In a scathing assessment, grand jurors said key factors in the January 2016 escape included management not adequately training and supervising deputies at the jail, which allowed the guards to repeatedly violate security policies and procedures.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inEconomy, Safety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Santa Ana Police Chief to Resign Amid Criticism and Praise
Carlos Rojas is resigning and taking a job in the San Francisco Bay Area, amid public praise and criticism of his leadership from a divided City Council.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Jump in Shootings Prompts Santa Ana to Look at Comprehensive Approach
Shootings in the city have tripled and homicides have doubled in recent years. City leaders are starting a community-wide conversation about how to address the issue, as they emphasize the need for everyone to work together.
Posted inInvestigative, Safety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana
Santa Ana Considers New Police Oversight After $8.5 Million in Shooting Payouts
Most of the City Council supports a discussion about new oversight, including the possible creation of a civilian review panel that would examine police use-of-force incidents. The city paid more than $8 million last year to settle police shooting lawsuits.
Posted inGovernment, Housing & Homelessness, Top Stories
Homeless Advocate Shuts Down OC Supervisors’ Meeting Over Children in Riverbed
Mohammed Aly refused to stop speaking when his three minutes were up. A sheriff’s deputy threatened to arrest a Voice of OC reporter who was filming Aly and sheriff’s officers when everyone was ordered to leave the board room.
Posted inEconomy, Housing & Homelessness, Santa Ana, Top Stories
100 New Apartments for the Homeless Approved by Santa Ana
The new developments will include employment help and other services for veterans and chronically homeless people. City leaders say other cities also need to expand their housing supply.
Posted inHealth & Wellness, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Santa Ana May Convert Part of Jail to Mental Health Center
Santa Ana’s detainees now are held at county jails, leaving over 300 empty beds at the city jail. Most City Council members said they want to consider a mental health facility.
Posted inAnaheim, Government, Housing & Homelessness, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Homeless in the OC
More than 15,000 people are homeless in Orange County at some point during the year, according to the latest available figures.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Free-Speech Battle Heats Up Over Public Comments at OC Supervisors’ Meetings
County Counsel Leon Page is defending a ban on public commenters addressing supervisors by name, among other the ACLU claims is illegal. In response, ACLU officials say county supervisors will be set straight by the courts if they don’t change their policies.
Posted inCountywide, Housing & Homelessness, Top Stories
Shawn Nelson Issues Call-to-Action to Find Beds for Homeless
Supervisor Shawn Nelson said homelessness should be treated as an emergency and directed staff to research ways to quickly provide a bed for every homeless person in Orange County, even creating campgrounds on county-owned properties.
