County of Lake - 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report - Table of Contents 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9

Conclusions 25

• CL1
  Some type of hood should be installed over the computer so that the system is not damaged by water from the spriklers.
• CL2
  The inside temperature is unstable because the thermostats are located within the return air ducts. [Title 24, Appendix, Section VII, states that the temperature shall be kept between 63 and 73 during winter and between 68 and 78 in summer, with an air exchange rate of 10cfpm.] 6. The facility was designed for future video arraignment, but the capability has not yet been utilized.
• CL3
  Utilization of the video arraignment capability will save manhours and money.
• CL4
  The 2000-2001 Grand Jury had recommended that a camera or intercom be installed in the sally port. At the time of our initial visit, this recommendation had not yet been implemented, but, at a later visit, the camera had been installed.
• CL5
  During our initial visit, many two-way radios were being held together with rubber bands. Subsequently, 40 new radios had been purchased for use at the Jail.
• CL6
  Lack of computerization makes processing inmates and communicating with other departments and counties difficult or impossible.
• CL7
  The Financial Services Committee recommends that the Treasurer/Tax Collector Department follow through on the recommendations so noted in that report. http://www.co.lake.ca.us/generalinformation/grandjury/report0102/tax.html (2 of 2)4/17/2007 3:08:45 PM County of Lake - 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report - Redbud Health Care District 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report Financial Services Committee 2001-2002 Lake County Grand Jury Visitation: Redbud Health Care District PURPOSE: The Committee considered whether, in followup of the May, 2000, report of the Little Hoover Commission on Special Districts and two previous Grand Jury reports, to investigate further the District's budgets and grants to determine whether administrative mismanagement or misuse of funds was evident that should be brought to the attention of District residents. BACKGROUND: After the District sold its Redbud Hospital to the Adventist Health System in 1997 and the hospital bond was paid off, the question was raised as to whether the special district should be dissolved. The District continues to receive revenue from property taxes paid by residents within the District and from investment income, together totaling approximately $500,000 per year. The five members of the Board of Directors award health-care related grants annually to public and private agencies and groups within the District that benefit both residents of the District and the County at large. PROCEDURE: The Committee reviewed the Little Hoover Commission report and the 1997/98 and 1998/99 Grand Jury Reports and conducted a lengthy interview with County Counsel, Cameron Reeves. The previous year's Grand Jury findings are listed below, followed by this year's Grand Jury's recommendations. FINDING NO. 1: The formation, powers, duties, and responsibilities of Hospital Districts are governed by the California Health and Safety Code 32000 et seq.
• CL8
  Chief Chalk meets monthly with his 4 sergeants, 1 lieutenant, 1 captain and the communications coordinator. The Captain is in charge of investigations and communications, and the Chief and the Captain split administrative duties. Both the Captain and the Chief are graduates of the national FBI Academy. Police Department Operations consists of the patrol division, which is assisted by the detective division and supported by administration, dispatch, volunteer personnel, Community Service Non-Sworn Officers, and clerical personnel. At the time of our visit, three positions in the Department were unfilled. The Operations Commander supervises the four sergeants - three who in turn supervise the patrol division and one who supervises the detective division. The Commander is also in charge of the jail facility and department computers. Patrol officers work four 10-hr shifts, and the patrol division had two drug K-9s and two bicycles. The detective division is staffed with one sergeant and three officers, one of whom is assigned to the County-wide Narcotics Task Force. The Department has no specific gang task force, but the officers are quick to identify gang members. The community service officers assist with traffic control, prisoner transportation, and search for missing children, but do not write tickets or reports. At present, there is only one Reserve Officer, due in large part of the stringent training involved and the fact that such officers prefer to join a police force rather than stay in reserves. The Chief denies that Clearlake is a "dumping ground" for parolees and sex offenders. Felons generally are paroled back to the county of commitment, although they can request export to another home area. http://www.co.lake.ca.us/generalinformation/grandjury/report0102/clpolice.html (1 of 3)4/17/2007 3:08:49 PM County of Lake - 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report - Clearlake Police Department Lake County has more exports than imports and tries not to let sex offenders return. The Department maintains a photo album of all parolees in Clearlake and "knows who's on the street." He was proud to point out that the crime in Clearlake had fallen 56% between 1994 and 2000. The Chief reported that the largest problem at present facing his Department is crime committed by In- Home Social Service workers, especially thefts and fraud committed against their elderly and disabled clients. While IHSS workers must obtain applications at the Police Department, few standards are required for employment. Background investigations are superficial, and documentation of hours worked is lax. The Chief is distressed at how trusting of everyone the elderly tend to be and that so many elderly are being "ripped off", to the extent of voluntarily signing over all their property to the IHSS workers. He knows of a number of occasions when, after being released from Jail, the IHSS worker returned to work for the same person who had been victimized. The Department also deals with quite a few child molestation cases, approximately 40-45 cases/year. Sexual assualts are a particular problem because of the costs involved in documenting the crime. Suspects and victims must go to Redbud Hospital for semon and other medical evidence collection, which costs $500-600, and then to UC-Davis for culposcopy, which costs another $3000. The Cheif is trying to let local hospitals to do the more specialized examinations. The scene of the crime, clothing, and any vehicle involved must be examined. Due to the costs involved, t he officers take more time investigating before sending the victim for examination. Cases must be prioritized for the likelihood of successful prosecution. About 1 of 10 claims is valid. The Chief added, "We work as hard to prove that someone didn't do it as to prove someone did." Prisoners are detained at the Department's Jail 4 hours on average and 48 hours maximum. The officers try to group several inmates together before traveling to the Hill Road Facility. Transport to the County Jail affects overtime rates, although one alternative is assigning two Community Service officers to provide transportation. The longer someone is in custody in Clearlake, the greater the liability risk, such as attempted hanging. Such events always result in a lawsuit. The Departmet is self-insured for the first $50,000 per incident. The Department had an assigned car plan, which is more common among police departments these days. Officers take their vehicle home if they live within the City limits. The benefits to the Department include the presence and visibility of the patrol cars in the neighborhoods, faster responce to reports of crime, the officers take better care of "their" cars, and "free patrol" for a half-hour per day,as the officer drives to and from work. The Department buys used Crown Victorias from the CHP with 100-150K miles, at a cost of $6300, versus about $25K for an new car. The CHP cars come with about $1000 worth of equipment left inside. The Department has to install a light bar on top. The Department equips each car with a video recorder and a mobile data recorder, which is tied into the state system. Each officer wears a mobile audio recorder. The Department received a $200K grant to purchase Panasonic laptops, which will need to be upgraded within the next several years. With the available equipment, the officers can check license plates on their own. But for this computer capability, because the radio traffic is so heavy, the Cheif would have had to hire another officer in dispatch. http://www.co.lake.ca.us/generalinformation/grandjury/report0102/clpolice.html (2 of 3)4/17/2007 3:08:49 PM County of Lake - 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report - Clearlake Police Department FINDINGS: 1. Chief Chalk is a strong leader and runs the Department like a business, being acutely aware of costs and cost-effectiveness.
