Westminster Links Police With D.A. in Crime Program

Hoping to reduce crime by creating better teamwork between prosecutors and detectives, the district attorney’s office and Westminster police are creating a partnership program they believe could someday become a model for the future of law enforcement in Orange County.

The Rapid Investigation and Prosecution Program will locate a deputy district attorney and a probation officer directly in the Westminster police station, having them work side by side with detectives on most felony cases. Prosecutors will also stay with cases from start to finish, as opposed to the current approach where they hand off cases at different stages of trial.

“This would be a huge change in the way we do business,” said Westminster Police Chief James Cook, who created the program.

Dist. Atty. Anthony J. Rackauckas said if the pilot program in Westminster proves successful, it could spread throughout the county. “In Orange County, this is unique,” Rackauckas said. “If it works out, then certainly we’d look at going to other cities with it.”