Sunday, February 28, 2010

OPERATION Disconnect

OPERATION DISCONNECT~This is the state's fancy tittle to impose their searching process on us. I wonder what the pay-grade was for the rocket scientist to come up with that lame~ass name. And what the hell does it really stand for?

Don't get me wrong. I'm all in favor in keeping our staff safe & keeping the bad "apples" out of our system. But this bright idea the state has imposed on us? Is this really their intent? It makes one wonder.

If a staff member has numerous cell phones, tobacco, hand grenades, ect. then obviously they are dirty. But what about the staff who forgot to take their cell phone out of their pocket on that day? Is he or she guilty of discrediting the Department? That is the million dollar question.

So the poor staff who forgot to check themselves before leaving their car gets nabbed with their "contraband". Now what. The state then goes through the process of discrediting the employee by running them through their adverse action process. So what is the true intent of "OPERATION DISCONNECT"?

There are stories across the state on these issue's. To the point of searching person's to searching cars in the parking lot to not allowing an employee to return to their car before entering the secured area to put back that "forgotten cell phone". Granted, we are all subject to search once we are on prison grounds. But there are rules.

Where is the outcry for waste of taxpayers money here? OIA is getting paid to go to each institution to do this drill. How many 'bad apples" have they really caught? Not enough to justify their jobs. This brilliant plan the state has come up with is a freakin joke! Can't wait to see what they come up next.

So in theory, the state is moving forward with their "operation" to disconnect the staff from making any human error. Are we getting to the point where there is no room for human error with staff? As Glenn Beck would say, "Damn Right they are".

So a quick overview. State says we have a problem with "bad apples" bringing in contraband inside our prisons. They initiate OD. Now when staff forget to take out that object out of their purse or lunchbox they are deemed a discredit to our department. So who is really benefiting from this? It's another guess that our department is just using this tactic to beat the moral down even further. Remember there are several tactics out there, this is just one of them. The Department has again lost focus on what their goals are. There is no training. Just adverse action. There is no room for human error. But the state is violating many of their own rules during this process.

1) When you become under their control ie; submitting to a search~you are under the clock. Are you being provided a sign in sheet for this? This is a FLSA law.

2) Before you enter a secured area~you are not allowed to return to your vehicle to put back any "forgotten items" which puts you into an entrapment scenario. So them knowing you have contraband and giving you a direct order to proceed into the security area, who really is at fault?

3) And what are their standards of contraband items? Nail clippers? over-the counter medicine, avon catalogs? They don't even know what the list consists of.

4) The Staff they have searching staff~have they been through "Operation Disconnect" training? If you watch, most Supervisors are pulled out of the search line to search other staff. Who trained them? Is it logged in IST? And are they even qualified?

Just some food for though. Remember this the next time you go through this state process. Document and call your local chapter.

Stay Safe and Sane
Lori

Fading are the peacemakers

One of California’s most powerful political forces may have peaked

Feb 25th 2010 | LOS ANGELES | From The Economist print edition

 How much longer will they hold the keys?

DON NOVEY used to be the most important man in Californian politics that no one had ever heard of. As president of California’s prison-guards’ association from 1982 to 2002, Mr Novey turned that union into the most powerful in the state. On his watch, California built 21 new prisons. Mr Novey’s organisation also sponsored or supported tough laws that helped to fill those prisons to almost twice their capacity at times. It helped elect two Republican governors and one Democratic one, besides countless state legislators. “We sent candidates 13 questions,” he happily recalls, ranging from their stance on the death penalty to labour issues.

He is especially proud that he won his members by far the most generous wages and benefits that prison officers get anywhere in the country. Under the last deal he negotiated, which expired in 2006, the average member of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) earned around $70,000 a year and more than $100,000 with overtime. (Since then, wages have gone up again.) Mr Novey negotiated pensions of up to 90% of salary starting at as early as 50—more than teachers, nurses or firefighters get, and matched only by the state’s highway patrol.

This is the legacy that many people now blame for a good part of California’s fiscal crisis. Visiting the state earlier this month, Anthony Kennedy, a justice on the US Supreme Court, said it was “sick” that the CCPOA had sponsored the “three-strikes” law of 1994, a notorious sentencing measure that contributes to prison overcrowding. The state’s prison agency is permanently at war with the union and accuses it of obstructing reform. California’s governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had to climb down from open confrontation with the CCPOA in 2005, but is now proposing to privatise much of the state’s prison system precisely to evade its grip.

