Juveniles in Gangs in Santa Barbara County

Recommendations 26

• R1

  Page 120
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff enforce the policy regarding not admitting inmates to the Main Jail with life threatening medical conditions.
• R1a

  Page 169
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department Director to prepare Environmental Impact Reports addressing each region of Santa Barbara County after holding public hearings to evaluate public concerns.
• R1b

  Page 169
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department Director to develop Project Objectives for the Environmental Impact Reports that reflect a balance between cannabis, traditional agriculture, and the residents of Santa Barbara County.
• R2

  Page 120
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff require all medical staff be instructed to transfer inmates to the local hospital emergency room when there is an emergency that is a life threatening or serious injury or illness and the on-call physician does not respond.
• R3

  Page 120
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ensure that medical staff follow policy and procedures when the on-call physician does not respond. 112
• R4

  Page 121
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ensure that Wellpath personnel bring an emergency kit whenever they respond to a man down notification. 3.0 C1 Death in Custody June 25, 2019 C1 was arrested and booked at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on April 10, 2018. C1 remained in custody and unsentenced while his court date was continued 25 times. The Jury questioned why C1 was held 14 months awaiting trial. The 6th amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees a speedy trial and California Penal Code Section 1382 dictates that unless waived a person charged with a felony be brought to trial The date of arrest on both the Sheriff’s letter to the Jury and the Coroner’s report incorrectly state 2019, giving the false impression that his incarceration was two months rather than fourteen months. C1 had a decades-long history of prior arrests, detention, and mental health issues with suicidal ideations. C1 was evaluated by a Wellpath psychiatrist in August of 2018, diagnosed with schizophrenia, and prescribed antipsychotic medications. Within five days, C1 was noncompliant and stopped taking prescribed medications, and there was no follow-up. A January 2019 assault at the Main Jail resulted in orbital and nasal fractures. It was reported to the custody deputies on June 25, 2019, that C1 was accused by fellow inmates of being a child molester, which he denied. On the same day at approximately 1:00 p.m., C1 was removed from his cell by a custody deputy after arguments among inmates. He was handcuffed, removed from his housing unit and displayed combative behavior toward a neighboring inmate. He was placed in the temporary cell Front Central C-14 at 1:11 p.m. The handcuffs were removed. The video provided to the Jury shows C1 began pacing in the cell. C1 requested to be assigned to a cell alone for permanent placement. C1 was advised Wellpath mental health (MH) would be contacted to meet with him prior to rehousing. The Custody Deputy stated he contacted MH and informed the clinician of his conversation with C1. Later that day at 1:34 p.m., C1 asked a MH clinician walking by his cell for help with housing and stated he would kill himself if he did not get a cell alone. At the end of their conversation, C1 denied any suicidal or homicidal intention. The same MH clinician determined C1 was not a danger to himself. This MH clinician, the last person to speak with C1 minutes prior to his hanging, stated in an interview that they are not required to inform a supervisor or custody personnel upon hearing a patient make a suicidal statement. Shortly thereafter, at 1:51 p.m., C1 took off his T-shirt and is shown on video experimenting by tying it at varying heights on the bars of his cell. At 1:59 p.m. C1 was standing normally in his cell, with the T-shirt tied to the bar, as a Custody Deputy walked by. At 2:01 p.m., C1 secured the T-shirt, tied at chest height, around his neck. At 2:13 p.m., C1 was discovered hanging by a Custody Deputy. He was cut down and life-saving measures were initiated. No carotid pulse or vital signs were detected. CPR was administered and the AED indicated no shock was needed, as a pulse was detected. AMR and Fire Department personnel arrived at approximately 2:23 p.m., and C1 was removed at 2:30 p.m. on a backboard and taken to Cottage Hospital. On June 30, 2019, C1 was removed from life-support equipment at Cottage Hospital with his family at his bedside. In its investigation the Jury discovered that 28 of 48 interviews regarding C1’s hanging in his cell omitted the date and time the witness was interviewed. Some interviews occurred in September, more than two months after the event.
• R4a

  Page 169
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors amend the Land Use and Development Code and Article II, the Coastal Zoning Ordinance to require all pending cannabis land use permit applications be subject to a Conditional Use Permit review.
• R4b

  Page 169
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors amend the County’s Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones to declare that cannabis cultivation and related facilities are compatible uses on contracted land instead of as an agricultural use. 161
• R5

  Page 122
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ensure that all detention facility personnel inform their supervisor of any threats of suicide. 114
• R5a

  Page 170
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors require all applicants with cannabis use and development permit applications and licenses pending, who claim legal non-conforming status, to prove their claimed status before the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission.
• R5b

  Page 170
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department Director, in conjunction with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, to eradicate all cannabis grown on acreage claimed under Legal Non-Conforming status when the cannabis operator fails to demonstrate to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission that the planting of cannabis occurred prior to January 19, 2016.
• R5c

