County Policy Lets Sheriff’s Workers Raise Funds on Job

Government reform activists are raising concerns about a county policy quietly approved last month by the Board of Supervisors that permits Sheriff’s Department employees to engage in fund-raising activities for a nonprofit organization while on duty.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Advisory Council has collected millions of dollars over the last 16 years for a variety of law enforcement causes, helping provide the seed money for the county DNA lab and creating trust funds for the families of slain officers.

But the council also contributes money to political causes such as Measure R, the proposed half-cent sales tax that county voters overwhelmingly rejected last year.

The advocates criticize the policy approved by the county supervisors, saying it’s inappropriate for county employees to raise money during working hours, especially for a group that takes political stands.

“If we let sheriff’s employees raise money for causes, where will it end?” said Shirley Grindle, a longtime government watchdog and author of the county’s campaign finance reform rules.

“I don’t think employees should be involved in this at all. It’s wrong.”

Critics acknowledge that much of the council’s fund-raising goes to programs that help the Sheriff’s Department. But they question the logic of allowing employees to take on outside activities on county time, while the county is still recovering from its bankruptcy and the staffing cutbacks that resulted.

“The taxpayers aren’t giving them their checks to raise money for special causes. They are there to do their jobs,” said activist Patrick Quaney. “If these people want to help out at night and on weekends, that’s fine. But not on county time and at county facilities.”

Sheriff’s Department officials defend the policy, which they said only codifies a long-standing informal arrangement.

Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer said staff fund-raising efforts won’t impinge on their county work and will be limited to such activities as helping the council plan benefits and assisting with ticket sales for drawings.

“If the council asked us to do phone solicitations, we would not do that. We think people are annoyed enough by those calls,” LaDucer said. “We would not have deputies in patrol cars knocking on doors soliciting money. There won’t be anything like that.”

Rather, employees will help in less direct ways, he said. One lieutenant, for example, is now helping the council organize a charity golf tournament.

LaDucer and others said the employees’ efforts are minor compared to the benefits the Sheriff’s Department gains from the council, which is made up of business executives and other community leaders.

In addition to the DNA lab, the council contributed money to build the department’s Laser Village training center, sponsors the annual Medal of Valor awards, and helped fund the construction of the Orange County Peace Officers Memorial at the Santa Ana Civic Center.

The council also supports drug education programs and funds a “999” program that provides financial help for injured officers and the families of slain officers.

“The real issue is that we are able to help when an officer is injured in the line of duty; the family is left upside down and the house payment needs to be made,” he said.

The council raises an average of $400,000 a year, most of which goes to various police support programs.

Council President Al Cosentino said the group rarely takes stands on political issues and only when they have a direct relationship to law enforcement.

The group has made political contributions in two cases. In 1993, it gave $17,000 to the campaign supporting Proposition 172, a voter-approved statewide sales tax increase to benefit law enforcement. Last year, it contributed $7,500 to support Measure R, designed to help the county emerge from bankruptcy.

Although the group is currently opposed to a statewide measure on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana for medical uses, it has not contributed money to the No on Proposition 215 campaign.

“In the scheme of things, these are tiny amounts,” said council treasurer Dave White, adding that state law limits the amount of political contributions that nonprofit organizations can make to 5% of the total amount expended.

The Board of Supervisors approved the policy unanimously and without comment in August. James F. Meade, assistant county counsel, said the policy is permitted under state government codes and is similar to a county resolution that allows employees to collect money for the United Way.

The county’s code of ethics, a nonbinding policy statement adopted several years ago, prohibits employees from using county equipment and materials for personal benefit but does not ban fund-raising for outside charity groups, Meade added.

Supervisor Don Saltarelli said he favors the Sheriff’s Department policy because “we get much more in return for the staff time involved. I think it’s worth a small amount of staff time.”

But activists remain skeptical, saying the new policy could place sheriff’s employees who don’t want to raise funds in an uncomfortable position and sets a troubling precedent for the rest of county government.

“If you let them do it, why not everyone?” Quaney asked. “What do we say when the Knights of Columbus, the Red Cross and the Shriners ask [the county] for help?”