The CCPOA (which did not reply to The Economist’s repeated requests for interviews) returns the hostility. In its view, prison guards “walk the toughest beat in the state”, as its motto has it. In the Peacekeeper, the union’s newspaper, the editor writes that guards “protect the good people of the world from the bad people”, while another entry reminds guards that “if you have been gassed and exposed to blood-borne pathogens…know that every minute counts.” This is no ordinary job, the union insists, and its members deserve a good deal.

Yet the CCPOA’s influence may be waning, says Adrian Moore at the Reason Foundation, a think-tank in Los Angeles. In Mr Novey’s days, the union might have won an exemption from the furloughs of state workers now necessary because of the budget crisis; these days, it appears unable to. Barry Krisberg at Berkeley’s law school says that the guards “have priced themselves out of the market”. They can’t push for even tougher laws, he says, at a time when prisons are so overcrowded that a federal court is threatening mandatory inmate releases. And they can’t demand even more generous benefits during a fiscal catastrophe. The iron triangle—union, prison builders and Republican lawmakers—is coming apart, he thinks. Mr Novey agrees; and many Californians are hoping they are right.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Is relying on the state sound policy?

Posted: Thursday, February 18, 2010 12:00 am

In a perfect world, providing life coaching to ex-convicts is a great idea. California’s inmate recidivism rate is distressingly high, and one might assume that helping parolees learn how to make non-criminal decisions is the wise path.

This is, however, not a perfect world, and that fact presents many questions that need to be answered before Santa Barbara County officials sign off on a proposal to build and maintain two parolee day-reporting centers.

The pitch was made by the Sheriff’s Department at this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting. The board was short-handed, so the sheriff’s report was accepted, in concept, on a 3-0 vote.

Taxpayers should hope for a full board when and if this project comes back for consideration, and after someone provides an answer to what we perceive to be the key question:

Who, exactly, is going to pay for these parolee reintroduction facilities?

The plan, as presented Tuesday, relies on a promise by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to give the county $1.5 million a year, with another $100,000-plus going to the Sheriff’s Department to oversee the centers.

That pledge of $1.5 million, is, however, only good for a two-year period. After the two years, state and county officials would, presumably, have to work out details on further state funding support.

County officials should be very wary about relying on state funding promises. California government is about $20 billion in the budget hole this year and next, with no relief in sight.

How can a state department guarantee any level of funding, when there is no guarantee state government will even be solvent a year from now?

Another question that begs an answer is just how many parolees are going to use these centers? The state prison system is under court orders that could result in the early release of thousands of inmates, many or all of whom will be parolees.

Are state and local officials factoring in that potential tidal wave of parolees in the planning for local day centers?

A couple of board members voiced mild skepticism about relying on the state for funding, with one saying, “... I’d hate for us to get all dressed up, with no place to go.”

Indeed, and board members need to consider other potential problems. For example, what happens if the board approves the centers, work is started and parolees are getting life training, then after the two-year funding guarantee, the state decides it has no money left for such programs?

Are county taxpayers then on the hook to keep the programs running?

We have little doubt that such a program could help parolees, and could even reduce this state’s abysmal recidivism rate, but at what cost, if the state goes broke?

Are Santa Barbara County taxpayers willing to finance the education of ex-cons on the value of making law-abiding decisions, when so many law-abiding citizens are being deprived of valuable county services because of budget deficits?

California’s get-tough-on-crime era turned jails and prisons into one of this state’s major growth industries — growth that has become a fiscal anchor around the necks of taxpayers. This county alone has been under court order since the mid-1980s to reduce chronic jail overcrowding.

Instead of figuring how to provide more services to convicted criminals, perhaps we ought to invest more time, energy and fiscal resources in early childhood programs to teach kids about the disadvantages of a life of crime.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Ignatius Piazza: Stop Screaming, Start Shooting…

Ignatius Piazza: Stop Screaming, Start Shooting…

This video is raw. You should not watch it with children around. This is a wake up call

Friday, February 5, 2010

295 O.C. inmates released early under new law

By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ

2010-02-04 14:56:10

County officials have released nearly 300 inmates early under a new state law that reduces the amount of time inmates serve behind bars, officials said.