• CL9
  Chief Chalk is a strong leader and runs the Department like a business, being acutely aware of costs and cost-effectiveness.
• CL10
  Morale is high, turover is low, and the officers manifest respect for the Chief's decisions.
• CL11
  Four management officers will be eligible to retire within three years.
• CL12
  A sprinkler head is located directly above the computer control system below the main tower.
• CL13
  The facility was designed for future video arraignment, but the capability has not yet been utilized.
• CL14
  Video cameras should be installed in the pods, allowing timely investigation of inmate complaints and eliminating many baseless complaints. B.SAFETY
• CL15
  The presentation to the Grand Jury was immensely informative, well-prepared, and well- delivered.
• CL16
  The cooperation and mutual respect of CDF and CDC personnel were evident.
• CL17
  KCC's facilities, owned by CDF, were well maintained and clean, though Spartan.
• CL18
  A merit-demerit system is employed to reinforce socially acceptable behavior.
• CL19
  The Board might consider requiring County veterinarians to issue a pre-license, to be completed by Animal Control, whenever they administer rabies vaccinations to dogs, as a means of reassuring that more animals are licened, permitting improved identifiction of the owners of pets running loose. To reduce logistical hassles for owners, the license and rabies vaccination expiration dates should concide.
• CL20
  The Board might also consider implementing an enforceable dog-barking ordinance, which, if implemented in conjunction with owner education about behavioral and surgical methods for dealing with excessive barking, would go a long was to reduce inter-neighbor conflict and repeated calls to the SPCA and public agencies.
• CL21
  The Grand Jury recommends that the 2002-2003 Grand Jury reassess Animal Control after the new Director has had an opportunity to effect necessary changes. http://www.co.lake.ca.us/generalinformation/grandjury/report0102/animalcontrol.html (3 of 3)4/17/2007 3:08:53 PM County of Lake - 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report - Konocti Unified School District 2001/2002 Grand Jury Report Public Safety Committee 2001-2002 Lake County Grand Jury Visitation: Konocti Unified School District PROCEDURE: The Grand Jury received a written complaint from a member of the community about the action of the Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees. The Grand Jury met with both the complainant and later with the County Counsel and Counsel for the Lake County Office of Education. FINDINGS: During a lengthy interview with the complainant and a review of the documentary materials provided, the grand jury learned that the gravamen of the complaint pertained to alleged conflict-of-interest involving a person providing information to the Search Committee during the hiring of the Superintendent in 1998. The complainant also alleged violations of the Brown Act and alleged episodic harassment by the Superintendent and certain Board members. While the Grand Jury's initial evaluation was ongoing, the County newspaper reported widely both on the controversies aired during Board meetings and also on the issuance of a recall petition of three Board members. Both County Counsel and Office of Education counsel met with the Grand Jury to discuss what investigation, if any, would be appropiate for the grand jury to conduct. The Grand Jury was advised that the best recourse for the complainant was to contact the County District Attorney, the State Attorney General, and the watchdog agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission. The Grand Jury then voted to so inform the complainant and not itself to conduct further investigation of the allegations.
• CL22
  If the County is unable to contract with a veterinarian to provide consultation and treatment of animals in the Shelter, it might consider formally cross-training one ot two Animal Control officers as veteriary technicians who can at least provide vaccinations, de-worm and de-flea animals, and test for leukemia and heartworm upon arrival. (Technicians can administer rabies injections, but the certificate necessary for licensing must be signed by a vet.) Animal COntrol might also contact the Shelter Medicine Program at UC-Davis and explore what assistance they might be able to provide.
• CL23
  Animal Control could consider raising the adoption and licensing fees to help underwrite additional services such as, for example, being open on Saturdays for adoptions and/or expanding the hours of operation in Clearlake, vaccinating the new arrivals, and microchipping each animal that is adopted.
• CL24
  In liue of yet being able financially to spay-neuter all pets adopted, Animal Control could at least schedule all such pets for surgery, at either the SPCA or with the owner's private vet or a vet participating in the special California Veterinary Medical Association program before the owner leaves the Shelter with the pet.
• CL25
  Animal Control could implement the Sheriff's recommendation that minimum-security jail inmates, or even youths from Juvenile Hall or inmates from the Konocti Conservation Camp, be put to good use around the grounds and also help socialize the animals to enhance their potential for adoption.