HUNTINGTON BEACH : Jail Contract With Costa Mesa OKd

Women arrested in Costa Mesa may be detained in the Huntington Beach Jail under a contract approved this week by the City Council here.

Costa Mesa officials requested to use the jail because they lack female officers to staff the jail in their city, Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg told the council.

The agreement is expected to add 10 to 12 prisoners a month in Huntington Beach, “well within our ability to handle,” Lowenberg said.

Huntington Beach also has a contract to handle female prisoners from Seal Beach and is negotiating with Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Westminster as the cities with limited or no jail facilities scramble to avoid paying jail booking charges to the county.

Huntington Beach will charge Costa Mesa a booking fee of $125, including housing for the first day. Each additional day of lodging costs $41.15. Microwave meals are included in the package. Orange County charges cities a $158 jail booking fee.

Huntington Beach, with 16 beds for female prisoners and 56 beds for male prisoners, also has a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to hold illegal aliens awaiting deportation.

The jail supervisor, Sgt. Jim Dahl, said the facility, in the Civic Center near the corner of Main Street and Yorktown Avenue, holds prisoners for up to 48 hours before their arraignment in court.

Prisoners typically include those arrested on warrants and drunk-driving and drunk-in-public charges.