Passed by the legislature in September, the law – which caught some local officials off guard – allows "low-risk" inmates to earn credits for good behavior and completing other programs to reduce their sentences. In state prisons, the inmates may earn up to six weeks for each year served, saving the state about half a billion dollars, officials said.

In county jails, said Deputy County Council Nicole Sims, the law allows inmates to have their sentences cut by up to half.

The first prisoners were released from several county jails on Jan. 25, the same day the law was put into effect, John McDonald, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. In the 11 days that the new provision has been put in place, 295 inmates have been released from Orange County jails.

"I think the whole thing is unfortunate," said Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, adding that the how it will affect the county's prison population and crime rate remains to be seen.

Initially, some local officials believed the bill applied only to state prisons, and local authorities waited for guidance from the state attorney as to when inmates began to accrue credit. The law is expected to reduce the state prison population by 6,500.

Excess, deprivation mark state prisons, click here.

Sims said she was notified of the impact on Orange County in November. Since then, officials with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, District Attorney's Office and Public Defenders office have scrambled to set up guidelines for release.

County officials were also hoping to receive some direction from state authorities on whether credits on time served would begin to be earned by inmates on Jan. 25, or if the time credited to them would be applied retroactively.

Because of the lack of guidance from the state capital, counties across the state have interpreted the law differently. According to the California State Sheriff's Association, 21 of the state's 58 counties have begun releasing inmates as of this week.

In an effort to reduce the risk of possible litigation in the future, Orange County officials decided to apply the terms retroactively, Hutchens said. That decision was made after discussions with the Sheriff's Department, District Attorney's Office and Public Defenders office.

Most of the 4,737 inmates now in county jails are eligible to have their sentences reduced under the new law, Hutchens said.

Inmates serving time or with a previous conviction for crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, assault with a firearm, or arson are not eligible. Those who would be required to register as a sex offender would also be ineligible.

But law enforcement officials remain anxious.

"The definition may not exactly be how we see it," said Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters. For example, the law disqualifies those convicted of a violent or serious felony, but what a "serious" felony is may be interpreted differently, he said. "The devil is in the details."

State prisons chief Matthew Cate, in a news conference addressing the new legislation last month, called the implementation of the new law a "landmark day in California Corrections." But Hutchens called the move a last-minute effort by state legislators to address the budget crises. Ultimately, she said, the decision shifts the costs and effects to local governments, which might see county jail populations swell with former state prisoners who re-offend.

"If that is such a good idea, why didn't they think of it before the budget crisis?" Hutchens said. "They (convicts) are going to end up back in county jail."

In Sacramento, which also began releasing inmates, a convict by the name of Kevin Eugene Peterson was arrested less than a day after being released. He is suspected of trying to rape a woman, according to news reports.

Under the new law, some state prisoners who are released are also eligible for "nonrevocable" parole, meaning they can still be searched by law enforcement but do not have to report regularly to a parole officer. They can't be sent back to prison for minor parole violations either.

With unemployment rising and budget cuts affecting social programs, inmates who are being released have fewer options, Hutchens said. What the impact will be on local crime, which has been on a consistent decline in recent years, remains to be seen, she said.

Currently there are 1,200 vacant beds in county jails, Hutchens said.

Sheriff officials have been banking on a reduced jail population to win a contract with the federal government to house immigration detainees, a contract that may help the department fix its own ailing budget.


Treatment of People

I have pondering this topic for some time now and just haven't figured out how to spell it out. I suppose it comes down to 'TREATMENT OF PEOPLE". Three simple words. I have and always will preach that we are all supposed to be on the same side. Us (meaning staff) and them (meaning the boys in blue). I was taught in the academy, we are your family. But like in most families, there always seems to be the one that enjoys chaos and destruction.
Let me take a moment to ask you all to review your personal files. Purge the old chit and make sure there is nothing in there that may have been added without you knowing about it. Even though there are probably 5 violations when something is put into your file without your knowledge, it is happening folks. This happened to me. I will deal with it. I am not worried about that part. There is this thing called POBAR. And that is a very powerful thing.

