Good Morning Honorable Board Members. I want to thank you for allowing me to address you this morning.
I am Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson, Acting as the Sheriff-Coroner of the Orange County.
While future reports to this Board will be brief, in light of yesterday’s events I want to take a little more time to explain what has and is happening in the Sheriff’s Department.
Yesterday morning, I received a copy of the District Attorney’s report and the Special Grand Jury transcripts of their investigation into the events surrounding the murder of John Derek Chamberlain at the Theo Lacy Jail on October 5, 2006.
I want to thank the District Attorney and the Special Grand Jury for their time in this investigation.
As I have previously stated, the protocol of the DA’s Office investigating all jail deaths will be followed.
While I have only just begun a review of the transcripts, I am outraged by blatant violations of department policies and procedures by some of the members of my department. Behavior that is disconcerting and repugnant to the honest and hardworking members of the department.
Yesterday I launched the most comprehensive internal investigation ever to be conducted in the history of the Sheriff’s Department. This probe is in response to the negligent and irresponsible conduct of some of our staff outlined in the special Grand Jury’s transcripts.
While it is clear that department line staff were remiss in their duties, it is also clear to me that there was a failure to supervise and a failure to manage in ensuring line staff was being held accountable to perform their most basic core responsibilities. The obvious question everyone is asking is, “where were the supervisors?”
The internal review will include multiple layers of the department.
I can assure the members of this Board as well as the residents of Orange County, that although these issues may have taken years to degenerate to the state described in the transcripts, …they will be dealt with in short order.
As I stand here this morning, my command staff, as well as other members of the department, are reviewing personnel behavior as well as department guidelines, policies, and procedures to ensure that we take corrective action wherever it may be necessary.
Since October 5, 2006, proactive measures have been taken to enhance the safety and security at the jail facilities. These measures have been taken for the further and continuing protection of staff and inmates and I would like to review some of them now:
•The televisions have been removed from the inmate housing guard stations system-wide. Further, new policy was implemented where personal electronic devices are no longer allowed inside the jails.
•Specialized housing units were created to protect inmates with sensitive charges that may make them prone to assaults from other inmates.
•While the law requires that an inmate’s criminal charges be available to the public, several steps have been implemented to reduce the risk of inmates learning the criminal charges of fellow inmates.
-Inmate charges were removed from the department’s public web-site.
-In February of this year, I instituted a policy where inmate charges are no longer given to the public over the telephone.
•The booking slips (charge papers) of inmates no longer contain the inmates’ criminal charges.
•By policy, when it is brought to our attention by a family member, attorney, other reliable source - that an inmate may have risk or safety concerns/issues due to charges, testimony, etc. - the inmate is promptly interviewed and the interview is videotaped.
• The department is in the process of having CCTV cameras installed and/or updated throughout the jail system both where the inmates are, as well as where are deputies are working. The estimated cost of the project is $8.8 million. ($4.4 million has been allocated for phase one of the project. Phase two is unfunded at present.)
•Although there are currently no funds budgeted for the project, I have ordered the removal of the privacy walls that limit visibility into the inmate housing areas in the Theo Lacy Jail’s ‘F’ Barracks.
•A committee was formed and tasked with the responsibility to update and enhance the uniformity of all jail policies and procedures. This will ensure that all policies and procedures are uniform throughout jail operations.
•In order to increase supervisory accountability, a daily log, which is not vulnerable to unauthorized editing, has been created to document the activities of jail sergeants, providing a method for the sergeants to pass on information to their peers and the jail management team, and institutes an effective means to capture and analyze statistical data for the jail system.
•I have been and will continue to work with the County’s CEO’s Human Resources department and County Counsel’s labor relations experts to implement positive changes:
-I have already begun a jail personnel transfer schedule, where jail staff will be routinely rotated among the jail facilities. In the past, jail staff was not transferred from one jail facility to another with any frequency. This change will provide for the professional growth and career development of staff by enhancing their operational knowledge of each jail facilities.
(The Board of the Directors of the deputy’s union is opposing this change)
-I have instituted a scheduling change at Theo Lacy to enhance efficiencies and staffing and which also increases safety.
(The Board of the Directors of the deputy’s union is opposing this change)
-I have initiated a study into the possibility of placing a “correctional officer” classification in the jails.
(The Board of the Directors of the deputy’s union is opposing this change)
All of the actions I’ve just mentioned will further assist us in performing our duty to keep inmates and staff safe.
To the Deputies union Board of Directors: Show the leadership needed today – I invite you to be part of the solution.
While we continue to review our operation and institute changes within our jails, it is absolutely essential that we also review the disgraceful actions of some of our personnel found in the special Grand Jury investigation.
As you all know, a vast majority of Sheriff’s Department staff are professionals who ethically discharge their duties each and every day. I speak for all of them when I say that what is detailed within the transcripts is appalling and unsettling.
Not only was there blatant violations of our established and sound policies and procedures in our jails – but we have learned that some of our personnel testified falsely before the special Grand Jury and violated the secrecy of the Grand Jury proceedings.
The media has also characterized the day-to-day performance of some of our staff. Headlines read:
“Deputies shirked their duties and used inmates to police jail” and
“Jail guards regularly watched DVDs, slept, used cell phones and read books, according to grand jury testimony”
The actions and behaviors described within the special Grand Jury report are the absolute antithesis of our responsibility to ensure and protect justice and safety of those we’re sworn to serve.
Let there be no mistake. None of it will be tolerated.
Just in case anyone missed it, I’ll repeat myself – None of the repugnant actions described in the special Grand Jury transcripts will be tolerated.
While I inherited this matter, I realize that I will now be answerable to this Board and the public on how these matters are resolved, permanently. I will be moving the Sheriff’s Department forward, using the past only as a guide post from which to start a new journey toward creating a new culture that focuses on customer service, accountability and striving toward excellence.
Actions taken since Monday:
•Internal review has been initiated
•Numerous personnel have been placed on administrative leave, with more to follow as we read the transcripts and our internal investigation expands.
•Yesterday, I contacted the FBI and invited them to partner with us in our internal investigation as we expose possible civil rights violations.
•Mike Gennacco has already joined us and we anticipate the Office of Independent Review also joining us so as to ensure the transparency of our internal process.
As I conclude, I want to share a statement from yesterday’s briefing of staff at Theo Lacy personally given by the new facility commander, Captain Dave Wilson, because I believe everyone needs to hear it.
“We are not a secret society. We are in the business of telling the truth and acting professionally. Everything we do and say is open to public review...”
This is representative of the leadership now in place at the Theo Lacy jail. Captain Wilson and his staff have my full support as they move forward.
We should be comfortable with our transparency and accountability because a vast majority of the men and women in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department do an honest day’s work and create lasting, positive changes for the communities we serve.
To those members of the Sheriff’s Department who have expressed their anger over the behavior of a minority who have disgraced our department and sullied our reputation, I say to you, -
Hold your heads up with pride - knowing that you daily perform your job ethically. We have already instituted positive changes that will increase accountability which will recognize the good work you perform day in and day out.
Our internal review continues – and better days are ahead for the OCSD.
I look forward to returning in the future to address this Board and update you as we move forward.