[Kern County] Grand jury: KCSO not processing some arrest warrants in timely manner

The 2019-2020 Kern County grand jury found the Kern County Sheriff’s Office was not processing some arrest warrants in a timely manner and has made a series of recommendations to KCSO, according to a news release from the grand jury.

The recommendations the grand jury made to KCSO to be completed in fiscal year 2020 include:

• Improving direct supervision at substations to ensure timely service of warrants and for KCSO substation supervisors to receive training regarding Criminal Justice Information Services and California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System.
• Providing formal training courses where tasks and goals are clearly outlined for sheriff support technicians and substation supervisors.
• Sheriff support technicians meeting quarterly to receive updated training, and discuss problems and solutions.
• Sheriff support technicians adjusting their work schedule to ensure last-minute warrants are processed for service.
• Having a backup sheriff support technician to act as a floater to cover absent technicians and ensure timely warrant processing.
• Setting up a tracking system or oversight procedure to ensure warrants are served in a timely manner.

The grand jury initiated an investigation after receiving a citizen complaint regarding KCSO’s handling and assignment of arrest warrants. Unannounced visits to various KCSO substations and personnel interviews were conducted to determine if there was basis to the complaint.

The jury met with several KCSO supervisors and sheriff support technicians to learn how warrants make their way from the issuing judge to the target listed on the warrant, according to the news release.

The grand jury found that a lack of trained supervision can result in warrants not being served for weeks or months, along with violations of DOJ secondary verification requirements, according to the news release. It was also found that the current sheriff support technician’s training method results in poor habits being passed on and a lack of consistency.

It was also found that there is no urgency to issue warrants in a timely manner, according to the news release.

“Without timely entry into (the California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System) and (the National Crime Information Center), other law enforcement agencies may not know an individual has an outstanding felony or misdemeanor warrant,” said the grand jury in the news release.

It was also found that warrants may be issued at any time, however, the sheriff support technician may search for Criminal Justice Information Services notifications at random times throughout the day, the news release said.

“If a warrant is issued late in the day, it may wait until the next day or longer to be assigned,” said the grand jury in its news release.

It was also found that there is no coverage for sick or vacationing sheriff support technicians, which could result in warrants going days or weeks without being assigned to a deputy.

The Bakersfield Californian
May 21, 2020