Orange County supervisors announced Tuesday that they’ve picked Gary Schons, a prosecutor with decades of experience investigating public corruption in Southern California, to head the county’s Office of Independent Review.
Tag: Office of Independent Review
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Has the Day Finally Come for OC to Get a Law Enforcement Watchdog?
For the past nine months, Orange County’s watchdog agency has been left without a director. But that could change with a possible vote Tuesday by county supervisors to appoint the new head of the Office of Independent Review.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
OC Sheriff Gets Advisor to Act as ‘Insurance Policy’ Against Further Scandal
Amid an ongoing scandal over misuse of jailhouse informants, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens received unanimous approval from county supervisors to hire a “constitutional policing” advisor who would report directly to her.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: The Demise of OIR Should Trigger Calls to Feds
With the head of the county’s Office of Independent Review abruptly resigning last week, and problems ranging from a “failure of leadership” in the DA’s office to jailbreaks on Sheriff Sandra Hutchens’ watch, bringing in federal investigators might be the only prudent thing to do.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
Supervisors to Take Final Vote on Expanding Their Oversight of Law Enforcement
The proposal expands the Office of Independent Review’s purview, which is now limited to the Sheriff’s, Department to also include the District Attorney’s office, Probation Department, Public Defender’s office, and Social Services Agency.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Supervisors Ready to Expand Role of Law Enforcement Watchdog
After months of wrangling, supervisors’s Chairman Todd Spitzer secured the necessary votes to expand the scope of the county’s Office of Independent Review to include the DA.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
DA Pushes Back Against Effort to Expand County Oversight Office
Tony Rackauckas has gone public with his opposition to an effort to expand county supervisors’ oversight of his office. Whether there’s enough support for the expansion should be revealed during today’s supervisors meeting.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Amid Informants Scandal, Supervisors Discuss Larger Role for Watchdog
Meeting focused on whether the purview of the Office of Independent Review, which is currently limited to the Sheriff’s Department, should also include the District Attorney and other agencies related to law enforcement.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Supervisors Slated to Delay Plans to Ax OIR Director
The Orange County Board of Supervisors was planning to show Office of Independent Review head Steve Connolly the door by the end of this month. But the board is now scheduled to give him another four months.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Health & Wellness, Investigative, Top Stories
Experts Testify on Civilian Oversight of Police
The hearing before three Orange County supervisors occurred just as civilian oversight of the sheriff’s department faces a reboot.
