The Mojave substation of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office has not yet installed a property room security camera and parking lot fencing recommended by the Kern County Grand Jury in 2016, with staff blaming budget constraints.
The Grand Jury released a report Nov. 9 after an Oct. 5 check of the facility. The report was mostly informational, and the check was routine, not due to a citizen complaint.
But this month’s report did point out that in the 2015-2016 report, the Grand Jury recommended that a surveillance camera be installed in the property room to monitor activities inside, and that a security fence and gate be installed around the patrol car and employee parking area. Neither had been done as of the Oct. 5 visit. In both cases, staff at the substation said the work had not yet been done due to budget constraints.
The grand jury stated there are surveillance cameras in other areas of the substation, with 12 located indoors and seven outdoors.
This month’s report also recommends that KCSO provide a dedicated interview room as funds become available.
In the legally required response to the 2016 report, dated Aug. 4, 2016, Sheriff Donny Youngblood said that when the budget does allow, secured parking would be highly considered. He also said the Sheriff’s Office had allocated funding from state law AB109 to improve the video system in the jail and secure hallways adjoining the courthouse, there may be a possibility of expanding that system to cover the property room, and that recommendation would be considered when the video system project resumes.
The Mojave Substation serves a coverage area of 1,320 square miles, with approximately 14,000 residents. There are 23 sworn staff positions at the substation: one sergeant, two senior deputies, 12 deputies, one senior detention deputy, four detention deputies, and three deputies assigned to the court. Two of the deputy positions are currently vacant.
The substation also includes the Mojave Jail, which houses and processes arrested until they’re cited and released, or transferred to the Central Receiving Facility in Bakersfield. The jail has six holding cells with a total of 14 beds.
According to staff, during August and September 2017, an average of 10 inmates per day (with as few as one or as many as 19) were transported from Bakersfield to Mojave for court appearances. There are three courtrooms at the adjoining East Kern Superior Court, and the substation provides bailiffs and courtroom security.
An outside vendor prepares meals for inmates at the jail, though inmates brought over from the Lerdo Facility for court appearances are given sack lunches by Lerdo.
In all, the report contained 13 findings:
1. The substation and jail business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; outside of those hours, the public may access the external phone to contact jail staff.
2. When the Grand Jury was at the facility Oct. 5, there were eight inmates at the jail: six pending a court appearance, and two awaiting transfer to CRF in Bakersfield.
3. Inmates are brought to Mojave by the KCSO Transportation Unit from CRF, Lerdo, and public defender/attorney visits. At the end of the business day, inmates are driven back to their assigned facilities.
4. The Mojave Jail typically holds male and female inmates with no immediate medical or mental health needs for fewer than 72 hours, though they can be held for up to 96 hours if necessary before transfer to CRF.
5. There were 1,106 bookings into the Mojave Jail in 2016, and 862 in 2017 through the end of September. (The per-month rate between the two years is about the same.)
6. If there are no female deputies on duty, female arrestees are sent straight to CRF.
7. Laundry services are handled through Lerdo.
8. The 2015-16 Grand Jury report recommended a surveillance camera be added in the property room to monitor activities inside, but staff said that hadn’t yet been done due to budget constraints.
9. The outside area is monitored by cameras that are manned by a mix of deputies and a private security agency.
10. The 2015-16 report recommended a security fence and gate be installed around the patrol car and employee parking lot, but staff said funding was not available.
11. There is no dedicated interview room.
12. In the event of a catastrophic incident, the substation could be self-sustaining for up to 12 days.
12. Community Service Unit volunteers provide an invaluable service by providing additional support to the substation.
The report’s three recommendations are the property room camera, the parking lot fence, and the interview room.
The KCSO is required to submit a response within 60 days.
November 9, 2017
Mojave Desert News
By Aaron Crutchfield
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