(Photo courtesy of the O.C. Register).
There are a lot of differences between new O.C. Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and former Sheriff Mike Carona. For one thing, as the L.A. Times points out in a new article today, Hutchens actually has a lot of street experience. She WAS a top cop for years, while Carona was a bailiff. He became Sheriff without benefit of having walked even one beat.
The point is illustrated by this excerpt from the L.A. Times article:
“I think it’s important to have come up through the ranks and to have done all those jobs. I know when someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes about how they do their jobs,” Hutchens said. “You can’t take the experience away. You don’t forget where you came from.”
The O.C Register also published an interview with Hutchens this weekend. One of the questions raised by the Register reporter was about Carona’s secret video taping operation in his office. Her response was illuminating:
“It’s eerie,” she said, then corrects herself. “I don’t know if eerie is the right word. It’s strange. Sometimes it’s a strange feeling to sit in this office and think about what occurred in that administration.”
The Register article covered many of the same points brought up in the Times article. But one fact was very interesting. She did not finish her bachelor’s degree until 1996. I also know firsthand how much work it is to finish college as an adult. This says a lot about her character. She is willing to do what it takes to improve her lot and to do a better job.
A lot has been made about the fact that Hutchens comes into the Sheriff’s department without a plan of action. She wants to study the issues first. I don’t have a problem with that. She has the experience to get it right. Supervisor Chris Norby thinks SAPD Chief Paul Walters would have been a better choice because he had a plan ready to go. But charging into Carona’s mess with a pre-mixed plan sounds idiotic. It took years for Carona to destroy his department. I think we can give Hutchens a few months to figure out the extent of the mess before she writes her own action plan.
In fact in the world of project management, which I know something about having worked as a project manager in multi million dollar construction projects and having earned a graduate certificate in the subject, you need to know the full scope of a project before you can put together a project calendar and before you can start to plan the project. Hutchens is doing exactly what professionals tell us you should do in her situation.
Besides, Norby has no room to argue. He endorsed Carona in his last race for reelection even though he knew better. As such he owns a piece of the Carona disaster. Now he needs to shut up and let Hutchens do her job. My advice to Norby – stop taking calls from Mike Schroeder and John Lewis. They created the Carona disaster. Now they need to get a busy signal when they call the Supervisors.
As for Hutchens, we now know more about her but the proof will be in the pudding – let’s give her some time to do her job. If she fails at least we won’t be stuck with her for long. She never could have been elected to Sheriff. If she does a good job at least she will have a shot to get reeleccted.
Though the Register has unfairly branded her an affirmative action appointment, they now seem to be going to the other extreme by featuring multiple articles and photos as though Ms. Hutchens is a rock star. She is a career law enforcement professional, and that is what’s needed. The publicity needs to stop soon as there is a risk the rock star treatment can taint most anyone’s judgement. Give this lady a chance to do the job that’s before her and get off the celebrity train that seems to have left the station (at least in the two newspapers) —
Hard to believe that the panel would get it right and hire the right person for the job this time, but she looks better than a career politician/baliff- turned county wise guy – Carona.
Anyone who has headed up an organization that needed structural changes going forward knows that it is best to take on the job by getting information from the members of the organization, building communication conduits within the membership and crafting dynamic plans for improvement when enough information begins to flow.
The biggest jerks are the ones that come with ready made plans based on presumptions and expediency requirements.
I am sure things are a mess there. There seems to be evidence of habitual witness tampering by Carona, and if so, that would indicate how above the law he and his cronies felt in their positions. Criminal “shortcuts” in an organization will reveal a rotten chain of command and disregard for best practices/procedures.
Reviewing the concealed weapons permits was a very smart first move, imo. She knows how its played and she’s willing to tackle the mess. Our county deserves much better than the shifty sheriff that Carona appears to have become.
I agree with both #1 and #2. Hutchens needs to be left alone to do what has to be done. It was all that Rock star treatment that possibly gave Carona the feeling he was untouchable.
#2 has it right as well, along with Art. You can’t make up a “fix” before you have the job and know what is broken. Much to my surprise the Supervisors seem to have got it right and as Art points out if in the short appointment time she isn’t able to make a dent in the problems she can be replaced. Somehow giving the OC credit for doing something right feels wrong but maybe they were due. Now maybe they should turn their attention or ask the grand jury look into some of the school messes, especially Santa Ana unified.
The San Diego Grand Jury recently released a very complex report on internal problems with their college systems. It reads like a template of SAUSD.
Been There –
Well said. ‘Party like a rock… party like a rock star!‘
SMS
My question remains: if Hutchens was the best candidate for the job, why did it take lobbyists, consultants, arm-twisting politicans, a “king-maker,” one supervisor predisposed toward voting for her and a group of wealthy and influencial women to get two more votes for her? Is anyone claiming she could have gotten the appointment on her own? Such a claim would be laughable.
The only meaningful test is how she will lead. Everyone should hope that the way she got there is not an indication of how much propping up she’ll need to look competent. Despite my questions about her abilities, I agree everyone should wait and see. If she’s a bozo, all those watching will know.
I agree with much what everyone has posted and feel Sheriff Hutchens is what the Department needs after the Corrupt leadership of Carona and the Sell out leadership of Anderson. Rank &File feels Hutchens can lead the department back to greatness soemthing that never would of happened under Anderson who only wanted to please Moorlach.