It’s time for O.C. sheriff to allow information sharing with others

The Costa Mesa City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 21 to approve a resolution authorizing the city to participate in the Integrated Law and Justice Agency for Orange County by entering into a joint-powers agreement. This will cut waste and save the county millions of dollars. Several cities have already approved this, and the rest are scheduled to hear it over the next few weeks.

According to the city staff report, there has been concern over a number of years about inefficiency in the databases used by the county courts, the Sheriff’s office, city police departments and the district attorney’s office. A local study conducted in 1997 determined that more than $5 million in overtime was being spent in Orange County by law enforcement agencies for off-duty court appearances, when only a small number of those officers testified in court. Grant funding was then obtained for a study that identified several inefficiencies in the criminal justice system in Orange County.

Due to these findings, a committee was formed consisting of police chiefs from seven municipal police departments and the department heads of the county criminal justice agencies, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the district attorney’s office, public defenders and the chief probation officer.

A plan was later developed by these agencies, the courts and all 21 city police departments. The recommendations made were to “improve public safety through increased access to better information on a more timely basis, reduce redundant data entry and processes, stop reinventing the wheel, become more efficient so to re-deploy funds into other law and justice activities, and take advantage of the national emphasis for integration initiatives.” Some of the specific initiatives identified were to “distribute and provide access to court disposition information, process and deliver subpoenas electronically, share records and case data across jurisdictional lines, automate case filings, and enhance security to ensure confidentiality.”

This is a common-sense, cost-saving measure that will increase public safety, officer safety and efficiency. Additionally, this will speed up the process of sharing information on crime- and gang-related issues among cities.

The problem is that Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona does not want to participate now. This means that all unincorporated areas and contract cities (Stanton and all cities south of Irvine except Laguna Beach) that receive their law enforcement services from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will not receive the benefits of this program. Nor will cities with their own police departments be receiving certain information from areas in the Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction.

Originally, Carona indicated he would not oppose the agreement if adopted and that his department would participate. A few days before the agreement was scheduled for approval by the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 10, 2002, Carona not only changed his position but also actively opposed it. At that point, it was removed from the board’s agenda and has been stalled ever since.

On Sept. 7, 2005, the proposal was presented to the Orange County City Manager’s Assn., as a follow-up to a letter that was signed by every chief of police in the county, the district attorney and the presiding judge of the Superior Court. On Nov. 2, 2005, the city managers with municipal police departments unanimously approved the recommendations to form the agreement. Most recently, the Grand Jury recommended support of it.

With all of this support, Carona still opposed the plan.

So we must ask why Carona would not want to participate.

Perhaps he does not want to be part of such an agreement, which gives equal authority to all participants. The city attorneys of all of the participating cities apparently have no problem with the agreement. If the Sheriff’s Department were to participate, the cost savings would be even more significant. Perhaps Carona feels other agencies should not have access to the hardware system of the county database. The problem is that this is funded by the taxpayers and should be made available to all Orange County law enforcement agencies, not just the Sheriff’s Department.

As sheriff, Carona has a responsibility to work with his public safety partners on regional issues that improve public safety countywide. There is no excuse for a seven-year refusal to participate in integrated law and justice. Similar programs are in place in neighboring counties because it ensures the timely exchange of information between agencies, making it easier for us to do our job. Information is essential to officers and deputies in the field and it is good for public safety ? those are reasons enough.

We fully support the agreement and are disappointed that the Sheriff’s Department will not be participating. As we said, this is a common-sense, cost-saving measure that will increase public safety and officer safety. The public should be telling their elected officials and the Sheriff’s Department the need for participation in this program and more efficient use of tax dollars. It’s time to put aside pride and petty politics and replace it with good public policy.