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Instant polls of various OC constituencies
Board approves jail watchdog hire
March 11th, 2008, 11:15 am · 15 Comments · posted by PEGGY LOWE
Orange County supervisors just approved — with no discussion — the hiring of LA law enforcement watchdog Michael Gennaco to do a report on the Orange County jail system.
As I reported last week and this morning, Interim Sheriff Jack Anderson asked the supes to contract with Gennaco in anticipation of a grand jury report on the brutal beating death of inmate John Chamberlain in 2006. That panel’s findings were announced last Friday, with nine inmates — but no deputies — charged in Chamberlain’s murder.
I cornered Anderson after the meeting this morning and asked him why he wanted to hire Gennaco. He said that along with other changes he’s making, he wants Gennaco to do a review of policies and procedures and make a report back to the Board of Supervisors.
“If you don’t have that, the residents and even the board are going to wonder if we’re being as transparent as we can,” Anderson said.
I also asked Anderson if he wants Gennaco to look at anything specifically, since Anderson has been briefed by both the grand jury and DA Tony Rack on what the panel’s investigation found. Anderson said he can’t coment on specifics, as he’s bound by the grand jury’s secrecy rules, and that he hasn’t seen the entire 8,000-page report.
“I kind of had the high flyover, where you see the peaks and the snow caps,” he said of what he was told of the probe. “But I certainly don’t know what’s in the valleys and the foothills.”
On acting on some of what he knows, Anderson admitted, “It’s a weird dance I have to dance right now.”
But clearly, he’s dancing up a storm, firing two top aides, restructing his command staff, announcing changes in jail procedures, and hiring a favorite of Supe John Moorlach to do an independent review.
Anderson said he hopes Gennaco can start next week and anticipates that his report might take a few months to complete.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Good to see that Anderson is still obviously taking his orders from the BOS. The only thing that is transparent is his blatant ass-kissing. So, my guess is Martin can’t be far behind…..
March 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Do you cops ( I mean deputies) ever stop complaining. First it was Carona, then it was the OIR, then it was Harbor Patrol, then Anderson, then Correction Officers, now Geneco.
Give it a rest!!!!! You folks are important but you are wearing it out. At some point people are going to respond to your whining with…”Who Cares”.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
ontopof what? The last thing we need is another incompetent BOS sycophant in charge of the hard-working folks at OCSD. Not sure what you do (or don’t do) for a living but I would venture to say that if you had a list of issues like the ones you mention–all of which deserve the complaints they have gotten–you would be one disgruntled SOB.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
ontopofthings: while you and the rest of the oompa loompas may sing happily all the live-long day at charlie’s chocolate factory the fact of the matter is that most of us don’t. you may not care what kind of crap we have to keep dealing with as each day dawns but we do. the people here work hard to keep your ignorant, charmed life safe. if we don’t have the right to get angry about the unethical behavior of our command staff, who the hell does?
March 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Now you are complaining about a POST on this blog….what next the fact that you only get the richest retirement package in the world (3%@50) instead of 4% @ 40.
You are so self absorbed you don’t realize that you are getting out of step with the rest of the world.
Cops and about half of the Deputies risk their lives and should be (and are0 well rewarded….but just quit crying….your big boys now!!!
March 11th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Ah, I see now, ontopof, you are one of THOSE people….
March 11th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
918V
While I have to agree with you that Jack is making a big boob out of himself and by the way …where is the Department P.I.O. ??? Jack is doing the same thing that his mentor Mike woud do face on T.V.time every chance he got. What makes you think Martin is Moorlacks man??? I never see you write if Hunt,Huntly,Alkarez, are picked by the B.O.S. they will be Moorlocks Punk. Do you know this Martin guy ??? Do you work for him ???? I never even see him. Is he still a canidate and if so is he one of the top picks??? And 5150,where do you work ????
