Two more reasons to recall O.C. Sheriff Hutchens

On Monday I detailed the abuses of power mandating that Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens should be recalled. Two more reasons have come up.

First, yesterday evening, the O.C. Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to take security for their meetings away from the sheriffs and contract it out. This is a vote of no confidence in Hutchens’ performance of her job. The vote stems from the Stasi-Sheriff’s intimidation of peaceful citizens at a board meeting, spy cameras peeping at the notes of supervisors, and her refusal to turn over to the supervisors the tapes of the spying. I detailed these charges in my previous blog.

This actually was a vote of no confidence in her by the supervisors. Unfortunately, she cannot be fired by them. So a recall is necessary.

Second new reason for a recall: Assistant Sheriff Hillman

Second,  Hutchens has hired a thug for her second in command — like her, a migrant from Los Angeles, Assistant Sheriff Mike Hillman, formerly of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Can’t we get people from our own police and sheriff departments, right here in Orange County? We have 3 million people to choose from, including many police chiefs and sheriffs. Why do we have to go to L.A. for Hutchens and Hillman? L.A. is completely different from O.C. Over there, they have much bigger government, higher taxes, and more brutal cops. Remember the Ramparts Scandal?

OK, we’ve had our own problems with felon Mike Carona, just convicted on federal corruption charges. But why import trouble?

Hillman’s thuggish behavior was detailed on Orange Punch by my former Register editorial-page colleague Steven Greenhut. I’ll just quote all of it:

Is Hillman behind the police-state stuff?

Assistant Sheriff Mike Hillman offers this analysis of the widely criticized sheriff’s department security tactics at the January 13 board meeting. The best part of the analysis was this line: “No ancillary groups appeared who wished to engage in First Amendment activity outside the Board meeting.” I like how Matt Cunningham put it at OCBlog: “First Amendment activity”? It’s interesting how the clipped style of police reports can make exercising one’s free speech sound sinister.” The whole Hutchens/Hillman approach to board security seems to be epitomized by that line. They made it feel and seem sinister to attend a board meeting and actually speak out against the sheriff’s anti-CCW policies.

A number of readers have suggested that these new tactics are standard operating procedure for Hillman, the former LAPD deputy chief.

Here is a column by the Times’ Steve Lopez called, “Iron Mike Needs to Forge a New Image As Part of LAPD’s Brass.” It includes this paragraph: “A snapshot of LAPD Deputy Chief Mike Hillman has been making the rounds among brass at Parker Center. In the photograph, taken at the demonstrations on the evening of the Academy Awards, Hillman has a bullhorn in one hand and a citizen’s neck in the other.”

Maybe that can be the new photo mascot for the OC Sheriff’s Department. And maybe a quotation from Hillman, found on a public radio Web site, captures the OC Sheriff’s Department’s new approach to civil liberties. Hillman is explaining how he deals with people at protests who he thinks might be potential troublemakers because they are wearing hoodies and have a backpack with them:

“Walking over to them and saying, ‘Hi, Mike Hillman, I’m going to be here with you. Want to make sure we protect your First Amendment rights. I’ll be with you the rest of the day.’ Now, it may sound hokey. But what it does is, it tells somebody that we’re watching.”

That seems to be the exact approach the OCSD took toward those troublemakers who showed up at the board meeting to speak out about CCW permits. Ominous. At least the past ethically challenged sheriff was too busy in petty pursuits of sex, booze and toys to try this sort of police-state nonsense!

Recall Hutchens

These are yet more reasons why Sheriff Hutchens should be recalled.

Somebody, maybe gun-rights advocates, needs to start a campaign and collect signatures.