The Orange County Sheriff’s deputies who provide security at the doors of the Santa Ana courthouse are, themselves, vulnerable to an armed attack according to a Grand Jury report about the Sheriff’s Department released Friday.
The report didn’t address one high-profile incident involving the department, the mid-January escape of three inmates from Orange County Jail. The report suggested, erroneously, that federal and state agencies are investigating the escape, failing to note that the Sheriff’s Department is conducting an internal review.
Instead, the Grand Jury focused on several potential weak points that might threaten deputy safety.
The courthouse entrances, for example, often become congested, a fact that limit’s visibility for deputies, the report said. Also, the partitions that guide crowds through the area are not bullet-proof and body armor worn by the offices leave the head and other body areas unprotected, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the scanners used at the courthouse entrances do not identify non-metal weapons, another potential hole in security
“The Sheriff’s Special Officers who are on the first line of defense are exposed and vulnerable,” said the report, which concentrated on sheriff’s detention and holding areas. Other courthouses are also vulnerable, the report concluded.
Sheriff’s officials said they would review the grand jury recommendations.
“We continuously look for ways to be better prepared,” said Lt. Mark Stichter. He noted that officers and deputies at the security entrances receive training to handle attacks.
The report added that inmates arriving and departing from the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach also are visible and vulnerable to the public.
“This vulnerability could lead to terrible consequences should anyone with criminal intentions want to use this gap in security,” wrote the Grand Jury. “It is plausible that someone outside the facility could trigger an attack on an inmate for personal reasons or to prevent testimony.”
The report found that video security at the courthouse is inadequate, creating blind spots at the courthouse and the adjacent parking lot. It also noted that the Sheriff command center at John Wayne Airport is operating with outdated equipment that is due for a replacement.
“In the event of a critical system failure, the entire airport security system could be at risk,” said the report. Airport and sheriff’s officials are working on an upgrade.
The sheriff’s Harbor Patrol Marine Operations Bureau, a key part of Orange County’s homeland security operation, lacks a video system mounted on patrol boats, with deputies using their cellphones to shoot video, according to the report.
“Video or still photography would be invaluable in the case of search and rescue operations, firefighting documentation, accident investigation, law enforcement operations and distressed vessel response.”
The report noted that the jailbreak, which ended after the three men had been free a week and had traveled through much of the state, highlights how poor systems or equipment can be a potential danger for the public and deputies.
“This event underscores the need for increased security in all confinement settings,” the grand jury wrote of the escape.
Sheriff spokesman Stichter would not discuss the probe, saying it remains ongoing.
May 13, 2016
The Orange County Register
By Tony Saavedra
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