Beaty's Beat

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Issues-Jail Issues-Various Proposals Submitted

Previous Jail Proposals:

The following are various proposals we have found in order to address the current jail situation, there may be additional proposals and if identified, we will add them to the listing:

1. Former Sheriff Lewis Hawkins proposed a 24.8 million dollar jail with 264 new beds. He intended to close the current jail and build north of the courthouse and also have a walkway from the jail into the current courthouse. Sheriff Hawkins proposed funding the facility with a 0.35 cent sales tax for fifteen (15) years then the tax would drop to 0.25 as a permanent tax for operations and maintenance of the facility. This proposal was voted on May 13, 2008 and defeated by the voters of the County with the margin being 2,985 to 1,321.

2. Current Sheriff Randall Edwards initially proposed in November of 2009, his proposal would have cost 17.9 million dollars and would have provided a total of 308 beds (would have added 236 beds). The proposal was to retain our current jail and also construct a new facility. Edwards proposal also provided that we could go up 148 beds bringing the total to 456 inmates during an overflow.

3. Edwards proposed a 51 bed stand alone dormitory structure, after an August 2009 threat of closure which he estimated would cost $750,000.

4. Edwards proposal for a pod idea, added to current jail and would be a two story pod capable of holding 75 prisoners, proposed May 2^nd 2010;

5. Edwards AIP of Norman Proposal on May 30^th 2010, adding 150 beds to the current jail at a cost of 7.7 million to 8.2 million

6. The Anderson plan (County Commissioner David Anderson) was for a total of 256 beds. This plan also kept our old jail and planned to add 186 beds. The cost of the proposed facility was 8.5 million dollars and the estimated operations of the jail would have increased by 1.9 million dollars a year. The proposal called for the redirection of 0.10 cents from the Juvenile Justice Center to commissioners who would determine where the funds should be applied. The estimate was the redirection would yield about 1.366 million dollars in annual revenue. This proposal was defeated by the voters on 04/05/2011 by a vote of 4,806 against and 4,331 for the plan.

7. Another Edwards dormitory plan proposed in June of 2011, the Juvenile Center would loan the County 3 million dollars at 4.5 percent interest for 112 bed dormitory along with new kitchen and laundry facilities. This was later found to not be feasible due to the wording of the original bond issue for the Juvenile Justice Center;

Issues-Overview of Jail Issues:

We must address our current Jail issues and work to resolve the issues of overcrowding and inadequate housing. Although the county commissioners are charged with providing adequate jail facilities, the Sheriff is the person who knows better than anyone the status of the facility and should be the leader in obtaining an adequate facility. Over the last few years, we have had a number of proposals to address our outdated and overcrowded jail.

I would like to involve the community and the experts in an effort to identify how best to proceed with a new jail. I believe we should also think outside the box on the issue and consider a number of possibilities to address this ever present problem which has lingered for way to long. We are going to have to identify funding sources for the construction of a facility using the most economical means which can only be accomplished by sincere corroboration with the community and our leaders.

Canadian County Jail Situation Overview

In regards to our current jail, there is no doubt a new one is necessary. The current Canadian County Jail was built in 1984 with a capacity of 72 beds (originally 38 cells and 76 beds) and is only the fourth county jail since the opening of Indian Territory prior to statehood.

On August 18^th, 1983, $889,600 was awarded for construction of the current facility. The El Reno Tribune reported the jail was funded by $600,000 from federal revenue sharing funds, $200,000 from a state DECA grant, and $89,600 from the county building fund. This was preceded by a vote on November 3^rd, 1982 which voters rejected a two million dollar bond issue to build the jail by approximately 5 ½ % of the vote. It appears there were three other votes for a new county jail which were defeated by voters in the early 1970’s, the late 1970’s, and the early 1980’s. At the time of construction, twenty-four cells were to hold medium-security inmates, seven maximum-security cells, three women’s cells and two cells each for juvenile male and females.

The first jail in Canadian County was inside the Canadian County Courthouse from 1890 to August 27^th, 1893 (in 1890 the county had a population of 7,158 people). A second jail was located on property now occupied by the Carnegie Library in El Reno which had four large metal cells.

