new ideas and technology.

While in France we spent all of our time with officials from Interpol, sharing information and looking for opportunities to develop partnerships for the exchange of information and personnel. Numerous Federal agencies and the New York Police Department have staff temporarily assigned to Interpol and the educational and ultimate task force experience can be invaluable to an organization.   Furthermore, as a result of this trip we have continued to work with our contacts at Interpol to share information on Orange County arrestees.   

In London, our agenda was no less aggressive.  We met with numerous executive representatives from law enforcement to review programs that may have application to our department and benefit to our residents.  We met with Gary Pugh, the Director of Forensic Science Services at New Scotland Yard to discuss the pros and cons of maintaining an in house laboratory as compared to contracting DNA services to outside labs.  Issues of cost and quality control, turnaround times, evidentiary issues and contamination were all discussed.  Forensic Science Division Commander Dean Gialamas visited the FSS contract laboratory, which is some 120 miles away.   As a direct result of this trip we are currently in negotiations to obtain software that should significantly enhance our DNA database capability.   

Travel to other areas is always interesting and informative.  And, although at the time of this trip I had significant family and personal medical issues which needed my attention, I determined that the county and the department would significantly benefit from the information and experience we all would bring back. While on this trip I continued to respond to calls and e-mails from OCSD personnel and, because the travel involved considerable flight time I had plenty of time to work on Department business. I am including such details here because I understand the need for public employees to protect themselves from false allegations related to their activities.

However, what I do not understand is why Supervisor Moorlach couldn’t have called for information before insinuating that those of us who travelled lied to the Board regarding what was clearly a work related and beneficial trip.  To better explain we are providing to you the documents approving the trip, reporting the trip and in response to the questions raised. We invite you to read them and we believe any questions regarding the purpose and benefit of the trip will be answered. Finally, The Orange County District Attorney's office has also visited England for the purpose of evaluating potential benefits to Orange County law enforcement and the residents we serve. Anyone who continues to doubt the validity and importance of such trips may wish to contact the District Attorney's office for further justification.

Here's the Agenda Staff Report requesting approval from the Board of Supervisors for the Sheriff to travel.

Here's the itinerary of our trip.

Here's a letter to the County CEO we sent last week.

Here's an Interpol Press Release on the Sheriff's visit.

Update, November 8th: Here's one Supervisor's understanding of the visit to Europe. This comes from Supervisor Bates' newsletter and was written on March 23rd, after the Board approved the trip for the Sheriff (prior to the trip):

"At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the Sheriff-Coroner to travel to Great Britain and France to meet with law enforcement, private sector and government officials on international terrorism and law enforcement issues. Sheriff Carona will travel to Lyon, France, to meet with Secretary General Ronald Noble of Interpol for a series of classified briefings on intelligence, drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism. Establishing a direct relationship with Interpol will provide the Sheriff with direct access to timely intelligence. The Sheriff will also travel to London to meet with Great Britain’s top metropolitan police agency, Scotland Yard, to be briefed by its commissioners on security operations at London-Heathrow Airport and on the London Underground public transportation system. He will be given a briefing on the Closed Circuit Television system utilized for security in the greater London area. Upon his return, Sheriff Carona will provide the Board of Supervisors with a complete report on findings and public safety goals developed from the comprehensive briefings."
 

And here's Supervisor Bates' take on the trip after the Sheriff and Command Staff returned:

"Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona recently met with Secretary General Ronald K. Noble at the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, to identify ways in which vital international police information could be accessed by officers on the street.

The world’s largest police organization, each of Interpol’s 186 member countries has an Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) which is controlled and staffed by the national authorities of that country.

Located in Washington DC, the United States NCB includes police representatives from a number of federal and state law enforcement agencies, and has been working with the General Secretariat to extend Interpol services to officers in the field.

“If Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies were given direct access to Interpol’s tools such as the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, this would have a major impact on our ability to carry out our job of protecting all residents and visitors,” said Sheriff Carona.

Since January, 2007, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Jail Deputies have had official designation from the US’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to interview foreign nationals taken into custody. Enabling access to Interpol’s international databases would further assist local law enforcement to identify international wanted persons arrested in Orange County.

For more information, please click here."

To view photos of Sheriff Carona meeting with Secretary General Ronald K. Noble at Interpol headquarters, please click here.