Del Norte County Grand Jury
2023-2024
📋Alder Conservation Camp CC #20
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Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.
📋County Jail Tour & Investigation
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Findings & Recommendations
7 findings
F1:
Conditions in the jail such as the mold, flooding toilets, and asbestos are a health hazard for both inmates and staff;
F2:
The insufficient staffing that results in twelve-hour shifts and safety check failures is a 6 security threat to staff and inmates;
F3:
Non-competitive compensation makes it difficult to recruit new staff;
F4:
Adverse working conditions and non-competitive compensation make it difficult to retain staff;
F5:
The position and size of mirrors and monitors in the control pod create blind spots for staff, and present a security risk for both inmates and staff;
F6:
Broken windows create visibility problems;
F7:
Unsecured inmate records are at risk for unauthorized access.
Additional Recommendations
5
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
One factor in losing staff has been that newly hired graduates stay a year and then leave for jobs elsewhere. Offer incentives such as paying a percentage of student debt each year beyond the first year of service.
R2:
Ensure that USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Projects grants for jail improvements are applied for and followed up on.
R3:
Investigate why there is a problem with the Del Norte County Maintenance Department.
R4:
Place unsecured inmate records in a secure location, offsite if necessary.
R5:
Institute procedure for reporting when the attorney phone is out of order. INVITED RESPONSE The Del Norte County Sheriff is invited to provide a response to the Honorable Judge McElfresh and the Grand Jury within 90 days regarding: (F1-F7, R1-R5)
📋Crescent City Harbor District Credit Card Use and Audit Compliance
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Findings & Recommendations
6 findings
F1:
CCHD provides credit cards to certain staff members to assist with their ability to conduct CCHD business;
F2:
In 2021, a CCHD staff member misused the CCHD credit card to pay for a personal travel expense;
F3:
CCHD has not produced any actual receipts demonstrating that the staff member fully reimbursed CCHD for the staff’s misuse of the CCHD credit card;
F4:
CCHD staff developed a credit card policy in November 2022, but the policy was not discussed and approved by the CCHD commissioners in an open meeting;
F5:
CCHD failed to undergo timely audits for several fiscal years, including 2020/2021 and 2021/2022;
F6:
As of 2024, CCHD has completed its required audits. 10
Additional Recommendations
7
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
CCHD should require staff to undergo regular training and should provide cross- training for staff on requirements and best practices for financial management and safeguarding public funds.
R2:
The CCHD should discuss the November 2022 credit card policy in an open meeting and determine whether it is sufficient to safeguard public funds, and whether to approve it as is or amend it by September 30, 2024.
R3:
CCHD should require staff to annually sign an acknowledgement of the Credit Card Policy.
R4:
CCHD should require staff to separate their CCHD credit card from their personal credit cards via a sleeve, or other method, to avoid CCHD’s credit card from being misused for personal expenses by mistake.
R5:
If a staff member misuses a CCHD credit card for a personal expense, CCHD should require the employee to reimburse CCHD via a trackable method, such as by check or credit card transaction which bolsters public faith and trust.
R6:
CCHD should make compliance with state auditing requirements a priority to prevent future violations of the law.
R7:
CCHD should request auditors to prominently highlight their review for credit card transactions and to clearly indicate whether they found credit card usage to be for CCHD business and supported by actual receipts.
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