Before Sheriff Sandra Hutchens revealed her new comand staff today, she told reporters about a policy she has drafted on concealed weapons permits.
Responding to criticisms of former Sheriff Mike Carona’s policy as rewarding his political cronies, Hutchens said she will bar the issuing of any CCWs as a political or social favor. Anyone seeking to get a permit must demonstrate “credible, significant and substantiated” threats to their safety, she said, and they will be subjected to a background check. Anyone with a felony conviction, a misdemeanor charge involving violence or a misdemeanor charge in the last five years will be barred from the permits, Hutchens said.
Hutchens said her aim is to be “consistent, equitable and fair.”
Read the draft plan here.
Welcome to LA County everyone.
The BOS wanted “Change” when they appointed Sandra Hutchens as our new Sheriff. Well, they got it. Now we’re seeing what form that change will take, and isn’t change for the better…
LA County should not be the role model for decisions in our county.
Silly me, when I heard the BOS say they wanted change, I thought they wanted positive change.
The BOS have a lot of explaining to do…
It makes me sick to think that we are going to have a LAPD mentality when it comes to concealed carry permits in Orange County. Before long, our streets will look like Los Angeles with crime rampant all over our once safe county. Doesn’t Hutchins realize that Orange County is a safe place to live because of the CCW Policy that was in place?
A felony conviction in the last five years? I sure hope she won’t issue a CCW to somebody that has a felony conviction, even if it was 20 years ago. Felons are prohibited from owning firearms - forever.
Sounds like the new Sheriff is of out of touch with the voters on this issue. Haven’t we been been vocal enough in the last few elections about our desire to ease the restrictive CCW policy in this county?
This is precisely why we need to take back our gun rights from all the politicians entirely. “Shall Issue” eliminates political favoritism and cronyism while providing a means of ensuring the safety of us commoners. Sandra, are you listing?
“credible, significant and substantiated” threats to their safety
Well that is comforting. If I am threated and survived, then I MAY have cause to be issued a CCW. If I am murdered, would that be proof enough that I need a CCW? Wait, I would be dead so the CCW would not be of any use. Silly me.
I thank the BOS for turning Orange County into LA County where the only people that have rights are the criminals.
Sorry, I misspelled listening. I really hope her and the BOS are.
There are ~40 states with Shall-issue laws. CCW issuance cannot be made a tool for corruption in those states. The only way to make it fair and equitable is to adopt a shall-issue policy.
Geez, you guys have sure got your panties in a twist. The Sheriff has some lattitude in allowing CCW’s but most of the criteria described by her are law.
This is not LA County and she obviously reconizes that. So far nobody has been denied anything. Why not wait and see if she denies anyone from obtaining a permit before judging her? If she uses a liberal LA criteria then you’ve got a leg to stand on but right now you sound like a bunch of silly drama queens.
“credible, significant and substantiated” is the language from the LAPD policy. They’re even more restrictive than LASD - they only have 14 permits out, all to ultrawealthy people. Even judges and DAs go to LASD.
This is the same kind of policy that got Lou Blanas in trouble in Sacramento - pay to play CCWs. Since she’s just hired Dave Gilliard as her campaign manager she needs a way to pay for him. What better way than selling CCWs?
I wonder where she got the idea. Oh, wait, Blanas is business partners with Ron Cedillos. Cedillos was Hutchens’ main backer for the OCSD job, and good buds with Sup. Bates’ husband. What a terrific little circle of insiders we’ve got going! It looks just like our last two corrupt Sheriffs.
Lightenup,
We have read the policy and what she wants to do is in violation of the law. Her desire to require some people to take a polygraph is in violation of CPC 12050. The requirement to undergo a psyche exam may also in violation.
Alot of her deputies are driving patrol cars with misdemeanor DUI convictions, does this mean if they have violated within five years, then they are no longer employed????
The first thing Sandra Hutchens does is start to change the CCW policy by making it more restrictive to those folks who are not wealthy. Doesn’t she have other things to deal with at the Sheriff Department then to change a system that Board of Supervisor, John Moorlach, stated is working well? This is reminiscent to when Bill Clinton took office and the first thing on his agenda was “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Some of her policy is illegal….. She is clearly out of touch.
