Orange County Sheriff’s Department Seeks Spike in Car Impound Fees
Government
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Fees would increase from $50 to $144. Officials say it’s to recover costs while opponents say it will hurt the working poor.
Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/american-civil-liberties-union-of-southern-california/)
Fees would increase from $50 to $144. Officials say it’s to recover costs while opponents say it will hurt the working poor.
The Sheriff’s Department has faced controversy in recent weeks over revelations that an internal audit found hundreds of cases where deputies failed to follow policy in booking drugs, cash, photos, and videos in criminal cases by the end of their shift.
There was no discussion of how much money would be devoted to the plan or how many doctors or nurses would be treating inmates. Answers weren’t provided after the meeting.
United Nations monitor Philip Alston said many American communities are criminalizing homelessness – and thus making it more difficult for people to find jobs and housing – after a nationwide tour in which he heard from Orange County homeless advocates and civil rights lawyers, among others across the country.
From 2003 to 2016, 33 people died following use-of-force by an Anaheim police officer. The Anaheim Police Department is the ninth deadliest police force among 60 of the largest U.S. cities, the ACLU report states.
The unanimous decision came after more than three dozen public commenters spoke against the expansion and none supported it. Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said the expansion will bring an additional $5 million in revenue to the county without requiring more staff.
In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the City Council told city staff to work with nonprofits and law schools and develop a plan to provide lawyers for Santa Ana residents who are at risk of deportation but can’t afford an attorney.
The ACLU claims county officials illegally trapped dozens of homeless people living along the Santa Ana River, which the county disputes. However, both sides were in support of canceling a key court hearing for Thursday as they appear to be seeking an agreement.
As county officials move to push homeless people from an encampment next to the Santa Ana River, the American Civil Liberties Union has jumped into the fray with threats of legal action.
Advocates want state Attorney General Kamala Harris to block federal access to the controversial CalGang database out of fears that the Trump administration will use it to deport unauthorized immigrants who’ve been erroneously labeled as gang members.