Stanton selects Captain Ryan Pierce as Chief of Police Services
STANTON, Ca. (April 18, 2024):The city of Stanton has selected Captain Ryan Pierce as their new Chief of Police Services.
“I am humbled to join the exceptional team of dedicated personnel who serve the city of Stanton,” Captain Pierce said. “I look forward to returning to the city and bringing the experience I’ve gained in my 25 years with the department.”
Captain Pierce joined the Sheriff’s Department in 1999 and worked as a deputy in Custody and Patrol Operations, serving North Patrol and the city of Stanton.
Captain Pierce has worked a variety of assignments, including as a Recruit Training Officer at the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy. He also served as a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Tactical Apprehension Team (TAT), conducting undercover operations and counter-surveillance operations.
Captain Pierce promoted to sergeant in 2014 and first served as a Custody Operations Sergeant before being assigned as the Range Sergeant.
In 2018, Captain Pierce promoted to lieutenant and was assigned as the Watch Commander and Administrative Lieutenant for the Theo Lacy Facility. He then became the Department Commander in 2020, overseeing department-wide operations and calls for service.
Most recently, Captain Pierce served as the Academy Commander, overseeing the daily operations of the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy.
Captain Pierce will begin his new assignment Friday, April 19.
Mission Viejo announces Captain Jason Ivins as new Chief of Police Services
MISSION VIEJO, Ca. (April 18, 2024):The city of Mission Viejo has selected Captain Jason Ivins as their new Chief of Police Services. He will begin his new assignment Friday, April 19.
“I am looking forward to bringing my experience and diverse law enforcement background to the city of Mission Viejo to continue providing exceptional service to the community,” Captain Ivins said.
Captain Ivins joined the Sheriff’s Department in 1999 and first was assigned to the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana. In 2006, he served in Patrol Operations for the city of San Juan Capistrano and was a member of the South Directed Enforcement Team, a specialized unit that focuses on career criminals and violent offenders.
Captain Ivins became a K-9 handler in 2012 and served as Patrol K-9 Team Leader for two years.
In 2017, he was promoted to sergeant and served in a variety of assignments as a supervisor, including the North Operations Homeless Outreach Team and the Special Enforcement Bureau’s K-9 Services.
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2023 and assigned to oversee special projects and serve as the watch commander for the Theo Lacy Facility.
Most recently, Captain Ivins led the Behavioral Health Bureau, overseeing collaborative programming with the Orange County Health Care Agency to balance enforcement with providing resources for those experiencing homelessness or mental health crises.
Captain Ivins has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Irvine and organizational leadership accreditation from Brandman University.
When not working, Captain Ivins enjoys spending time traveling to US National Parks with his family, surfing, mountain biking and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
2022 Orange County's Homeless Death Review Committee Report
Orange County’s Homeless Death Review Committee issued itssecond report today, reviewing deaths of people experiencing homelessness in 2022.
The Coroner Division of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department led the Homeless Death Review Committee, commissioned by Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes in January 2022. The Committee includes broad representation of technical experts from county agencies, municipal police departments, hospitals, and non-profits.
The Committeemet to explore the root causes of homeless deaths to determine what, if any, factors contributing to the deaths were preventable.
The 2022report’s findings show that deaths among people experiencing homelessnesscontinue to rise, increasing from 395 in 2021 to 496 in 2022, an increase of 25.6 percent.
In addition to the increase in the total number of deaths among people experiencing homelessness, the Committee found that accidental deathscontinue to be theleading manner of death, surpassing natural deaths. In 2022, of the 324 accidental deaths,209 are specifically due to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Comparatively in 2018, just 12 deaths of people experiencing homeless were fentanyl-related.
“The dramatic rise of fentanyl-related deaths among people experiencing homelessness continues to be a cause of concern,” said Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes. “We are addressing fentanyl through enforcement actions against traffickers, the Above the Influence education program in schools, and through the Medication Assisted Treatment program for inmates in our county jails. I also continue to advocate for state and federal legislation that has been proposed and will assist our local efforts.”
In 2023, Sheriff Barnes sponsored AB 271, authored by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, which will permit data sharing among mortality review committees. The legislation was signed into law and went into effect in January 2024. This will provide the Homeless Death Review Committee the ability to share more data, allowing for a more detailed analysis in next year’s report.
“I appreciate the Committee’sreport and recommendations,” said Sheriff Barnes. “I look forward to the comprehensive review we will be able to see next year and how it will help us identify, address and mitigate deaths of people experiencing homelessness.”
Click here to read the 2022 report.
Sheriff’s Department Working to Curb Distracted Driving in San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, Ca. (April 18, 2024):Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Saturday, April 20, deputies will focus their efforts on drivers that are talking, texting, using an app or any other action on their phone that is not hands-free and violates California’s cell phone law. A violation is subject to a $162 fine for the first offense, and at least $285 for a second offense.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, but cell phones remain the top distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people were killed in 2016 due to distracted drivers. A 2018 observational survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) found nearly 5 percent of California drivers were using their phone illegally behind the wheel, either by talking on or using their phone without a hands-free device.
In this day and age, it is natural instinct to answer the phone or read a text, but the focus for drivers should be on the road. Other distractions include eating, grooming, talking to passengers, using GPS, adjusting the radio, taking off a jacket, or reaching for an object on the floor.
If you have an important phone call or need to reprogram your navigation system, pull over to a safe parking place. To resist the urge of using your phone, either silence it or put it somewhere you can’t reach.