I’m sure someone came up with this policy for her. Orange County will slowly start changing into LA County liberal policies. She must not have any desire to stay after the term is up.
As if it were not disheartening enough to watch the political bumbling going on in places like Sacramento, San Francisco and LA, now through the poor, misguided judgment of the OC BOS, we are now importing the failed policies of the LA Sheriff here to the OCSD by the appointment of Ms Hutchens and her LA cronies. Right out of the box she seeks to confront law abiding CCW residents with LA style elitist policies. Rest assured, I and many, many others will not forget come election day. The sheriff and those responsible for her appointment will pay a heavy political price.
That is a very high bar. You would practically have to be in the witness protection program to qualify. Guess 99% of all those County CCWs out there are soon to be revoked. Guess the Supes didn’t know that Hutchins was allied with the Democrat mind set entrenched in LA. Wonder what chicken little is thinking now.
This new policy is very confusing. She seems to raise the bar on good cause however, she also says she wants to “ensure the OCSD follows industry-standard policies”. This could be very good news since the industry standard in the US is “Shall Issue”. The industry standard for California is “Self Protection/Self Defense”. Only 8 California Counties have draconian (LAPD/LASD style) G/C policies. I fear she believes the industry standard is LAPD/LASD. Gee, I wonder why! Welcome to South LA County.
Lightenup, you are very wrong when you say “So far nobody has been denied anything.” Absolutely wrong. Over 50% of the people with a license to CCW have already had that taken away. They are not being renewed under this new sheriff and they could possibly be revoked.
And we wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for Mike Carona….Thanks Mike!!!
She is shooting herself in the foot. Wonder why this is her first order of business?
2nd Amend has a strong following in Orange County. And past elections show their impact on elections. Hope she doesnt hand up to many pictures, her stay will be very short.
After spending nearly a year going through the CCW process - interview with the Sheriff’s Dept., CCW training, firearm purchases, gun inspections, FBI background check after fingerprinting - and spending over $500 in fees, training and other expenses, it now looks like I’m going to lose my CCW. Why? Because none of the drug-addicted homeless vagrants that camp around my business or the gang bangers in the area has demonstrated a “credible, significant and substantiated” threat to my safety. Walking out of my business with a few thousand dollars cash at 2 AM after collecting money from machines (in full view of a major street) after customers leave at 11 PM in a seedy part of Anaheim is an experience I would like Sheriff Hutchens to share with me - UNARMED. Or better yet, by herself - UNARMED. She’s stated that Orange County is a pretty safe place….
Even being followed home one night for 6 miles, right to my house in a winding subdivision won’t help me - that was unsubstantiated. The break-ins to my equipment and subsequent larceny don’t really count either as there wasn’t a threat to my safety at the time. Luckily I didn’t walk in on the criminals while they were in the act.
What in the world is she and the Board of Supervisors thinking? The only reason to change a successful CCW program would be if there were significant problems with current CCW holders. I’ve not seen or heard of anything that could justify these changes. What I have seen is a deliberate movement toward policies that are in major conflict with the voter’s desires and the Constitution. Are we going to wait for more law abiding citizens to die at the hands of criminals who are eagerly waiting for the new CCW policy to take full effect, or are we going to uphold our Constitutional right as American citizens as guaranteed by the Founding Fathers in the Second Amendment? I vote for the latter!
Cooperdog, I am waiting for her to use the infamous line from Sheriff Baca - Hire a bodyguard if you need protection. Sorry Leroy, I am not Sly Stallone who has a bodyguard detail, yet somehow I still get a CCW license.
Ms. Sheriff, you can’t be “consistent, equitable, and fair” when you allow your LT. to dictate your CCW policy and remove the good cause for over 50% of the people with CCWs. Imagine how many gun owners are in this red county and think about how many people those 500 people know. Think of the CRPA, NRA, OC GOP, and other groups in this county that are gun owners. Just wait until you start getting a ton of people open carrying their firearms through your county , which according to the penal code is legal.
Sandra is doing what should have been done along time ago..Carona and his mafia associates have had there fun over the years..Time to clean house of all corrupt cops being paid their “COMMISSION CHECKS” and all business associates involved…Stand by Baca,your department is next as you are well aware of.