Who Is Sandra Hutchens?
Posted by: Jubal | 06/05/2008 4:18 PM
Hutchens Fever seems to be sweeping the OC politerati.
Senator-elect Mimi Walters is apparently holding a get-to-know-her reception for Hutchens tomorrow.
Dana Parsons, in that patented way in the the LA Times condescends to its OC readers, wonders if all us knuckle-dragging rednecks can handle a girl sheriff.
Frank Mickadeit flat-out predicts she'll be appointed over Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.
It's an understandable outbreak of "fresh face" fever, but it's curious since we don't really know that much about her.
I did some googling about Hutchens, who as it turns out has a pretty low Google profile. Most of the results were about her candidacy for OC Sheriff.
There was a July 16, 2003 press release announcing her appointment as chief of the LASD's Office of Homeland Security:
Obviously, LA-area disaster response wasn't solely Hutchens responsibility. But aren't mass evacuation and temporary housing items that should have recieved some planning attention in two-and-a-half years?
Some food for thought as the sheriff selection process approaches its end point.
Senator-elect Mimi Walters is apparently holding a get-to-know-her reception for Hutchens tomorrow.
Dana Parsons, in that patented way in the the LA Times condescends to its OC readers, wonders if all us knuckle-dragging rednecks can handle a girl sheriff.
Frank Mickadeit flat-out predicts she'll be appointed over Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.
It's an understandable outbreak of "fresh face" fever, but it's curious since we don't really know that much about her.
I did some googling about Hutchens, who as it turns out has a pretty low Google profile. Most of the results were about her candidacy for OC Sheriff.
There was a July 16, 2003 press release announcing her appointment as chief of the LASD's Office of Homeland Security:
Sandra Hutchens, a 26-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, was recently promoted to Chief and will oversee the Department's Office of Homeland Security. The Office of Homeland Security is responsible for anti-terrorism efforts at the local level. Additionally, this office oversees the Department's specialized operations such as: emergency and disaster response, gang investigations, air operations, special weapons, search and rescue, community policing, reserve forces, and law enforcement partnerships.What makes it interesting is this quote by Sandra Hutchens in a September 25, 2005, post-Katrina New York Times story:
Los Angeles, the nation's second-most-populous city, sits atop a spider web of earthquake faults, several of which could slip with devastating consequences, leveling large parts of the city and touching off widespread fires and explosions. But the city has no plan for moving and sheltering the large number of people who would be made homeless by such a disaster, officials concede.Let me get this straight: two-and-a-half years after being appointed as the LASD chief in charge of (among other things) emergency and disaster response, Hutchens hadn't looked at such critical components of such response like mass evacuation or housing the displaced?
"What happened in Houston is very significant," said Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles. "What they've demonstrated is the difficulties in evacuating that number of people. We're a much larger area. If you'd ever have to evacuate that number of people here, there's no question it would be problematic."
Emergency response planners acknowledge that no plans exist for moving hundreds of thousands, and potentially millions, of Southern Californians out of harm's way. "We're going back to the drawing board," said Sandra S. Hutchens, chief of the office of homeland security at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "With an earthquake or a major terrorist attack, we'd obviously have no warning. We haven't looked at mass evacuation or temporary housing for hundreds of thousands of people."
Obviously, LA-area disaster response wasn't solely Hutchens responsibility. But aren't mass evacuation and temporary housing items that should have recieved some planning attention in two-and-a-half years?
Some food for thought as the sheriff selection process approaches its end point.
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OC's Next Sheriff
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
And Orange County does? Wasn't Carona a homeland security guy before he got booted? If you want to know who she is, a good start would be to post her resume. Some further food for thought is the upcoming background invetigations and why Walters is unable to control the grafitti problem that everyone is talking about.
Last time I checked, graffiti is a problem EVERYWHERE. So, if you are going to condemn Walters, might as well blame all the other chiefs and sheriffs in all the other cities and counties, too.
And we all know there's no graffiti in LA County, is there?
Both canidates will make a great Sheriff and the BOS did a great job in selecting the two.Both will bring Honesty&Integerity back to the Sheriffs Department. Something that has been SEVERLY lacking with Carona and Anderson.They will also bring the depatment back to greatness
Hey Guys. The grafitti comment was just bait. The real story is on the "Walters Or Hutchins?" topic.
Mimi Walters,
Here's an idea. We elected you to statewide office. Why don't you get your freakin' nose out of local politics, get up to Sacramento, and show some leadership!