The third jail, located south of our current facility was completed April 3^rd, 1907 at a cost of $18,000.00 (construction began in October of 1906) and was remodeled a number of times over the years. Near the time of the closure, one source cited it could hold forty-eight (48) men and three (3) women while another showed the capacity as 49 inmates. However, in November of 1982 the second floor of the jail was shut down by state officials after months of legal battles with some inmates moved to the El Reno Police Department for housing. The population of the county when the third jail was completed in 1907 was just over 20,000 people, in 1980 the census showed the county’s population to be 56,452. In 1990 the census showed our population to be 74,409 people and in 2000 the population of the county was 87,697 people.

The national average is 4 jail beds per 1,000 people, our 2010 census showed our population to be 115,541 and growing rapidly. Considering the national average, at the time of the census we should have 462 jail beds which is not even close to our current jail capacity of 72. If the reader looks at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections map (http://www.doc.state.ok.us/maps/CO_JAIL_CAPACITIES_REQ_COLORS.pdf) (as well as reviewing the top ten most populous Oklahoma counties data at the end of this article) showing statewide jail population capacities, compare similar counties and again we find that our jail is significantly smaller than most other counties. You may also consider from the 1980 census, prior to completion of our jail until our last census the county’s population has more than doubled. Finally, as the fifth most populous county in the State and the fastest growing, it is imperative we take action to address our problems today.

Sheriff Lewis Hawkins began talking about the need for a new jail in the Spring of 2008 (See blog post regarding various jail proposals that we have identified to date). Through strong controls he attempted to keep our jail capacity at the state mandated level. Although, we had to be very selective in our incarcerations, he was able to hold costs to a minimum, work within the system to keep the jail population manageable and not send inmates out of the county.

When Sheriff Randy Edwards came into office, he instituted a number of changes and began seeing the rising number of inmates. Edwards even had “experts” from the National Institute of Justice come in and study our jail situation and provide recommendations. In February of 2010 (one year into office), we began sending inmates to be housed in Dewey and Grant counties. In late April of 2011, we also began sending inmates to be housed in Pottawatomie County.

During this entire time, Edwards threw out a variety of proposals to address the jail ranging from dormitories, to a new jail, to alternatives to incarceration (see blog postings regarding positions on the dormitory/tent city issue as well as incarceration alternatives). One estimate I have been provided is, approximately 80 (eighty) percent of the people in custody are pre-trial detainees. Therefore, releasing them could pose security and flight risks to the citizens of this county.

We now currently have seventy people housed in county jails outside of Canadian County at a cost of 1,400.00 a day or $511,000.00 a year. This cost does not include transportation (fuel and vehicles) to and from the jails (Dewey County is 178 miles round trip, Grant County is 191 miles, Pottawatomie County is 130 miles), medical and medication costs or the time of the personnel devoted to these movements. The money going to these counties does nothing to help our local economy in such minimal areas as direct employment, the purchasing of supplies and services, or fuel and other items purchased by visiting friends and family.

In addition, we must ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of the inmates that are being housed not only in our jail but the others. Prisoners have the right to attorney visits, access to the court and freedom from cruel and unusual punishment. If we do not ensure these rights, we can very well find ourselves in a civil lawsuit which could prove quite expensive.

In addition to the $511,000 a year baseline, the El Reno Tribune reported on May 8^th, 2011 that we are allocating $200,000.00 to our current facility for maintenance. In addition to this spending, in early July 2011 Edwards spent approximately ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) for two buses to move these inmates housed out of county. As the numbers easily approach, a Million Dollars a year it is imperative that we begin immediately looking at our spending. As a County, we do not have unlimited funds and when considering the significant spending, what other services, programs or repairs can we make or save with this money which would benefit our citizens.

Another item to consider regarding out of county housing is what happens when these facilities do not have the jail space for our county? We were able to house inmates in two of these facilities particularly due to budgetary problems with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) and specifically the State of Oklahoma. As our economy gradually improves, DOC will eventually be in a position to return these inmates to the county jails that we are using. DOC does pay more than we are paying which is going to result in the inmates either being returned to our county or the cost of housing is going to significantly increase. This current arrangement is definitely a short term band-aid and should not be considered as a long term solution to our inadequate facility.

