Grand jurors found the sheriff isn’t doing audits to make sure the evidence problems aren’t still happening.
Tag: Don Barnes
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
OC Deputy Sheriffs Get 5 Times More Training on Guns Than De-Escalation. Could That Be Changing?
New sheriff’s deputies receive 16 hours of de-escalation training, compared with 99 hours of training on guns and chemical agents. Some are calling for more de-escalation training, as local cities look at having health workers respond to non-violent mental health crises.
Posted inCountywide
From Outrage to Silence: Improper Recording of Attorney-Client Prisoner Calls in Orange County Goes Unmentioned as Jail Phones Contract is Renewed
Demands for canceling the contract with phone contractor GTL years ago have now given way to silence on the recording scandal as supervisors continue to extend the company’s contract – even as more revelations emerge of improperly-recorded calls.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Supervisors No Longer Question Sheriff Spending Tax Money Without Proper Authorization
There used to be questions when the sheriff asked for retroactive approvals months after purchases were made. Not anymore.
Posted inCountywide
Supervisors to Vote on $7 Million Sheriff’s Shooting Range Upgrades and Spending Increases for Jail Phones Consultant
The jail phones have been a source of controversy in recent years, with alleged illegal recordings of inmate phone calls.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Sheriff Barnes Has Stopped Taking Questions at His News Briefings. Here Are the Questions He Wouldn’t Answer.
The sheriff has ended his practice of taking questions at monthly news conferences. Now, he’s holding monthly “briefings” online where he’s not taking questions from reporters or anyone else.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Orange County’s #1 Most-Prosecuted Crime is Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Such as Meth Pipes
OC sheriff officials wouldn’t disclose data on the most common charges that land people in jail unless Voice of OC paid at least $1,000 for “custom programming.” But OC Superior Court provided similar data for free. Here’s what it showed.
Posted inCountywide
Does OC Work with ICE the Most in California? Sheriff Pushes for More Communication with Agency
Critics claim the Sheriff is breaking state law, while the department says it’s operating within legal parameters.
Posted inCountywide
Top OC Prosecutor Calls for Treatment Instead of Jail for Drug Use and Mental Illness
Todd Spitzer’s call for an overhaul is generating a welcome response from advocates, though they say it needs to be backed up with actual action – which they say there’s no signs of yet.
Posted inCountywide
Judge Says ‘Wildfire Spread’ of Virus in OC Jails, Which Killed Two, is Now Far Less Likely After Court Intervention
After scolding Sheriff Don Barnes for saying a December judicial order threatened public safety, Judge Peter Wilson credits the sheriff’s plan to protect against jail coronavirus outbreaks.
