My dog ate my badge
The "special reserve deputy" program in Orange County has been a sore spot for years, with former Sheriff Michael S. Carona handing out badges to his buddies and, more to the point, campaign donors. Broadcom's Henry Samueli had one, until he handed it in after pleading guilty in a stock manipulation case. Carona's martial-arts instructor pulled his out--along with a gun--in an argument on the golf links. Others allegedly used theirs in attempts to gain favors from police. Some actually used theirs to do worthwhile volunteering for the Sheriff's Department.
Yet more than three dozen of the recipients don't seem to have found their badges very special at all. When the new sheriff in town, Sandra Hutchens, recalled the badges of the tainted program, 42 recipients said they'd lost them, or the badges had been stolen. Among these, uh, losers, are some particularly influential operators in town.
The Sheriff's Department is pretty obviously suspicious about this, and said anyone found using the badges, or even still having them around, would face charges, including possession of stolen property. In a sort of library-reprieve gambit, the 42 were advised to take a careful look around, go through closets and cabinets, to find them. Kinda gives cleaning up the Sheriff's Department a whole new meaning.
No, that's not a real Orange County "special reserve deputy" badge. It's a fake. Don't be fooled. Photo by the Times' Mel Melcon.
WOW! You mean the pictured badge wasn’t a “special reserve civilian volunteer professional deputy responder badge”? Could have fooled those who can differentiate the difference between “civilian volunteer” and “reserve deputy”.
Posted by: Freedom Lover | August 21, 2008 at 03:50 AM
This woman is just as corrupt as the next politican. The only difference is so far she has been able to hide it a littler better.
Why is she so quick to run to her friends in LA County to have articles/stories released instead of going to our own OC Register first. Maybe she has no friends there.
I never knew the LA times were so devoted to Orange County. Maybe we should change the name to the Orange County Times.
Posted by: Want Mrs. Hutchens gone by 2011 | August 20, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Where's the story here?
Is the PSR program working or not? Are PSR's performing a valuable service to the community or not? When will Sheriff Hutchens "stand up" for the program and publically voice her support?
Until Sheriff Hutchens confirms PSR program is working, we will continue only negitive reports like this one.
The time has come Sheriff Hutchens. Either stand up and support the program, or shut it down once and for all.
Posted by: TSIMB | August 20, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Exactly, Phred. Why don't I see any of these heavy breathing blog types and editorial wannabes ask where are the recalls for the similar badges handed out to city council members, mayors, cooks, non-sworn civilian positions and the like? Oh, wait, that would upset them, after all, they CONTRACT the services to the County.
Posted by: redspike | August 20, 2008 at 04:37 PM
Yet another article about the lost badges and calling PSR's Special Reserves. We are Profession Service Responders - where are you getting the word Reserve from? We are NOT reserves! Isn't there something more important to write about rather than these badges that look nothing like an Orange County Sheriff's Department badge?
What about the Board of Supervisors that have an actual look alike badge of the OCSD's deputy badges? Why hasn't our "change agent" Hutchins recallled those? What about the Chaplains badges? Those mirror the sworn badges as well. Cooks? Office workers? Janitors? THESE BADGES ARE THE REAL PROBLEM HERE AND THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THE MISUSE IS. You should ask to see what one of these looks like and you would realize that this "badge issue" with the PSR's are nothing but a Los Angeles tactic by a clueless appointed sheriff.
Did you think of asking for a PRA of the dates the badges were recorded stolen? You might find that some of these were reported stolen long before the recall of them.
Do you think that all of us PSR's were/are Carona contributors and that the program is tainted? No, the original 86 in the Level IIII Reserve Program (which was not a legal designation) had badges like the BOS, Chaplains, Office Wokers, Janitors and other non-sworn employees and volunteers. Most of those were in it for the badge, I'm pretty sure quite a few if not all were contributors to Carona and I'd almost guarantee that a few of those original 86 badges (that actually mirror the sworn badges) are tucked away in safes.
The "tainted program" was cleared up years ago, but the media never reports when something wrong has been made right. Hutchins is chasing away the dedicated volunteers in this program which has been Nationally recognized by misleading the press and making us all feel like we can't be trusted. (If you are a PSR, please don't leave the program and let this appointed leader win).
How about some opinions on real issues here rather than on misleading stories from the media?
Posted by: CuzSheCan | August 20, 2008 at 04:17 PM
Why don't you key on all the other civilians that have badges. cooks Etc. Over 780 of them are still out there.
Special Reserves are old news, those badges were pulled in 2000. You shouldn't try and tie a existing program to another discontinued one.
Posted by: Phred Smith | August 20, 2008 at 04:05 PM
I guess those 42 people keep wanting to play wanna be cop or something. How many of those people that lost them were donors, celebrities, or even still active PSRs? I have the lsit of people that lost them. Most are no longer active in the PSR program.
Posted by: ChompinMonkey | August 20, 2008 at 04:05 PM