I am truly concerned and believe the Jail problem will continue to languish until I am successfully elected to take office. I am now preparing to consider a variety of plans and options and wish to reach out to people knowledgeable about the issue. I have been conducting my own research and will be coming to the table with one preconceived notion. The notion is that we must abandon the “band-aid” fixes and determine what will be adequate for our needs and how to best finance a new facility. This “band-aid” approach will do nothing but cost us additional money which is a limited commodity in today’s times. If not properly done, this “band-aid” approach could cost enough in a lawsuit that we could have effectively built a proper facility from the start.

One idea that we have been exploring is a “pay as you go” facility. What is the possibility of acquiring land (much like the Juvenile Justice Center) and build as funding is available. The idea is to develop an initial facility to house inmates then slowly expand it. Once the facility becomes out dated or out of compliance (many years down the road), that portion can be demolished without affecting the entire facility. This seems to be a much more viable alternative than constructing a facility in a landlocked area that places us in the same situation we are in now, thirty to forty years down the road.

Considering that from the 2000 census to the 2010 census, we experienced a 32% increase in population to be the fastest growing in the State. Also considering the continued significant growth we have seen since the last census, we must keep pace with our population with the supporting infrastructure with an adequate jail as one of the components which is unfortunate necessity. Having a facility that we can expand as our population grows seems to make good economic sense.

Another idea that we have been presented and have considered is a regionalized jail facility. What is the possibility of partnering with neighboring counties such as Blaine County and Kingfisher County to build a regional jail? The jail would be constructed in a centralized area and each county would utilize this facility. Depending on the location, we may have to maintain a small lock up facility but any long term incarceration would be handled by the regional jail. There is not any such facility in Oklahoma although it has been discussed several times and could be a better economical plan. We would assume a Jail Trust would have to be formed for operations but again it is another viable alternative.

What economic and financial incentives are available for the construction and operation of a jail? What incentives are available to cities or land owners for the acquisition and development of a jail site such as tax credits, economic incentives, etc.? What portion of the construction could we handle through the County Government such as land leveling/development etc.? We know the need and have a number of wise people who can help us think outside the box in order to accomplish our task. As a county though, we must take that first step in order to address the problem.

Much like a number of other ideas, we have had enough naysayers tell us why it should not be constructed and how it cannot be built for various reasons. The bottom line is the current jail is inadequate in size and an inadequate facility and needs immediate replacement. We must now become visionaries and know that the need is apparent and delay continues to inhibit our economic well being. Whether this well being is keeping our tax dollars in the county rather than spreading it throughout other counties for housing or to the safety of our citizens, we must develop partnerships and corroborate to make this need a reality. Both the direct and indirect spending on this project would also return money to the local economies, which would in turn assist us in our own economic well being. We should begin to determine our needs, develop a good logical plan, determine the funding, educate the voters, and have the voters provide their voice. We have had some great people involved in the planning so far but the buck must stop somewhere.

Other Jail Issues

Upon taking office, I am going to task my jail staff with the following:

1. I will have them explore programs and ways to reduce the recidivism rates in our county jail, if we reduce the recidivism then fewer crimes are committed and more persons become productive citizens. Some of these programs may include:

A. Improve employment opportunities through GED programs and GED self study programs.

B. Substance Abuse cessation programs including self study programs and exploring other substance abuse counseling resources. Currently there is a limited program which I believe we could improve on.

C. Providing books and other resources for self improvement and education (autobiographies of successful business and political persons). This may seem like an odd idea but the purpose is to encourage positive behavior and to instill motivation to change situations in life. If only one person takes this opportunity these books would more than pay for themselves in the form of continued incarceration, the victimization of other citizens, and ultimately stopping criminal activity.

D. Employment opportunities and training opportunities upon release from jail;

2. Consider re-instituting the commissary program from within the Sheriff’s Office, why pay a private for profit vendor when we could do it ourselves and keep the income for purchases in the Jail;

3. Investigate ways to reduce the inmate health care costs such as providing ability to local hospitals to place bids on the care provided.

4. Find additional ways in which to increase the efficiency of the jail including staffing, housing, food and other expenses.

5. Investigate ways to decrease the jail population in order to reduce expenditures for out of county inmate housing.

6. Ensure proper reporting to the U.S. Social Security Administration as discussed in the Fiscal Responsibility section for proper compensation.