  Page 170
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department Director to deny permits for the growth of cannabis on acreage claimed under Legal Non-Conforming status when the cannabis operator fails to demonstrate to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission that the planting of cannabis occurred prior to January 19, 2016.
• R6

  Page 123
  That Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors provide psychiatric services to better serve mentally ill inmates in detention. 4.0 D1 Death in Custody October 31, 2019 D1 was arrested on October 19, 2019 by the Lompoc Police Department on a violation of felony probation charge. On October 20, 2019 D1 was booked into the Main Jail and the medical intake screening was completed. D1 claimed to be suffering from mood disorders, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but claimed no drug or alcohol use. The records provided to the Jury did not show whether his previous booking records were reviewed. A thorough review of prior booking assessments would have revealed a history of drug use and suicidal ideations. An initial mental health assessment was attempted, but D1 refused services and no referral to a psychiatrist was made. D1 complained of withdrawal symptoms to the custody staff on October 23, 2019. The Jury learned custody staff later referred him to the medical staff where he was assessed and placed on a Benzodiazepine protocol. Later, he refused monitoring and appropriate medications. On October 23, 2019, D1 attempted to exit the facility by attempting multiple times to walk past Custody Deputies as they were serving meals. He was medically evaluated and cleared. He was then rehoused to cell IRC100-113 which contained a wall phone that had a long cord to the receiver. D1 was referred to Mental Health for evaluation because of demonstrated bizarre behavior. He was not seen that day and placed on “welfare check” for the next day by Mental Health. On October 31, 2019 at approximately 11:15 a.m., D1 committed suicide in his cell by wrapping a phone cord around his neck and dropping his feet out from under his body. When D1 was discovered, a custody deputy placed the pads from an AED device on D1’s chest. An RN arrived and checked for breathing and pulse and found none. CPR was then administered by several deputies, pausing only to allow the AED to check the patient. The deputies reported that the AED never gave the order to administer a shock. At 11:28 a.m., medics from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department arrived and took over CPR. At 11:50 a.m., D1 was pronounced dead. The required Responder Defibrillator Report was not found in the files provided to the Jury. In addition, during the incident one of the medical staff heard a Code 33 on the radio, thus knowing that this was an emergency but not knowing what type of emergency.
• R6a

  Page 145
  That the Santa Barbara County District Attorney form a consortium including the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Barbara County Probation Department and the Police Departments of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Guadalupe to hire a full-time crime analyst and share data to reduce gang crime.
• R6b

  Page 145
  That the Santa Barbara County District Attorney form a consortium including the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Barbara County Probation Department and the Police Departments of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Guadalupe and hire staff that would apply for grants to fund anti-gang programs.
• R7

  Page 124
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff direct all radio calls for medical emergencies be in plain language, including details of the symptoms encountered such as suicide by hanging, bleeding wounds, suspected overdose, etc. 116
• R7a

  Page 170
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department Director, in conjunction with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, to eradicate all cannabis grown on acreage claimed under Legal Non-Conforming status when the cannabis operator fails to demonstrate to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission that the planting of cannabis occurred prior to January 19, 2016.
• R7b

  Page 170
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department Director to deny permits for the growth of cannabis on acreage claimed under Legal Non-Conforming status when the cannabis operator fails to demonstrate to 162 the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission that the planting of cannabis occurred prior to January 19, 2016.
• R8

  Page 125
  That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ensure that Wellpath test all AEDs monthly and after each use and keep logs of the dates of these checks.
• R9

  Page 171
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors require that all future ordinances that involve taxation require the Santa Barbara County Treasurer-Tax Collector be involved in the creation of the ordinance.
• R10

  Page 122
  Limit potential for adverse impacts on children and sensitive populations by ensuring compatibility of commercial cannabis activities with surrounding existing land uses, including residential neighborhoods, agricultural operations, youth facilities, recreational amenities, and educational institutions. 165
• R11

  Page 171
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors suspend all County unpermitted cannabis operations until proof of odor control at the boundary of their operation is accepted by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission.
• R12a

  Page 171
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors establish, staff and empower an independent Ethics Commission with oversight over the Board and its staff members.
• R12b

  Page 171
  That the independent Ethics Commission develop a Code of Ethics, review Board activities on a periodic and as needed basis for compliance, and share its findings with the public. 163
• R12c

  Page 172
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors require all its members to publicly disclose receipt of campaign contributions from donors who have matters pending a decision by the Board.
• R12d

  Page 172
  That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors require those members receiving campaign contributions from donors with matters pending a decision, to recuse themselves from those matters or return the campaign contributions. This report was issued by the Grand Jury with the exception of a grand juror who wanted to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest. That grand juror was excluded from all parts of the investigation, including interviews, deliberations, and the writing and approval of this report.