A civil grand jury Friday released a report that found that it’s OK for
the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department to use its helicopter in
community events, such as efforts to help at-risk youths or charitable
organizations.
The grand jury, however, noted that county
policies do not allow for the sheriff’s helicopter to be used for such
non-law enforcement purposes. The grand jurors recommended that a policy
be created with a procedure on how to gain approval before the
helicopter is used for something other than a public safety response.
Complaints
about the helicopter usage came from a resident who alleged a
helicopter ride was used as an auction item to benefit a local hospice
organization. Concerns about the helicopter appeared in several articles
in a local newspaper, according to the grand jury’s report.
A
Stanislaus County sheriff’s helicopter took part in the Make Dreams Real
event May 15, 2013, at Saddle Creek Resort in Copperopolis, Calaveras
County, which raised money to send schoolchildren to sixth-grade camp
and other outdoor education programs, according to a Modesto Bee news
story published a year ago.
The helicopter’s use for a golf ball
drop over the course was intended to benefit the charity organization,
designed to help Stanislaus County children.
No specific event
was mentioned in the grand jury’s report. As part of their inquiry,
jurors reviewed the sheriff’s helicopter flight records from July 2008
through August 2013 to identify activities that might not be considered a
law enforcement purpose.
The county CEO’s policy indicates that
the sheriff’s helicopter shall be used only for law enforcement or
emergency-related purposes, or for other county government purposes with
prior approval from the county’s chief executive officer or a designee.
The
sheriff’s policies list several proper uses for the helicopter, which
include assisting other public safety agencies, assisting sheriff’s
personnel on the ground, capturing suspects or inmates who present a
danger, finding a missing person, conducting vehicle pursuits and
rescuing a stranded person in a remote area.
The grand jury found
that neither policy has specific language or procedure that allows
usage of sheriff’s vehicles in non-law enforcement activities, no matter
how charitable or beneficial. Yet sheriff’s vehicles, particularly
helicopters, have been used in community events numerous times in the
past several years.
Participating in activities to support
at-risk youth and charitable groups provides a positive impression of
the Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement in the county,
according to the report. The grand jury also said the department is
especially supportive of activities that focus on the positive role of
law enforcement, as opposed to the more apparent conflict that occurs in
criminal investigations.
The grand jury recommended that a
specific policy be written defining the use of sheriff’s resources such
as helicopters for non-law enforcement activities. The jurors also
recommended that such usage be approved in advance of the event by two
senior managers at the Sheriff’s Department, or one senior manager each
from the Sheriff’s Department and the CEO’s Office.
The report
indicates that the elected sheriff is in a unique position in relation
to the authority of the county’s CEO and the Board of Supervisors. While
the board maintains approval authority of the department’s budget, the
sheriff is directly accountable to the voters.
The grand jury
says neither the Board of Supervisors nor the county CEO has direct
supervisory authority over Sheriff Adam Christianson or his department.
The
grand jury, which is a watchdog group, is appointed by the presiding
judge of the Superior Court to serve a one-year term. Its
recommendations are not legally binding, but officials have 90 days to
respond in writing to the findings.
Story, photos and comments: http://www.modbee.com
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