7. Implement DNA sampling in order to comply with Oklahoma State Law and to potentially allow for additional income, as discussed in the Fiscal Responsibility section.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

We would be glad to hear your feedback, thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and/or questions about these issues. Send us an e-mail (beaty4sheriff@gmail.com) and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Final Thoughts

It is not our intent to “air dirty laundry” or make disparaging remarks about the incumbent in the information provided in the issues section. I am attempting to educate the voters on the specific issues and explain how we plan to improve, correct, or cease the action in order to have a more effective, efficient and professional sheriff’s office that we should all expect. It is our sincere desire to have a professional respectful campaign discussing issues without personal attacks or unethical behavior. While we may disagree, I will strive to have humility, understanding, and respect for an opposing point of view. Thank you for your time and interest in being a better educated voter.

Issues-Improved Relationships with Sheriff’s Office and others:

In managing the day to day operations, I wish to expand, improve and strengthen relationships with employees, the community, law enforcement and public safety agencies by corroboration, outreach, education, and changing of attitudes. By earning credibility and building goodwill with others, this will allow us to be a more effective, respected and transparent public service agency. We hope to accomplish this goal by addressing the following areas with the ideas we are proposing:

My vision for the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office

My vision for the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office is for a professional, well trained and highly motivated law enforcement organization. There is a belief among some in law enforcement that it is “us” (police) vs. “them” (public). The truth of it is that this only works well when there is a partnership between law enforcement and the public that it serves. I will bring, through action, a partnering concept to the office. The Sheriff’s Office exists to serve and protect the citizens of the county, and we must be responsive to the needs of the community.

Employees of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office

The morale and direction of personnel at the Sheriff’s Office requires immediate attention. The vast majority of the personnel are very dedicated, knowledgeable and loyal to the citizens of this county. A stable leadership with efficiency, common sense and accountability who is responsive to their needs will be established. Issues we expect to address are:

- I will work hard to maintain the trust and support of the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, and will treat them with respect. As Sheriff, I will expect citizens are treated with the same dignity and respect as the personnel. As always, the employees will know that I will set the example, not the pace. Intimidation of personnel or the public has no place in a professional law enforcement organization and will not be tolerated.

- We will establish a clear and lean chain of command with the Sheriff’s Office. Currently, there are more supervisors than there are employees, some of these supervisors do not even have people whom they supervise, this is an unnecessary waste of money and will be addressed immediately upon taking office.

- Although we will have less supervisory positions, I expect accountability, courtesy and professionalism of the personnel, particularly the supervisory staff which will lead by example. Supervisors will have the responsibility to supervise their staff and will be expected and empowered to address problems and issues. I intend to have a decentralized form of management with delegated duties and responsibilities while being fully accountable to the citizens and the voters.

- We will have evaluation of positions to ensure adequate coverage and attention to our basic duties. On specific days, our patrol division has six deputies scheduled which is not tied to calls for service or any other need of the Sheriff’s Office. Considering the normal shift has two deputies on at one time, this is a waste of money and will be addressed immediately upon taking office.

- One of our top of priorities is establishment of a radio system in which law enforcement can communicate county wide. This not only improves safety of personnel but assists them and the public in cases of emergency.

- We will immediately address equipment needs of personnel, in particular we will have working video cameras in patrol cars to ensure professional conduct of the personnel, reduce any fictitious complaints, provide for the safety of personnel, and provide the ability to capture arrests or incidents which may later be used in the prosecution of criminal offenses.

- Also related to needed equipment, we will implement Mobile Data Terminals (ruggedized laptop computers) in all patrol cars to increase the possibility of locating wanted fugitives, finding stolen vehicles, having up to date crime bulletins and improving efficiency of personnel in the field.

- We will explore innovative ways to increase employee morale as well as establish rewards for exceptional job performance which at times may be nothing more than recognition but at least it will be positive reinforcement and encouragement.

- We intend to eliminate the “Good Ole Boy” system of hiring and firing personnel that has contributed to the poor morale in the Sheriff’s Office. We have lost a number of good people based on “heat of the moment” decisions which fortunately did not cost the county in the form of civil lawsuits. Consider what the cost is to replace these personnel in the form of uniforms, training, equipment, lost productivity, etc. which I believe would be a significant number. All employees should be empowered to seek improvement and discuss grievances in a system of fairness.