Funding for this distracted driving enforcement operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Sheriff’s Department Working to Curb Distracted Driving in Dana Point
Dana Point, Ca. (April 17, 2024):Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Friday, April 19, deputies will focus their efforts on drivers that are talking, texting, using an app or any other action on their phone that is not hands-free and violates California’s cell phone law. A violation is subject to a $162 fine for the first offense, and at least $285 for a second offense.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, but cell phones remain the top distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people were killed in 2016 due to distracted drivers. A 2018 observational survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) found nearly 5 percent of California drivers were using their phone illegally behind the wheel, either by talking on or using their phone without a hands-free device.
In this day and age, it is natural instinct to answer the phone or read a text, but the focus for drivers should be on the road. Other distractions include eating, grooming, talking to passengers, using GPS, adjusting the radio, taking off a jacket, or reaching for an object on the floor.
If you have an important phone call or need to reprogram your navigation system, pull over to a safe parking place. To resist the urge of using your phone, either silence it or put it somewhere you can’t reach.
Funding for this distracted driving enforcement operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Sheriff’s Department Working to Curb Distracted Driving in Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda, Ca. (April 13, 2024):Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Monday, April 15, deputies will focus their efforts on drivers that are talking, texting, using an app or any other action on their phone that is not hands-free and violates California’s cell phone law. A violation is subject to a $162 fine for the first offense, and at least $285 for a second offense.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, but cell phones remain the top distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people were killed in 2016 due to distracted drivers. A 2018 observational survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) found nearly 5 percent of California drivers were using their phone illegally behind the wheel, either by talking on or using their phone without a hands-free device.
In this day and age, it is natural instinct to answer the phone or read a text, but the focus for drivers should be on the road. Other distractions include eating, grooming, talking to passengers, using GPS, adjusting the radio, taking off a jacket, or reaching for an object on the floor.
If you have an important phone call or need to reprogram your navigation system, pull over to a safe parking place. To resist the urge of using your phone, either silence it or put it somewhere you can’t reach.
Funding for this distracted driving enforcement operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Sheriff’s Department Working to Curb Distracted Driving in Stanton
Stanton, Ca. (April 10, 2024):Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Friday, April 12, deputies will focus their efforts on drivers that are talking, texting, using an app or any other action on their phone that is not hands-free and violates California’s cell phone law. A violation is subject to a $162 fine for the first offense, and at least $285 for a second offense.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, but cell phones remain the top distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people were killed in 2016 due to distracted drivers. A 2018 observational survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) found nearly 5 percent of California drivers were using their phone illegally behind the wheel, either by talking on or using their phone without a hands-free device.
In this day and age, it is natural instinct to answer the phone or read a text, but the focus for drivers should be on the road. Other distractions include eating, grooming, talking to passengers, using GPS, adjusting the radio, taking off a jacket, or reaching for an object on the floor.
If you have an important phone call or need to reprogram your navigation system, pull over to a safe parking place. To resist the urge of using your phone, either silence it or put it somewhere you can’t reach.
Funding for this distracted driving enforcement operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Sheriff’s Department Working to Curb Distracted Driving in Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel, Ca. (April 6, 2024):Distracted driving is a dangerous and illegal behavior the Sheriff’s Department is working to deter drivers from doing.
On Monday, April 8, deputies will focus their efforts on drivers that are talking, texting, using an app or any other action on their phone that is not hands-free and violates California’s cell phone law. A violation is subject to a $162 fine for the first offense, and at least $285 for a second offense.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, but cell phones remain the top distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people were killed in 2016 due to distracted drivers. A 2018 observational survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) found nearly 5 percent of California drivers were using their phone illegally behind the wheel, either by talking on or using their phone without a hands-free device.
In this day and age, it is natural instinct to answer the phone or read a text, but the focus for drivers should be on the road. Other distractions include eating, grooming, talking to passengers, using GPS, adjusting the radio, taking off a jacket, or reaching for an object on the floor.
If you have an important phone call or need to reprogram your navigation system, pull over to a safe parking place. To resist the urge of using your phone, either silence it or put it somewhere you can’t reach.
Funding for this distracted driving enforcement operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Stay Focused, Stay Safe: Get Off Your Apps - April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Santa Ana,Ca. (April 1, 2024): April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and a time to put safety in the driver’s seat. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be actively looking for drivers throughout the month who are in violation of the state’s hands-free cell phone law.
"In today's fast-paced life, it is common to lose focus while driving,” Traffic Bureau Sergeant Kyle Ishii said. “Distracted Driving Awareness Month is a crucial reminder that even a moment of inattention or a quick glance at the phone can lead to serious consequences. Let’s get off our apps and keep our eyes on the road. Before starting the car, silence your phone or put it in the glove box, trunk, or back seat. Anywhere you can’t reach."
According to the 2023 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey, more than 74% of drivers surveyed said that distracted driving because of texting was their biggest safety concern. In 2021, there were at least 140 people killed in distracted driving traffic crashes in California. The numbers are likely underreported because law enforcement officers may not always be able to tell that distraction was a factor in a crash.
Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle, even when stopped at a red light. This includes talking, texting, or using an app. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is punishable by a fine and violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.
If you have an important phone call, text, or email, or are in a situation with other distractions, such as looking up directions, pull over to a safe parking spot to complete the task without putting yourself and others at risk. Other distractions can be eating, grooming, reaching for something that fell on the floor, putting on or taking off clothing, talking with passengers, or children in the back seat.
Funding for distracted driving enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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OCSD to hold DUI checkpoint in Dana Point
Dana Point, Ca. (April 17, 2024):The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, April 19, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at an undisclosed location in the city of Dana Point.
DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Deputies will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with deputies checking drivers for proper licensing.
The Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.
In 2019, 1,066 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads.
The Sheriff’s Department offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI:
- Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
- See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
- Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
- Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who are drinking and how they are getting home.
Getting home safely is cheap, but getting a DUI is not. Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses, not to mention possible jail time.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Sheriff’s Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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