The Region - News from April 3, 1987

Kern County Sheriff John R. Smith said he had the department checked for electronic listening devices four days after taking office in January, and plans to repeat the check from time to time. “We don’t have leaks here,” he said, “we have rivers.” Smith’s sweep came shortly after 17 “old bugs” were discovered at the sheriff’s former downtown Bakersfield headquarters. Chief Deputy Al Gutierrez said inmate workers found the small microphones, no longer functional, three months ago when they were remodeling the detective division. “They were old bugs,” Gutierrez said. “I understand they go as far back as Charles Dodge,” who was sheriff from 1967 to 1975.