- I will encourage input from personnel regarding innovative ideas and techniques which apply to the services we provide.

- I will encourage input from personnel on how to reduce costs, remove duplication, and improve efficiency in the jobs which they do as well as the services we provide. The people doing the job every day often know better than anyone else where the waste is at.

- Intend to implement an exit interview of personnel departing the Sheriff’s Office in order to obtain feedback regarding delivery of services, suggestions for improved performance, and other relevant information.

- We will consider conducting a salary survey in ensure personnel are adequately and properly compensated for job performance, as well as review benefit packages to determine if employment package is comparable to area law enforcement agencies and local employers in order to increase retention of properly trained and professional staff.

The Community

The community is one of the front lines for the detection of criminal activity, the communities must be ready to speak to law enforcement without fear and with a desire to help their fellow citizens.

- We will seek improvements in departmental technology including an active social media presence and an improved professional looking website (www.ccsheriff.net), visit the site and make your own determination, to improve communications and provide information to the public.

- In addition to the social media and website, we would like to integrate our current countywide notification system into an inclusive umbrella to provide emergency notifications to citizens; social media in particular could alert citizens to other non-emergency situations such as road closures, an accident causing significant traffic delays, active scams in the area, crime alerts and tips.

- We will institute speaking programs for civic groups, schools and other local groups regarding crime trends and safety measures for the public such as burglary prevention, identity theft protection, sex offender registration issues, drug education, bicycle safety, etc.

- To re-institute the child safety seat program and hold additional community interactions and safety programs (would be related to our public speaking safety programs);

- Further into my term in office, I would like to seek assistance from the community as well as grants in order to address and reduce recidivism with persons in the county jail as well as lack of education, employment and substance abuse problems. This program would involve a number of people in the community but could provide very beneficial over the long term.

- Explore strategic problem solving partnerships with problem or high risk locations to both detect and deter crime. One such idea would be to obtain camera systems or alarms at rural Co-op’s in order to apprehend persons stealing anhydrous ammonia for the clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine.

- As a law enforcement officer, I took an oath to protect, support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I am a life member of the National Rifle Association and fully support our Second Amendment rights and privileges. I will work to streamline and improve procedures for the good citizens who are applying for their Oklahoma Concealed Carry License so that they may lawfully carry a firearm to protect and defend themselves and others.

Law Enforcement and Public Safety Communities

The law enforcement and public safety communities must work together in today’s challenging times and budgets and do more with fewer resources. Our vision of working with the agencies throughout the county would encourage participation and corroboration for more effective public service throughout the county.

- We will continue the cross deputization program of local municipal law enforcement agencies to reduce jurisdictional boundaries as well as improve relationships with our local municipal law enforcement agencies;

- We will explore the possibility of cross deputization with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to reduce potential problems with Indian Country issues;

- We will continue the support of the county wide tactical team and ensure better funding of the team along with stronger support of their activities. This partnership of countywide resources has created an efficient and effective team along with better lines of communication between the various law enforcement agencies in the county.

- Will explore establishing a countywide Crime Stoppers type program to encourage crime tips from citizens and sharing them with the appropriate law enforcement agencies. At the least, we could immediately institute a text a tip program at very minimal cost in order to begin getting crime tip information.

- We will explore partnering with area Police Departments in hosting a youth law enforcement day camp to provide youth of the community with exposure to law enforcement. El Reno and Yukon Police Departments have both held this type of program in the summer and was very successful. Instead of several agencies holding these, I would like to partner with them to provide a better exposure to the youth of the county. The cost of the program was minimal and would be a great investment in opening communications with the youth of our county.

- We could also explore working with the area Police Departments in co-hosting events such as a bicycle rodeo or other events in which safety could be taught to the youth and positive relationships could be cultivated with everyone involved at a very minimal cost.

Canadian County Sheriff’s Office as a Community Member

Finally, as members of the community I believe the Sheriff’s Office should take an active role in giving back to our communities to foster better partnerships and good will. I know the obvious need to bridge relationships between law enforcement and the people and communities which they serve.

- We will explore instituting a partnership with Redlands Community College Criminal Justice Program in order to provide students access to a law enforcement experience. We would expect assistance from the students in terms of volunteer assistance and impartial assessment of functions with the Sheriff’s Office. In return, we would provide them with exposure and a working knowledge of the criminal justice system.