March 11th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Why are we trying to make this into LASD,… THIS IS ORANGE COUNTY!!!! not LA, You can look at LASD jail vs OCSD jail. If you look at the DOJ statistical from 2000-2005 LA county jail had 199 inmates die incustdy.. OC had 21… Now why do we need some “watchdog”that is just BS. It is just going to cost the tax payers more money for something we have alrighty.(IA)I think Acting Sheriff Anderson should tell the board this not a good idea for OC. Just look at LA inmate are not doing there full time and inmate deaths 8 times higher in La jails… ah..F*(&(! who cares
March 11th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Hey ontopofthings . You should try and hang your butt out in the wide open on graveyards, holidays and weekends while your wife and kids are going to soccer practice or sleeping and and tell these guys how much money they are making. Many if not a large portion that make it to retirement age have back, knee, shoulder, stomach, heart and sometimes post tramatic stress syndrome problems because according to you they make sooo much money. Great way to enjoy your golden years. You are on glue pal. As for the ever entertaining Jacko, he’s been doing some high flyovers so he can’t see how he is being manipulated by Moorlach and others who can’t seem to keep their greasy fingers out of the Sheriff’s department. That is why it is an elected office; to avoid any type of “Go fetch” mentality. I can’t belive this kaos is still going on.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Sam…you Sta 18 guys are a bit whiny. I pulled 27 years and you are right, it’s hard on the family with crappy shifts, working holidays and you do end up a physical wreck at the end. But…there IS a great retirement, with OT you make over $100k a year and most of all the job is FUN! And don’t complain, try working for a chief who is always running scared and lets the city manager and the citizens tell him how to do police work.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Ham~ 918? Yes. V? No.
1. You hit the nail on the head when you said that Jack is doing exactly what his mentor, Carona, would do. Why? Because he is being told what to do by Carona’s handlers.
2. You have to look at this from a political standpoint, not a rational or logical one. The BOS is a political entity, they will make a choice based on either their own political agenda or someone else’s (and usually that ’someone else’ is a direct contributor to the long-lasting welfare of one or more supes.)
3. As for Hunt, Hunter and Alcaraz, refer to point 2 above. I never address them because the chance of them getting picked by the board is about the same as Eliot Spitzer ever getting anything but a stony-cold stare from his wife again.
3. Make no mistake, Martin is still in the game and the fact that you rarely see him should make you worry even more that some sleight-of-hand is about to take place.
4. I’m afraid that I can’t reveal where I work or they will revoke my day pass and double-up on my Thorazine again.
March 12th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
And as a side note, if a qualified candidate for sheriff, untainted by any connection to the previous regime, were appointed by the Board, do you think they would really need to waste $215 an hour on an outsider to review policies and procedures? Probably not. Is this a sign of things to come while Anderson is busy courting the supes? Hiring some expensive outside contractors to do everything his limited experience won’t enable him to do? Perhaps they should outsource the Acting Sheriff instead.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Shades of the 80’s when OCSD had a Federal monitor of the jails..This is similar only more intense…
Peggy as a decorated veteran, I was insulted to see Jack Anderson wearing a service ribbon under his badge at the board meeting…He has NEVER been awarded a department issued ribbon, so ask him about it….Peggy, it’s only worn on his uniform shirt, so keep a look out for it!
Next he’ll be claiming he was in Pu Si Valley Vietnam…He has been in alot of close combat golf ball situations. FOUR!!!!!!!!!!!
March 13th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
5149.5
That response was a scream,my hats off to you and you well thought out retort. If the average joe (and that includes me ) ever find out what really goeson in our little County I think we would revolt and recall all of the Supes. I can’t wait to see the entire list of our potential nem Sheriff..it will be very telling when it is released. Good observation on Ralph Martin…a very good resume so we shall see ..good luck with the day pass and dbl dose of happy meds that was funny. Have a good one and if you are part of the Green Team be safe and thanks for all that you guys(and girls ) do
March 14th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Thanks, Ham, I appreciate your sense of humor as well. And you are so right about the wheelings and dealings of the Board. They are like ducks–all we see is them floating peacefully on top of the water. What we don’t see is how furiously they are pedalling underneath the surface. It should scare the scat samples out of everyone that so much power is distributed between so few people.