Supervisors mission is very simple. Make sure the rules are being followed. Train when needed. And train when needed again. It all falls back on communication with staff. It seems, training has gone out the door. We don't get the training anymore. We get the whip outside behind the shed. Everyone one of us are human, and yes, we will make mistakes. This is what the training is for. There is a difference in making an honest mistake and deliberately violating the rules. But somewhere we lost that difference. Everything we do wrong or not the right way is considered deliberately these days. And this is the wrong path for CCC to take. CCC is much better then all this crap. We have staff wanting to leave our institution just to get out of this crap. And to think we used to be one of the hardest places to get your foot into the door. This is embarrassing for us that our institution has resorted to any of this and allowed it to continue. They need to stop now. Maybe they need to bring back TOP. Remember that? Treatment of People. This is a very simple concept. Start by treating staff with respect. Stop down-grading them. If you see someone having problems, talk to them, offer them a shoulder, don't go phuking writing them up because they ACCIDENTALLY forgot to do something. The same people who are causing this chaos or making just as many mistakes as the rest of us, BUT, they don't worry about it, because there is no one there to watch over them. How ironic is that?

If you run across any of this, you know what to do. Document, document, document. Any of us can show you where to look for your resources. Remember knowledge is power. This knowledge that they so lack is our gain.

We have awesome staff at all levels working here. I still believe this is one of the best institutions in California. But I'll be damed if I am going to allow "some" to destroy our "family" at CCC. It has already started with some staff. This behavior should not be tolerated. Why this has gone on for so long, I don't know, but trust me, I have been to the point of screaming to get someone to listen. And it just seems there is a blind eye on this very issue. I just hope that I am finally getting through to somebody and stop this whole mess. Just maybe someone will stand up and say enough is enough.

Bottom line. Document everything. Check your file. And stand up when it's the right thing to do. There is no reason for staff to be scared of retaliation. Because there is a Government law out there on this very thing.

We all have choices in life. You either gain knowledge and better yourself or sit back, take it and go on.


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Use of Twitter, Facebook on the rise among gang members


The information posted help LEOs track gangs, but also pose deadly threat


By Thomas Watkins
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — When a gang member was released from jail soon after his arrest for selling methamphetamine, friends and associates assumed he had cut a deal with authorities and become a police informant.

They sent a warning on Twitter that went like this: We have a snitch in our midst.

Unbeknownst to them, that tweet and the traffic it generated were being closely followed by investigators, who had been tracking the San Francisco Bay Area gang for months. Officials sat back and watched as others joined the conversation and left behind incriminating information.

Law enforcement officials say gangs are making greater use of Twitter and Facebook, where they sometimes post information that helps agents identify gang associates and learn more about their organizations.

"You find out about people you never would have known about before," said Dean Johnston with the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, which helps police investigate gangs. "You build this little tree of people."

In the case involving the suspected informant, tweets alerted investigators to three other gang members who were ultimately arrested on drug charges.

Tech-savvy gangsters have long been at home in chatrooms and on Web sites like MySpace, but they appear to be gravitating toward Twitter and Facebook, where they can make threats, boast about crimes, share intelligence on rivals and network with people across the country.

"We are seeing a lot more of it," Johnston said. "They will even go out and brag about doing shootings."

In another California case involving a different gang, much of the information gathered by investigators came from members' Facebook accounts. Authorities expect to make arrests in the coming months.

"Once you get into a Facebook group, it's relatively easy," Johnston said. "You have a rolling commentary."

And gang members sometimes turn the tables, asking contacts across their extended networks for help identifying undercover police officers.

It's hard to know exactly how many gang members are turning to Twitter and Facebook. Many police agencies are reluctant to discuss the phenomenon for fear of revealing their investigative techniques.

Capt. Walt Myer, director of the Riverside County regional gang task force, said gang activity often "mirrors general society. When any kind of new technology comes along, they are going to use it."

Representatives from Twitter and Facebook say they regularly cooperate with police and supply information on account holders when presented with a search warrant. Neither company would discuss specifics.

Gang use of Twitter and Facebook still lags behind use of the much-older MySpace, which remains gang members' online venue of choice.

The Crips, Bloods, Florencia 13, MS-13 and other gangs have long used MySpace to display potentially incriminating photos and videos of people holding guns and making hand gestures. They also post messages about rivals.

Last week, officials in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, announced the arrest of 50 people in a crackdown of a Latino gang they say was engaged in drug sales and hate crimes against black residents. Prosecutors say some of the evidence was pulled from MySpace and YouTube, including rap videos taunting police with violent messages.