The Democrats have a whole slate of stupid and misguided legislation in the works, including the grocery bag tax. And you're monkeying around with who will be OC's Sheriff?!
Get back to work! What are we paying you for?!
Apparently "The Boss" has residual bitterness from his (candidate's) loss on Tuesday. Mimi represents a portion of Orange County and has every right as an elected official, as well as a private citizen, to support her preference for sheriff.
Mr. Boss Man,
Are you high? Mimi was elected to represent Orange County or a portion there of. Most of the OCSD contract cities are in South County which she represents, so this is what we are paying her for.
Not to flame, but I've seen A LOT of stupid comments thrown around this blog, but this one takes the cake. I feel sorry for anyone that actually has you as a boss!
Sandra Hutchens will be the best person for the job. She is a "fresh face" with tremendous leadership skills and the necessary experience to reform OCSD without all the "baggage" Paul Walters would bring. The BOS would be very wise to select Hutchens
The simple fate of reality is this: Hutchens has worked for a Sheriff Department before, which encompasses jails, patrol, special operations and so forth. Walters has a little rinky dink city jail, that doesnt' house real bad guys, for liability reason and the lack of jail training their officers have. Hutchens has no financial problems like Walters, Debt, Divorce, and so forth. Walters will use the postion for his own benefit, like he has done in Santa Ana,. This is per his own officer me. He does not know his rank and file and hasn't for the last 8 years.
He is going to bring an LAPD guy to help him. now lets analyze an average LAPD officer. Cannot write, cannot make a decision without asking a supervisor, bascially, it takes 10 LAPD officers to do what one or two deputies might do. And this is what OCSD want on top of their organazation. I know first hand because we have rolled up quite a few for not knowing how to write.
Hutchens is the best fit, similiar type of departments and she has help from Los Angeles if she needs it. Now the big question or event will be when the election comes around. One thng which needs to sorely be addressed, is the election for sheriff. How can a guy like Hunt who is not qualified, run and take the postion as Sheriff. Look at Carona, he had no qualifications to be Sheriff. It was money and certain people helping him to get the nod. Which in my opinion, cheapens the position as the Sheriff. I anticiapte, Anderson and Hunt will both try and run, but the citiznes will not back them in 2010.
I know Sandi Hutchens well. She is a class act, has no baggage, is a person of great integrity. She was a hard charger street cop and detective, she paid her dues, NEVER played the gender card at all. She is well respected within LASD. As Sheriff of OC, she will place the house back in order, re-establis the honor of that great department and do so without owing anyone. She will support the troops to the wall and clean house. Sheriff Hutchen will be a very refreshing leader within OCSD and 180 degrees opposite from Carona.
One can only hope that Sup. Pat Bates will not cave into the pro-Hutchens lobbying campaign being waged by Mimi Walters and the rest of the gals in the California Womens Leadership Association.
Let's be honest: CWLA is lobbying for Hutchens because of her gender. Pure and simple.
It's time to grow up and away from that kind of throw-back, Helen Reddy feminism.
Don't cave in to the South County Sisterhood. Vote for the most qualified candidate, Sup. Bates. Appoint Paul Walters.
Don't BS. What you really are saying is you are the sexist. That's because Hutchins is clearly far more qulified than Walters. All you have to do is look at her resume. It's the good ol' boys club that is willing to overlook that minor inconvenience.
I think that Norby is smart enough to know that the background will bring up dirt on Walters...that's why Norby wanted to vote on the matter after the interviews. It's possible that Walters could not pass a full POST background (finances, neighbors statements, etc.), but Hutchens is squeeky clean.
Anonymous:
Of course Hutchens if qualified. So is Walters, annd I think he is the better pick.
My point is the CWLA lobbying campaign for Hutchens has to do with her gender, not her qulaifications. Do you think they'd be bombarding Bates if Hutchens were a man?
Don't BS.
I think she's qualified and yes, she's a female. In answer to your question, it would depend on what the man had to say. God knows I have spent a few nights sleeping on the couch.
The meet & greet with Sandra Hutchens was a sight to behold. Most, if not all south county cities were represented at this event which was wonderful. I don't think this is about male v. female, more than likely this is about qualifications and Walters doesn't stack up against Hutchens when it comes to running the OCSD. I have spoken out in support of Sandra Hutchens because she is the best choice for the citizens of Orange County!
Matt --
Mimi Walters is not the senator-elect. She faces Gary Pritchard in November. Registration being what it is, Gary has an uphill fight, but to call her Senator-Elect twice in recent posts is arrogance at best. But we can always start sayiing President-elect Obama if you'd like.