- We will explore obtaining Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units for each patrol car (initial plan) in order to provide life saving skills to the citizens of the county. I believe these can easily be obtained through grant or foundation funding at little to no cost to the taxpayer.

- Long term, we would like to consider implementing a scholarship program in each of the area High Schools in which an outstanding student intending to attend college is provided with financial assistance. This would be funded through private money, voluntary contributions by employees and/or the Sheriff and not from any public money. We would like to eventually reward these students because we believe they have a high probability of being successful contributing members of society.

- Later in office, we would like to explore implementing or partnering in a Christmas Santa program. A deputy would accompany Santa Claus to schools, community events, and local hospitals to provide interaction as well candy canes as a form of community good will.

- We are interested in identifying local needy families during the Christmas season and sponsoring them with food necessities and toys through voluntary contributions and donations (not from public money). This would allow the Sheriff’s Office the ability to give back to the community as well as create a more cohesive group by working on a single project.

- We are also interested in working with local community agencies at Christmas time for improved public interaction. Some of these agencies include the fire departments annual toy drive for needy children. We could provide personnel to help them in achieving success with their program either through distribution or collection of donations. Another idea is to partner with our local law enforcement agencies in the Shop with a Cop event, other than the time of the staff, we would have very minimal expense. Under the previous incumbent (Sheriff Lewis Hawkins), we volunteered for the Salvation Army in conducting bell ringing at an area business.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

We would be glad to hear your feedback, ideas, thoughts, and/or questions about these issues. Send us an e-mail (beaty4sheriff@gmail.com) and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Final Thoughts

Issues-Criminal Enforcement:

In managing the day to day operations, I wish to have aggressive enforcement of drugs and criminal activity. Considering that a large amount of crime is related to illegal drugs, I wish to attack the crime problem from both directions: the drugs and the criminal activity. This crime fighting philosophy will be accomplished by the following methods among other ideas:

Criminal Patrol

When considering our patrol division, I will implement directed criminal patrols focusing on problem areas dictated by past criminal activity and analysis of crime trends. Our patrol coverage in the unincorporated areas will be a priority rather than performing patrols inside city limits where police departments already exist.

I will advocate a pro-active law enforcement approach to our crime problem. When looking at delivery of services there is a prevalent criminological theory called Routine Activities Theory which believes that a crimes occurs when three factors take place in space and time. The three factors are motivated offenders, lack of capable guardians, and suitable targets. Considering our pro-active approach to criminal patrol and community involvement, I believe we can definitely impact the last two which will in turn affect the motivation of the offenders.

The scheduling of personnel will be dictated by analysis of calls for service and periods of peak activity not because of antiquated scheduling techniques. Based on the current system of scheduling, six people are working on one particular afternoon which is not supported by calls for service or increased activity. This is not the most efficient usage of our tax dollars and will be addressed. I will advocate for semi-permanent assigned shifts so that personnel can be more effective in knowing the particular area and people. Having personnel working the same areas, at the same times increases familiarity and improves the probability of detecting something out of the ordinary.

We will have a better utilization of volunteers (particularly Reserve Deputies), the deployment of these personnel will also be dictated by the directed criminal patrol strategy.

We will aggressively seek out grants and funding which will supplement our philosophical approach to criminal activity as well as the responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office.

We will also utilize traffic safety grants to supplement our patrol personnel and allow these personnel to devote full attention to traffic safety issues. These personnel can specifically focus on Drugs, Drunk & Drugged Drivers, and Criminal Activity through directed traffic enforcement.

We will move the service of our civil processes back to the civil division, the patrol division needs to be patrolling the county not serving papers often inside of a municipality. When the opponent came into office, he delegated the service of court (civil) papers to the patrol division.

The result of this action is, personnel are often busy delivering papers particularly in the evening hours, and may not be in a position to efficiently respond to an emergency call. Also, the error rate on the service of the civil papers has increased due in part to the unfamiliarity the personnel have with the documents. Having people with expertise in the civil service process procedures will reduce the error rates. The efficiency in serving papers while responding to calls is not what it should be. Having personnel drive across the county between calls for service and paper service is not the most economical use of our resources and often times wastes fuel which increases our costs. Finally, under the new computerized records management system when a deputy completes the service of the civil paper, he must return to the Sheriff’s Office and enter the information into the system. This is even more time dedicated to paper service and less time conducting patrols for criminal activity.

