Will Sheriff Sandra Hutchens still be smiling after the next O.C. Board of Supervisors meeting?
“County supervisors Chris Norby and Janet Nguyen want to see the surveillance tapes recorded when sheriff’s officials used cameras to zoom down onto their notes during a Jan. 13 board meeting,” according to the Total Buzz blog.
I spoke to Norby about this the on Saturday night, at the Judge Jim Gray retirement party. Norby said that Hutchens’ people (ie. Jack Anderson) would not turn over the tapes. Apparently the excuse is that Hutchens feels the footage includes security issues. For example, according to Anderson, you could find out what spots at the County’s Board Room could be “blind spots,” by viewing the tapes.
Norby of course was flabbergasted by this stupid excuse. Why would he, or Supervisor Nguyen, reveal that information to anyone? Isn’t the security system supposed to protect the Supervisors? Why would they move to undermine it?
Norby said it was not likely he would sit through six hours of tape. Instead a staffer would get to do that. But Anderson, and his boss Hutchens, simply would not allow Norby to take the tape.
What the Hell is Hutchens up to? And what is she thinking?
According to Total Buzz, “Nguyen has asked that a closed session briefing be held to decide how supervisors will act to secure the videotapes.”
This whole mess is bound to blow up at the next Board of Supervisors’ meeting, which is on Tuesday.
Hutchens is clearly out of control, as are her deputies. What a massive disappointment she has been thus far. I wonder if the Carona hacks who are supporting her are putting her up to this?
Speaking of Carona, I wonder if his friends in the mob bought off some of the members of the jury that acquitted him on almost all the charges he faced? And will the mob guys get behind Hutchens too?
This a blatant power grab. Hutchens does not own that video; it belongs to everybody. Security issues? That is really pretty comical.
It’s clear that either 1)the transgression is worse than originally thought; or, 2) the Sheriff is simply trying to exercise a species of “executive priviledge” in order to let the Supes know that she will not let them shine a light into the workings of “her” organization.
Either alternative displays the typical police department mentality. The arrogance is clearly reminiscent of the crook Carona. Really appalling.
The BOS owns the equipment and the hard drive. They need to get the electronic files now.
Does the Sheriff know what obstruction of justice means?
Hutchens doesn’t want the video out because it shows the SWAT team in plain clothes harassing and intimidating citizens who came to speak at a public hearing in a public building. How is a multi-million dollar judgement going to affect her budget? It should come out of her salary and the salaries of those in command of this fascist operation. Where are the State and Federal investigators on this?
Well, Laz, I think you may be on to something here. It sure won’t look good if the video reveals selective close-ups of citizens who oppose her policy.
The sherrif said that the tapes would reveal information about an ongoing crminal investigation. Do you think that the sherrif is investigating one of the supervisors?
Art, you said “Hutchens is clearly out of control, as are her deputies. What a massive disappointment she has been thus far.
I agree that She and her Command Staff are out of Control.
The rank and file deputies of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, however, are good cops just doing what they have been ordered to do by Sandra Hutchens and her Command Staff. They have no choice in the matter, if they want to keep their jobs.
I believe the rank and file Deputies of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department want to do the right thing, but are not allowed to by Sandra Hutchens and her Command Staff.
Are there some substandard deputies in the OCSD? Certainly, just as there are substandard LEOs in every Law Enforcement Organization. I believe the vast majority do want to do right by the citizens of Orange County and would readily do so if not constrained by the Command Environment they are forced to work within.
The Sheriff has spoken and she is determined not to back down. She has implemented a system that she has to defend on a daily basis. Long live LAPD and LASD. You are unwelcome in OC.