March 2009  

We do not make jokes, we simply watch the LA Times, the Orange County Register and CID/HOA board of directors and report the facts!

WWSHD on CCW - What Would Sheriff Bill Hunt Do on CCW Issue?


Posted by: CotoBlogzz  | 02/22/2009 2:00 PM

We have been wondering for a while, what Would Sheriff Hunt Do? on the CCW issue, so we decided to ask him, not really knowing what to expect.

Lt. Bill Hunt promptly responded to the question, which was prefaced with a previously stated premise that Sheriff Hutchens has moved from  “to serve and protect” to disarm, intimidate, ridicule and obfuscate style.

Lt. Hunt did not mince words and clearly outlined a difference of opinion with the Sheriff anent the Second Amendment and the current CCW policy:

Lt. Bill Hunt

It is my understanding that even those who were inadequately trained as reserves and improperly given badges had all undergone the CCW application process before being issued a permit.   There are two very different underlying issues here.

Issue one is giving badges to political supporters.  That is no-no.  County counsel has ruled it illegal and it should never have occurred.

As a candidate I made it very clear that those badges would be recalled on day one had I taken office and I applaud the interim sheriff for making that happen.

Issue number two is the right to keep and bear arms.  The second amendment is no less a right than the right to free speech or right to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure.  With regards to the first and fourth amendments, law enforcement is and should be held highly accountable.

For some reason the interim sheriff feels an obligation to restrict Orange County citizen’s second amendment rights.  The sheriff swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States . It is my belief that the sheriff should be in the business of protecting people’s rights not restricting them.  If someone was issued a CCW legally and they are carrying it responsibly then there is no reason whatsoever to revoke it - Lt. Bill Hunt  

 

   

We previously criticized the process used by Orange County Board of Supervisors to make their final selection - In a letter sent to the BOS before they commenced to interview the final Magic Nine, we asked the board to reconsider - they did not, and apparently, Lt. Hunt’s response supports our own assessment as to why the final number was Nine, rather than five or ten:

 

The consternation of the Board of Supervisors on this issues is comical really.  They decided to play politics when naming Mike Carona’s replacement and they are getting exactly what they deserve in return.

In my interview to be appointed interim sheriff I warned them specifically about appointing someone to a highly visible elected office that had not been vetted politically.  As a body they were so narrowly focused on the Chamberlain murder and the jail oversight committee that they virtually ignored anything else.  In their haste, they appointed a political unknown and now seem surprised that someone who spent their entire law enforcement career in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department would impose a restrictive policy on the issuance of concealed weapons.

Tip O’Neal once declared, “All politics is local.”  The reason candidates run for office is so that they can make their case to the people and build support for the office they seek.  If they are unsuccessful they don’t get elected.  The reason that the Board of Supervisors didn’t know where the interim sheriff stood on the concealed weapons issue is because they never bothered to ask.  I met with all of them during that process, most were condescending and dismissive of me.  The knock on me is that I was not politically astute enough.  Perhaps not, but I saw this one coming!- Lt. Bill Hunt

 

Sheriff Hunt’s CCW Policy:

My position on the issuance of concealed weapons has remained unchanged since I revealed it in 2005:

I will issue concealed weapons permits (CCW) to any applicant who is a law abiding resident of the county, meets state mandated requirements and is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.  There have been less than 1200 issued CCW’s in a county of 3 million.  The majority have been given to reserve police officers, judges, prosecutors and to reward political supporters.  I will depoliticize the process and establish an annual audit to review each application to ensure the process is unbiased, non-political and equitable.

 

Sheriff Hunt’s Jail Reform Plan

As a candidate I had a comprehensive plan to address all aspects of the jail system including increased accountability for management, improved service overall, jail over crowding, etc.  The entire culture of the jail needs to be overhauled in my opinion, there is no quick fix.   In 2005 I revealed the following measure I would have implemented had I been elected or subsequently appointed interim sheriff:
    

  I will establish an Independent Auditing Team, similar to a military Inspector General that has authority to audit financial, operational and ethical practices of any unit at anytime.  The IA Team will report directly to the Sheriff and will be required to audit every component of the department at least once every three years.  The team will issue reports to the Sheriff, Board of Supervisors, and Media describing their findings and recommendations.

I will correct the 30-1 inmate to officer ratio in our jails, which is double the national average.

    
I will implement an accountability program that evaluates performance in the jails.  It will report timely information on jail crimes, use of force and assaults, set objective and quantifiable goals for reducing these activities and hold managers responsible.

I will increase jail safety and security inspections to eliminate illegal contraband threatening the safety and welfare of Sheriff’s personnel and inmates.

I will insist upon the strict enforcement of jail rules that control inmate movement and communication which will reduce inmate-on-inmate assaults and assaults on jail personnel.

      
I will charge a fee for inmate initiated medical visits.  Penal Code section 4011.2 provides the authority to charge inmates for medical services.  49 of the 58 California Sheriff Departments have adopted this practice.  It discourages unwarranted medical visits, limits inmate movement, reduces assaults and ensures higher quality medical services for inmates with legitimate needs.

Inmates will be fed in their cells.  Inmates will be served one hot and two bag meals per day.  By feeding inmates in their cells and providing two sack meals, we will increase jail capacity, eliminate early releases, lower operating costs and reduce the need to build new jail facilities.  The existing chow halls in the central jail complex will be turned into inmate housing areas to maximize the use of jail space.  Deputies will be free for essential jail functions rather than monitoring inmate feeding.  This measure will save taxpayers millions of dollars annually.

      
I will eliminate pornographic magazines; reduce TV options to educational programs, and increase work, vocational, educational programs for sentenced inmates.

I will eliminate the current failed and mismanaged “Best Choice” drug treatment program. This program was the subject of an internal investigation into mismanagement, funding irregularities and exaggerating results to justify the programs existence.  The jails are overcrowded and dangerously understaffed and the department continues to dedicate needed jail space specifically for a failed drug treatment program.  This program is better suited for the private sector.

 

We have also been wondering whether Lt, Hunt will run for Sheriff in 2010, but for some reason did not ask him the question this time around
    

 

 

Comments.

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