Drug Enforcement and Criminal Activity

When specifically addressing the problem, we wish to take a multi-prong approach in addition to our criminal patrol personnel. In addition, we will corroborate with other law enforcement agencies in order to supplement our criminal enforcement efforts and to decrease expenses.

We will continue and possibly expand in the future, the K-9 Criminal Interdiction program to locate drug couriers, illegal aliens and fugitives along with illicit contraband including drugs, vehicles, drug money and other ill-gotten gains. These personnel primarily work Interstate 40 and have shown significant results in the past with a variety of criminal activity.

I would like to explore instituting a Multi-Agency Drug Task Force to address lower level and mid-level drug dealers within the county. However, based on available federal funding, I sincerely doubt we can implement this program due to significantly decreased congressional funding.

My alternative to the Drug Task Force is to assign personnel (reassigned from other duties based on our reorganization) to address specialized criminal issues on a full-time basis focusing not only on drugs but other criminal activity such as copper theft groups, vehicle chop shops, theft rings, identity theft operations, money laundering operations, response and investigation of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories, etc. under a special operations unit. I sincerely believe this broader crime suppression approach would be much more effective and more economical for the citizens of the county. These personnel could also partner with the local municipalities to provide a more cohesive approach to our highly mobile criminals.

We will explore expanding the number of personnel with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in order to increase the presence of investigative abilities as it relates to Canadian County. Currently, we have one person assigned to DEA as a Task Force Officer in which the Sheriff’s Office pays the salary. The DEA allocates a specific amount of money in which hours worked overtime is paid by DEA. The cost of this position is offset by proceeds and assets forfeited through criminal investigations which are returned to the Sheriff’s Office.

We are considering integrating the Criminal Interdiction personnel, the special operations unit, and DEA personnel under one umbrella. Having these people under one umbrella, we can address a wide range of drug dealing from large traffickers down to our local distributors. These personnel could also exchange information and work together to present better criminal cases. It is our desire this group of employees will be self sufficient in terms of funding without any negative budgetary issues. Both the criminal interdiction personnel and the DEA position have demonstrated the ability to fund themselves through asset forfeiture cases in the past and I expect this will continue and improve with new and dedicated leadership.

The opponent originally campaigned on creating a drug task force along with “launching an upscale war on drugs in Canadian County” when elected. However upon taking office, he designated certain people as the “Drug Response Unit” instead. This designator did not relieve personnel of their initial true responsibilities and was merely a paper tiger. The action did not change enforcement activities in anyway and merely created people who could respond to complaints which did not fix any drug enforcement problems.

The current situation is the Sheriff’s Office has two Criminal Interdiction personnel, one person assigned to work drugs in the county and one person assigned to the DEA. While I have several thoughts on this arrangement, I will say based on my education and experience one person cannot investigate drug issues safely and effectively.

Also, the opponent is now currently working quickly to initiate a partnership with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics in an effort to supposedly address the drug problem in the county. As the election nears and I have announced by candidacy intentions, I question this “new” program which was not important until now. Based on the past track record along with providing personnel with another job title, putting a token person in place or this new partnership it all boils down to more “Smoke and Mirrors”.

I have shown how I intend to address this problem and how we can be effective without increasing expenses. I have a considerable amount of experience in this area and sincerely believe we will be effective with the right leadership and proper direction.

Equipment

We will purchase tire deflation devices (Stinger Spikes or Stop Sticks) in order to provide additional resources in which to safely terminate vehicle pursuits. In the long term, each car in the entire fleet will have this tool in which to either end or slow vehicle pursuits. I believe deputies should have several options in which to stop a vehicle pursuit and this would be another. Currently the Sheriff’s Office, does not own any of these devices and is forced to use other options including firearms which are not supported by case law.

Upon taking office, we will evaluate what equipment each person is issued and attempt to institute standardization. Currently, we have personnel with certain equipment while others in the same division do not have similar equipment.

