Carona-issued badges are to be taken back

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said Wednesday that she plans to recall all the badges that her indicted predecessor handed out to a group of more than 400 civilian volunteers, many the county’s most wealthy and influential residents.

Hutchens said she was uncomfortable with the volunteers carrying badges, even though they are not exact replicas of those issued to the department’s 1,800 sworn deputies. She said she wants to ensure that the so-called professional service responders are volunteering for the right reason -- public service -- and that the program is no longer tainted by allegations that badges were issued as political favors.

“I will lose some who are in it for the badge,” she said. “Hopefully, I will keep the ones who do a lot for us.”

The new sheriff revealed her plans on the same day she took further steps to distance herself from indicted former Sheriff Michael S. Carona. She named people from outside the department to her executive staff and released a draft copy of a new policy governing the issuance of concealed weapons permits. Carona had issued the permits to about 1,100 people, several of them political supporters.

“This is a momentous day for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. This is another sign we are moving into the future of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and not looking back,” she told reporters as she introduced her top management at a news conference in Santa Ana.

Hutchens named retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s Division Chief John Scott as undersheriff and retired Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Mike Hillmann as one of her four assistant sheriffs.

Scott, 60, retired in 2005 after 36 years with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. He most recently served as division chief overseeing its jails, the largest local jail system in the nation.

That experience will be critical in Orange County, where the jail system was the focus of a scathing district attorney’s report that found some deputies at Theo Lacy Jail -- the county’s largest -- napped, watched television and exchanged text messages as an inmate was beaten to death by other inmates.

Hillmann, a 41-year veteran of the LAPD, most recently served as deputy chief. He oversaw security for the 2000 Democratic National Convention. Hutchens did retain one member of Carona’s command team. Jack Anderson, who served as interim sheriff after Carona was indicted on corruption charges, will also be an assistant sheriff, in charge of administration.

Two other veterans of the department, Mike James and John B. Davis, will round out the team of assistant sheriffs. James, a 23-year veteran, managed patrol operations in Lake Forest. Davis has been with the department 27 years and previously oversaw patrol operations in San Juan Capistrano.

In June, the Board of Supervisors appointed Hutchens as Carona’s replacement. Carona resigned in January to concentrate on his upcoming corruption trial.

Carona’s command staff choices were among the biggest problems in the nine years he served as sheriff. Former Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo was convicted of misusing public resources, and Assistant Sheriff Donald Haidl pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Both are expected to testify against Carona at his trial, now scheduled for Oct. 28.

Another problem area for Carona was the special volunteer unit he launched shortly after taking office in 1999, filling the ranks with business executives, doctors, lawyers and owners of upscale restaurants like Antonello’s, a popular eatery for Orange County power brokers. Many contributed to Carona’s campaign.

For years, the volunteers were issued badges that were nearly identical to those used by deputies. The badges for volunteers were changed about two years ago.

To Hutchens, the modified badges were still too similar in design to the authentic ones. She is considering giving plaques or something other than badges to reward volunteers who provide time, expertise and other services that might otherwise cost the department money.

For example, she said, earlier this month volunteer Tim Reynolds piloted his own plane to carry two investigators to Juarez, Mexico, to rescue a 9-year-old Orange County boy who had been kidnapped by his father.

Hutchens said she also wants to change the name of the program to further distance it from the problems of the previous administration. Under Carona, the professional service responder program was tarnished by allegations that badges were being handed out to his political allies, that reserves who contributed to his campaign did not have to go through training or background checks, and that some were misusing their credentials.

Carona has denied favoritism. But former Assistant Sheriff Haidl told investigators that the reserve program was a fundraising arm for Carona and that badges could be bought for a $1,000 donation.

Hutchens said she has been assured by reserve program commanders that “problem” volunteers have been let go. But she still wants to review the list and eliminate those who are not contributing.

Among those recently let go was Henry Samueli, the billionaire co-founder of Broadcom and owner of the Anaheim Ducks.

He turned in his badge and identification card last month after pleading guilty to a single felony charge of lying to regulators about his role in an alleged plot to secretly reward employees by manipulating stock options.

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stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com

christine.hanley@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

(Orange County Edition only)

New chain of command

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens appointed her command staff Wednesday, reaching outside the department for two of her top five assistants.

Sandra Hutchens, sheriff

John Scott, undersheriff

Scott served more than 36 years in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He will be second in command.

Assistant sheriffs

Jack Anderson

Will oversee the new administrative division

* Has 24 years of law enforcement experience, 21 of them with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department

* Interim sheriff for more than four months

Mike Hillmann

Will oversee operations

* Retired deputy chief with the Los Angeles Police Department

* Served 41 years with the LAPD

John B. Davis

Will oversee the department’s investigations division

* Member of the Sheriff’s Department for 27 years

* Previously oversaw police services in San Juan Capistrano

Mike James

Will supervise the jails

* Joined the Sheriff’s Department 23 years ago

* Oversaw police services in Lake Forest

Rick Dostal, executive director

Dostal is a civilian who will oversee the department’s budget, training, and research and development. He has served as the department’s interim executive director of special services since March.

Source: Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Graphics reporting by

Stuart Pfeifer