Category : San Diego Jails

Las Colinas Jail Gets Passing Grade

A May report issued by a San Diego County Grand Jury describes the Las Colinas Detention Facility as being well kept and maintained.

The panel visited the 14-acre facility last September after harsh condemnations had been made as to the condition of the jail.  Those criticisms were so harsh, say county officials, that construction of a new, updated facility has been approved.   The groundbreaking is scheduled to take place later this summer.

The contract for the 1,216-bed facility was awarded to Balfoour Beatty/Barnhart.  The 45-acre jail will be located adjacent to the Riverview Office Park, will stand two-stories tall and will be surrounded by barbed wire and metal fencing.   Construction is scheduled to complete in late 2014.

According to a recent report by 10News.com, the biggest challenges Las Colinas jailers face is separating various categories of inmates.  At current, the jail houses female detainees convicted of a wide-range of crimes, ranging from misdemeanor offenses to violent felonies.  The report goes on to state that approximately 18% of inmates need to be kept separate from the general population for a variety of reasons.  The Grand Jury believes that the state’s prisoner realignment program could cause that number to increase.  State officials disagree.

The only recommended change listed in the Grand Jury’s report involved the introduction of Saturday parental visiting hours.  The suggested location for the visits is a County juvenile girls’ rehabilitation facility.

 

 

San Diego PD Celebrates 100 Years of Women

One century ago, the first female employee was hired at the San Diego Police Department. Rose Longacre was put in charge of female prisoners in her position as jail matron.

January 19, 1912 is the official anniversary of the hiring of the first woman in the SDPD, but there has been some controversy over just how accurate this history of the department is.

According to records at the U-T San Diego archives, “San Diego Police Chief Keno Wilson hires the first female department employee; police widow Rose Longacre, as a jail matron for female prisoners.” This was recorded on January 19, 1912. The San Diego Police Museum, as well as a book titled “History of the San Diego Police Department,” written by Chief William Lansdowne and Steve Willard in 2005, cite Longacre as the first female employee of the department also.

There are some records that credit a woman named Ida Griffin as the first female employee of the SDPD. Griffin had been hired either in April 1912 or Christmas Eve that year to fill a similar role.

History is often recorded inaccurately, which can lead to confusion in the future. However, there are several sources Read more »

25 Arrested In Vista Warrant Sweep

A total of 25 people were arrested during the San Diego Sheriffs Department Holiday Watch Operation and taken to the Vista Jail. People contacted during the patrols were arrested for various types of outstanding warrants such as DUI, possession of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of weapons and domestic violence. Others were arrested for DUI and being drunk in public.

A Sheriff’s command post was also set up outside a local theatre where a Crime Prevention Specialist and Crime Analyst talked to people about crime trends in their neighborhoods and how they can prevent becoming a target or victim of crimes.

Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) members also conducted directed patrols and placed notes on the hoods of more than 100 cars of people who left their doors and windows open as well as their wallets, purses, laptops, and checkbooks in plain view.

Persons arrested in Vista are Read more »

Old SD Police Station Renovation Approved

It has reported that the Port of San Diego voted to allow an old police station near Seaport Village in Downtown San Diego to be renovated.

The station was first built in the 1930s and served as the San Diego Police Department headquarters until 1987.  Since that time, however, the property has been vacant.   The developer, Terramar Retail Centers, successfully pitched a $40 million plan which would make the property “more attractive to lure restaurateurs and retail stores”.

Reportedly, said that groundbreaking is expected to take place in March 2012 with completion of the projected forecast for 2013.

The San Diego Police Department has Read more »

DUI Checkpoint Grant For San Diego Sheriffs

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced that it has been awarded a traffic safety grant for a year‐long anti‐DUI program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on county roadways.

The $300,000 grant was awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety to the cities of Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista.  The Department has said it will aid in ongoing efforts to improve traffic safety and the quality of life.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said DUI and driver license checkpoints are among the grant’s key components. These highly visible, widely publicized events are meant to deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests, he said. Grant funding will also allow for roving DUI saturation patrols, warrant searches and stakeouts for repeat DUI offenders along with court stings targeting DUI offenders with suspended or revoked driver licenses who drive while attending court hearings or court mandated programs.