While some members are wising up to the police attention such postings can bring, gang information remains publicly viewable online.

Dozens of Facebook accounts are dedicated to the deadly MS-13 gang, with followers from around the globe. At one site, a video displays pictures of dead members of the rival 18th Street gang, and some users have left disrespectful comments.

The toughest part about tracking someone on Twitter is finding the alias or screen name they are posting under. And many tweets are nonsensical or pointless, so cutting through the clutter can be difficult.

"It's tricky," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy David Anguiano. "If you find out what they go by, you are good to go."

Anguiano tracks the online activity of graffiti vandals - the so-called tagging crews that sometimes morph into gangs. They post tweets saying they are heading out to spray paint and sometimes post links to photographs of their work.

Often, they cannot resist bragging about their handiwork, and the electronic trail they leave is frequently used as evidence.

Associated PressCopyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


6 tips for dealing with difficult suspects



An unfortunate reality of police work is that inevitably you’re going to find yourself dealing with obnoxious people (no kidding, right?!). The other reality is that if you don’t do so in controlled, calculated and professional manner you can find yourself in a heap of trouble. Easy to do? Nope…especially in some situations. But as a professional law enforcementofficer, it’s what you must do.
Here are a few tips for helping to prepare yourself for the moment when a suspect pushes your buttons.
1. Don’t take it personally.
This can be extremely challenging, but it’s crucial. Remember that many individuals—like it or not--view you as a “law enforcement officer”, not a “person.” Generally, obnoxious behavior fired off in your direction is aimed at the badge and what you represent, not at you personally. Even if you do know the suspect you’re dealing with, he will most likely know nothing about you as “John Smith, the good dad, husband, little league coach and all around nice guy,” nor will he care. He knows that you’re a cop, and that’s enough for him. If he’s firing off venomous comments or acting in an obnoxious fashion, don’t take it personally. Taking personal offense will only pressurize the situation.
2. Add “I will refrain from…” to your “when/then” thinking exercises.
Typically, when/then thinking is applied to situations like gunfights and other direct physical attacks:“When a suspect jumps out of a car and starts firing at me, then I will…”
Remember to apply that to other scenarios as well, like “When a suspect starts swearing at me and calling me an asshole and talking about how ‘cops are just a bunch of doughnut-eating blah, blah, blahs’, then I will…”
Then add “AND I will refrain from…” to the mix.
By doing this, you’ll be more prepared to act promptly, professionally and in a controlled fashion that’s in line with departmental policy, the law and professional common sense.
3. Be aware of your stress level and prepare yourself accordingly.
Everybody has bad days…days when it wouldn’t take much for you to just stand there and yell at the world. That’s understandable and human. However, it can also be dangerous if you’re a cop. If you know you’re running at about two seconds away from launching on the next guy who even looks at you funny, take steps to decompress and make sure that you don’t put yourself in an avoidable situation that could light your fuse. If some guy is being obnoxious and other officers clearly have the situation under control, don’t stand there increasing the boil. Step away for a little while. It could save your career.
4. Take proactive steps that can reduce stress.
You’ve heard about these stress-busters before, but they bear frequent repeating: Eat right. Work out to help burn off stress-related chemicals. Stay in shape. Get enough sleep. Talk to someone if something’s weighing on your mind. Leave your personal baggage in your car when it’s time to go on shift. If there are stressful things in your life you can eliminate, do it.
There are unique risks involved for police officers when it comes to controlling stress. If you’re consistently finding yourself just barely able to keep from boiling over, take action…don’t just figure it will blow over with time.
5. Be ready to help diffuse other officers if necessary and let them know that it’s OK for them to diffuse you.
Have you thought about what you’re going to do if a fellow officer loses it on a suspect? Do you watch for signs that an officer might be coming close to the boiling point and have you rehearsed how you’re going to help prevent a blow-out? If not, you should. It’s also important to let fellow officers know that if they ever see you in danger of getting close to blowing a fuse, it’s OK–and requested–that they let you know.
6. Take action when it’s justified.
You don’t need to—and shouldn’t—stand there and take a barrage of verbal or other abuse. Dealing with obnoxious people in a controlled fashion doesn’t mean just standing by and taking it. Know your rights and responsibilities as apolice officer and take appropriate action to control an obnoxious person when warranted.