Hate: What is Orange County Doing About It? Grand Jury

R3

The Orange County Board of Supervisors should restore the Human Relations Commission to its original eleven-member makeup that includes representatives from cities, and should reinstate their monthly meetings. This should be done by September 30, 2025. (F1)

R4

By August 31, 2025, and semiannually thereafter, the Orange County Board of Supervisors should request a status report from the Human Relations Commission on its activities and plans since the termination of its contract with Groundswell. (F1)

R5

The Board of Supervisors should direct the Human Relations Commission to form a Hate Prevention and Response Coalition modeled after the former Groundswell effort. To avoid duplication, boost impact, and gather better data, it should include representatives from cities, Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney, schools, community groups, and affected residents. The coalition should create countywide hate crime protocols, support victims, promote inclusive education, and host public events. This should be done by September 30, 2025. (F1, F2, F4)

R5

The Board of Supervisors should direct the Human Relations Commission to form a Hate Prevention and Response Coalition modeled after the former Groundswell effort. To avoid duplication, boost impact, and gather better data, it should include representatives from cities, Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney, schools, community groups, and affected residents. The coalition should create countywide hate crime protocols, support victims, promote inclusive education, and host public events. This should be done by September 30, 2025. (F1, F2, F4)

R7

To ensure consistency and better understanding of what constitutes a hate incident, the Board of Supervisors should direct the Orange County Human Relations Commission to adopt definitions as defined by the California Justice Department. This should be done by September 30, 2025. (F3)

R5

The Board of Supervisors should direct the Human Relations Commission to form a Hate Prevention and Response Coalition modeled after the former Groundswell effort. To avoid duplication, boost impact, and gather better data, it should include representatives from cities, Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney, schools, community groups, and affected residents. The coalition should create countywide hate crime protocols, support victims, promote inclusive education, and host public events. This should be done by September 30, 2025. (F1, F2, F4)

R10

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department should collaborate with local law enforcement agencies and non-profit organizations that receive reports of hate crimes and incidents to develop a centralized portal or reporting mechanism. This would streamline the process, improve data capture, and make it easier to track and address hate crimes and incidents. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F4, F7, F10)

R6

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and local police departments should establish formal collaborations with Black- and Jewish-led organizations. Such partnerships would enable law enforcement to focus more effectively on the needs of these communities and enhance their efforts in combating hate crimes and incidents in these populations. (F5)

R1

The Orange County Board of Supervisors should allocate funding to ensure that the Orange County Asian Pacific Islanders Community Alliance efforts continue uninterrupted. This should be done by December 31, 2025, and yearly thereafter. (F6)

R10

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department should collaborate with local law enforcement agencies and non-profit organizations that receive reports of hate crimes and incidents to develop a centralized portal or reporting mechanism. This would streamline the process, improve data capture, and make it easier to track and address hate crimes and incidents. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F4, F7, F10)

R8

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department should expand representation within each faith, including multiple congregations, to ensure a broader and more inclusive interfaith collaborative. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F8)

R9

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department should collaborate with local police departments to increase outreach efforts that encourage the public to report hate crimes and incidents, even if the reports are anonymous. Anonymous reports should be tabulated separately. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F9, F10)

R9

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department should collaborate with local police departments to increase outreach efforts that encourage the public to report hate crimes and incidents, even if the reports are anonymous. Anonymous reports should be tabulated separately. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F9, F10)

R10

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department should collaborate with local law enforcement agencies and non-profit organizations that receive reports of hate crimes and incidents to develop a centralized portal or reporting mechanism. This would streamline the process, improve data capture, and make it easier to track and address hate crimes and incidents. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F4, F7, F10)

R11

The Orange County Department of Education should create a centralized database of up-to- date materials, resources, and programs designed to address hate crimes and incidents in K-12 schools. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F11, F12)

R11

The Orange County Department of Education should create a centralized database of up-to- date materials, resources, and programs designed to address hate crimes and incidents in K-12 schools. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F11, F12)

R12

The Orange County Department of Education should implement and expand the current age-appropriate curriculum on tolerance and respect for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, including education programs for parents and caregivers. This should be done by December 31, 2025. (F12) RESPONSES The following excerpts from the California Penal Code provide the requirements for public agencies to respond to the Findings and Recommendations of this Grand Jury report: §933 (c) No later than 90 days after the grand jury submits a final report on the operations of any public agency subject to its reviewing authority, the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body, and every elected county officer or agency head for which the grand jury has responsibility pursuant to Section 914.1 shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court, with an information copy sent to the board of supervisors, on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of that county officer or agency head and any agency or agencies which that officer or agency head supervises or controls. In any city and county, the mayor shall also comment on the findings and recommendations. All of these comments and reports shall forthwith be submitted to the presiding judge of the superior court who impaneled the grand jury. A copy of all responses to grand jury reports shall be placed on file with the clerk of the public agency and the office of the county clerk, or the mayor when applicable, and shall remain on file in those offices. One copy shall be placed on file with the applicable grand jury final report by, and in the control of the currently impaneled grand jury, where it shall be maintained for a minimum of five years. 933.05. (a) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury finding, the responding person or entity shall indicate one of the following: (1) The respondent agrees with the finding. (2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding; in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an explanation of the reasons therefor. (b) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions: (1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. (2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, with a timeframe for implementation. (3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report. (4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable, with an explanation therefor. (c) However, if a finding or recommendation of the grand jury addresses budgetary or personnel matters of a county agency or department headed by an elected officer, both the agency or department head and the board of supervisors shall respond if requested by the grand jury, but the response of the board of supervisors shall address only those budgetary or personnel matters over which it has some decision-making authority. The response of the elected agency or department head shall address all aspects of the findings or recommendations affecting his or her agency or department. (d) A grand jury may request a subject person or entity to come before the grand jury for the purpose of reading and discussing the findings of the grand jury report that relates to that person or entity in order to verify the accuracy of the findings prior to their release. (e) During an investigation, the grand jury shall meet with the subject of that investigation regarding the investigation, unless the court, either on its own determination or upon request of the foreperson of the grand jury, determines that such a meeting would be detrimental. (f) A grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release and after the approval of the presiding judge. No officer, agency, department, or governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report. (Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 443, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1998.)

R2

The Orange County Board of Supervisors should provide sufficient funding to the OCDA’s office to continue its anti-hate crime and incident programs beyond its federal grant expiration date. This should be done by October 31, 2027, when the grant funding is scheduled to end, and yearly thereafter. (F13)