Integrity to the Sheriff's Office
There’s a new sheriff in town and her name is Sandra Hutchens, selected from a field of 48 candidates to complete the term of former Sheriff Mike Carona who was indicted on federal corruption charges.
Following high school, Sheriff Hutchens attended the LA Sheriff Training Academy and was sworn in as a deputy in 1978.
In July 2003, after several major promotions, she was named Chief of the Office of Homeland Security for the County of Los Angeles and commissioner on the Los Angeles County Emergency Preparedness Commission. She commanded more than 1,000 personnel and supervised police service contracts for 40 cities.
Her career also included serving as Legislative Liaison in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. She developed cross-cultural and community relations skills; and a diverse education, including counter-terrorism training in Israel, FBI National Academy training, participation in the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative Program at Harvard University, and BS degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne.
Sheriff Hutchens resides in Orange County with her husband, Larry, a retired assistant police chief for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
While at the Skate Park in Ladera Ranch last week to film a public service announcement about helmet safety (see photo), Sheriff Hutchens took time for a brief interview with Ladera Times Editor Jim Schmitt.
Q. How is the transition taking place?
A. It was difficult at first as I didn’t know the people real well. But the staff has been very supportive and it has been going smoothly.
Q. Do you see any further changes in command?
A. I’m looking at every department and moving personnel around, but I am waiting for command to develop policies and procedures to establish an organizational structure.
Q. What do you see as major challenges for the department going forward?
A. The department has been under a cloud from the indictment (of former Sheriff Mike Corona) and has permeated the organization. But I have discovered that this has been primarily with the Office of the Sheriff as opposed to the department as a whole where people continued to go about doing their jobs without leadership.
Q. How are you dealing with the scandal at the jail?
A. I have brought in the outside consulting firm comprised of former members of the State Board of Corrections to do an audit at all five jails. I am putting supervisory personnel through training, have developed a new Jail Manual, and plan to conduct periodic updates from the audits.
Q. Do you feel the Sheriff’s Department provides adequate police coverage for unincorporated communities such as Ladera Ranch?
A. I really haven’t taken a look at that yet. There’s always a need to do more, but I feel we’re doing a good job. I’ll be reviewing that in the future.
Q. Do you have any message for the residents of Ladera Ranch?
A. I am honored to be appointed as the Orange County Sheriff and I pledge to restore integrity to the department. The 4,000 men and women of the Sheriff’s Department and I are committed to providing the best possible service to our citizens.
(See related op-ed piece by 5th District Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates.)