One example is the mobile data terminals (ruggedized laptop computers) in the patrol cars, the effectiveness of this equipment is without question and each patrol deputy should have this tool. At this time, about half of the patrol cars have these and there are not any immediate plans to fund more from the budget. Why start something and only do it half way?

Another example is Tasers, in which some people have them while others do not. If we are going to issue these items, then every person should have access to these tools. We believe these issues can be addressed with planning and prioritizing the equipment needs of the Sheriff’s Office.

Fugitive Squad

We will continue our relationship with the U.S. Marshals Service in tracking and apprehending criminal fugitives particularly from this County through the U.S. Marshal’s Metro Fugitive Squad. I would also like to look at other ways and alternatives to clearing the large number of outstanding arrest warrants (over ten thousand active arrest warrants). Canadian County Court Clerk Marie Ramsey has initiated a very effective program with some of the arrest warrants. We would like to explore additional ideas particularly related to non-violent arrest warrants to reduce the arrest warrants.

Investigative Processes

We will utilize strong investigations and other investigative techniques including the integration of modern technology into the historic pursuit of criminal outlaws. We will never ask our personnel for more quantity and less quality in reports! I will expect enforcement actions are grounded in commonsense decisions and the correct application of the law.

We will look at procedural issues on establishing a focal point of contact for follow-up victim services possibly by non-commissioned personnel. I will also intend to bridge relationships with the many victim service agencies we work with and ensure good lines of communications.

We also intend to work with our personnel in developing a strategic tracking process for crime report follow-up and a prioritization of cases we are handling. I will also encourage proper investigation of initial criminal actions in order to increase the likelihood of apprehension.

Sex Offender Registration

We need improved tracking and notification to the public of Sex Offenders within our community. We would like to consider a web based program available to all county law enforcement agencies in order to better track and supervise sex offenders within the county. Currently, there are nearly one hundred registered sex offenders residing in the county and supervision is divided among a number of agencies. Based on my experience in implementing a strong sex offender registry program, I know what needs to be done. Through better working relationships with the other agencies, we can insure compliance with the requirements and adequate supervision.

Sheriff’s Posse

Further into the administration, we would like to consider implementing a Sheriff’s Posse program made up of unpaid and unarmed volunteers. The participants will be people not interested in carrying a firearm or conducting patrol but wish to provide either technical assistance or volunteer time. It is possible funding may be available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Possible technical assistance which may be utilized are accountants for financial investigations, photographers for particular crime scenes, architects and engineers for technical diagrams, volunteers sitting with children during investigations, traffic control for major events to augment the full-time and reserve Deputies, and interpreters to name a few areas. Posse members will receive training in a standardized format and will have quarterly to semi-annual meetings to learn of events and new crime trends.

Training

As noted in the Fiscal Responsibility area, I intend to have the staff identify and prioritize training needs of the Sheriff’s Office. Throughout my time at the Sheriff’s Office, there was never an established standard as to what continuing education training should be received, other than firearms. I intend to look at minimum training levels and expand training based on the needs of the Sheriff’s Office, the employee’s assignment and personality of the particular employee. This training will foster professionalism and more knowledge regarding subject areas we should be addressing. I will strive to ensure personnel are kept up to date regarding changes in the laws as well as case law and are knowledgeable of the proper application of our responsibilities.

There is more than adequate case law that establishes the agencies responsibility in a failure to train scenario. The Sheriff’s Office has a number of instructors for various topics who are very capable. In our ever changing world, training is a necessary part in our evolving role in society. By developing an adequate training program, we believe we can reduce our liability related to the most common lawsuits.

I also intend to have the staff review our Field Training program which is used for newly appointed deputies to orientate them to various procedures and techniques. As with the training previously discussed, case law clearly establishes the agencies responsibility in a failure to train lawsuit. Addressing this issue and ensuring adequate field training benefits all involved including the deputy, Sheriff’s Office, and the taxpayer (in the event of a significant lawsuit).

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

We would be glad to hear your feedback and/or questions about these issues. Send us an e-mail (beaty4sheriff@gmail.com) and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Final Thoughts

Beaty's Beat

Total Pageviews

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Issues-Jail Issues-Various Proposals Submitted

Issues-Overview of Jail Issues:

Issues-Improved Relationships with Sheriff’s Office and others:

Issues-Criminal Enforcement:

Stat Counter

Google Analytics