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Instant polls of various OC constituencies
Hutchens meets with reporters
June 10th, 2008, 12:18 pm · 9 Comments · posted by PEGGY LOWE
More like swarmed, actually…
Reporters followed Sandra Hutchens, the just-named sheriff, out of the board meeting room and tossed a host of questions at her.
I’ve transcribed my tape and the Q-and-A is available by clicking below.
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Q: You have said you see yourself as an agent of change. What do you see as the first concerns in that department?
A: Certainly, the jail operations has been in the news of late and so that is a place where I’m going to start to do an audit of that. The other area is the culture. There’s concerns about the culture in the department, that would allow something like that to occur and I’m certainly going to take a look at that. I also want to do a internal and external assessment of the department. The internal where I meet with every deputy, every employee and hear from them what the issues are and what they need to do their job better and to hear from me what my vision is. The external assessment is with the city managers, the community, the board of supervisors, the district attorney, the entire law enforcement community of Orange County because I want to work very closely with them. That has not occurred in the past. It will occur while I am sheriff.
Q: Any concerns that you were not the candidate of the union?
A: No, I’m confident that I’ll be able to work with the union. I recognize the union’s role. I’ve talked with (union president) Wayne Quint. They will have a seat at the table and we will work through our issues.
Q: What is your vision?
A: My vision is to make this the best sheriff’s department in the nation and a model for the other law enforcement agencies to look at. I think we have the people and the skills to do that and that is where I’m going.
Q: Is the department corrupt? (referring to Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s characterization during the debate that the department is corrupt from top to bottom)
A: I would not say that the department is corrupt. I think that they had a leadership vacuum for a number of years. I think they’re looking for leadership. Certainly, it’s not a corrupt department. There are issues, as there are in every department. You have to focus on those issues and remove those people from the organization so that they do not infect other people who are doing their job and doing it with distinction every day.
Q: What is your reaction to this coming down on gender lines? Meaning, it was two female supervisors voting for you.
A: Well, I have only asked that they vote for me based on my experience and qualifications. The fact that I’m a female should be an afterthought.
Q: Will there be a housecleaning?
A: I’m sure that there will be. We have some investigations ongoing, related to the Chamberlain murder and yes, there will be some housecleaning.
Q: What is your understanding of the time frame, when you will be sworn in?
A: They have to complete the psychological and the medical (exams) and I think shortly after that …I think everyone in this county is anxious to get a sheriff sworn in so we can hit the ground running and move forward.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Congratulations Sandra Hutchens! Now get to work.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Sandra- please sweep out all remnants of the corrupt Carona administration from OCSD. Remove the stench ! Start with the clown that the BOS is trying so hard to force down your throat. Good Luck, you have a tall task ahead of you.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
It is a sad day for Orange County when votes can be bought in the last hours of the OC Sheriff’s race by women lobbyists who threaten lack of financial support if they do not get their way. I am a staunch woman supporter, but this is just maddening. Ms. Hutchens, if you got this appointment fairly, I would be the first to applaud. But you know, if you would have been a man with your same experience, you would not have been appointed. Let’s face it, your last minute, back door meetings with the Republican Women’s Group Lobbiests is just wrong. The fact that Pat Bates and Janet Nyguen also met with these Lobbiests is extremely disheartening Bates and Nyguen should be evaluated for their ethics and you should be ashamed.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Oh, and the meetings with Walters had with the various mens clubs is okay. Sorry, OC Businses Mom, it is you who should be ashamed. First to be posting as a “woman” and second, to say the female Board Members did something wrong because they didn’t submit to the men in their decision. Give us all a break!
June 10th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
OC Business mom. (AKA Truth and Morality) You are posting everywhere! Reach for the Prozac for gosh sakes! There was WAY more going on than a couple of women lobbyists alledgedly doing some arm twisting.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
What’s with the incredulity (OC BusMom, et al.)? This is politics - the dealings and meetings with clubs and organizations, and vote-gathering, and whatnot, happen all the time. I agree that it is wrong - unfortunately it happens - all too often. If it is too much, then vet the candidates you vote for in the future and make better-informed choices when you vote. That, or accept the practice and be done with it. Perhaps we need more “crusader” type people running for office that will not engage in these kinds of “shady” dealings? Or maybe, we’re stuck with what we get…and there are few (if any) really good and ethical candidates out there.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Ah, another brick in the old-boys network of Orange County politics crumbles!
June 10th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I agree with previous poster. This was sleeze at its best, but that is the political game in OC. Its a shame but its real !!!! Janet jumped the track by going with the gender thing instead of listening to the Police Chiefs in her district. Bad move for the near future, but in four years everybody will forget. That’s showbiz OC style.
June 11th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Good Luch Sheriff Hutchens Just be careful if you keep Anderson as he will only try and make you look bad as he cares nothing for Rank&File of the Department.He only wants to do what will get himslelf elected Sheriff in 2010.