This DUI Enforcement and Awareness grant will also provide drug impairment training to help combat the increasing problem of drivers under the influence of drugs or illegal substances. Deputies, he said, will now be able to receive specialized training to detect impaired drivers under the influence of legal and illegal drugs.

According to a recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies. During this holiday season, the Sheriff’s Department will deploy deputies to conduct DUI checkpoints throughout San Diego County.  Checkpoints will begin Read more »

Otay Mesa Jail To Get 12% Of Its Power From Solar Panels

San Diego Sheriffs Officials Monday flipped the switch on a one-megawatt solar energy system at the East Mesa Detention Facility in Otay Mesa.

NBC San Diego has reported that the panels are expected to “produce 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of energy in the first year alone” and is anticipated to save the county approximately $1.3 million “over the next 20 years.”

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said that San Diego jails need lots of energy because they are 24-7 operations.

The panels were purchased and installed by SunEdison, who is cited as being the owner of the system. SunEdison has said it is the largest solar-energy source located at any San Diego County-owned facility.

The solar canopies have been installed as a heat-shield system above the jail’s parking lot, allowing visitors’ cars to remain shaded while they visit friends and loved ones.  San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox, whose district includes Otay Mesa, said that what was once a bare parking lot is now able to generate energy “whenever the sun is shining”.

Although SunEdison will retain ownership of the power generated by the PV panels, it has committed to sell energy to the County at a rate below market value for the next two decades.   Because of this, Cox said, the panels are a “win-win for everyone”.

The East Mesa Jail houses Read more »

San Diego County Sheriff To Increase Crime Fighting Efforts This Holiday Season

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said members of the Sheriff’s Department will be actively patrolling county streets this holiday weekend and will be keeping close lookout for impaired drivers. Those violating traffic violations due to speeding, as well as those not wearing seat belts, will be carefully monitored as well.

Gore points out that seat belts have “saved more lives than any other single piece of automotive safety equipment,” he said, “but in order for them to work they have to be used.”

He’s also urging to drivers to think twice before drinking and driving, and to consider designating a sober driver before embarking on a night out. Statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that Thanksgiving is the day when heavy traffic, drinking, and long-distance car trips combine to create fatal travel conditions.

The Sheriff’s Department further requests Read more »

San Diego PD Welcomes New Leadership to Northwestern Division

There’s a new Captain in town, and his name is Albert Guaderrama. He’s only been in Carmel Valley for three weeks, but Captain Guaderrama has made a smooth transition to the SDPD Northwestern Division. Also joining the Department is newly appointed Lieutenant, Jerry Mills.

“We are going to take  a community police approach… You’re going to see a lot of us out in the community. We want to focus on prevention and teach people to be a hard target for crime,” stated Guaderrama. 

Both Guaderrama and Mills are ready to hit the ground running by working with residents along with the entire community.

Guaderrama replaced Captain, Miguel Rosario who is now a part of the Southern Division of the San Diego Police Department.  Guaderrama comes from a long line of Read more »

La Mesa Police Station Receives “Onion Award”

What does receiving an “Onion Award“ imply? The San Diego Architectural Foundation’s “Onions and Orchids” jury bestowed the name upon the behemoth new La Mesa Police Department building and station. The Foundation found it to be an “aesthetic stinker,” and gave it the 2010 “Onion Award.” The huge police station is the most expensive construction of a public building ever in the history of the city.

The designers chose to opt for the practicality of having no windows in the holding cells or evidence lockers, reflecting an austere but practical site plan and façade.

History of the La Mesa PD

Beginning in 1927, there were many iterations, expansions and developments of the La Mesa Police Station over the years. In fact, in 1951, the City Council approved plans for both a new police and fire station at the mere price of only $85,000. And that was for both! The facility of that time  Read more »

Assistant San Diego Sheriff Retires After 30 Years of Service

After serving the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for over 30 years, San Diego County Assistant Sheriff, Kim Quaco is hanging up his hat.

Quaco graduated from Indiana University and joined the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in 1978 after following his older brother’s footsteps into law enforcement. It was his brother who encouraged him to apply in L.A. or San Diego. He stated “The San Diego Sheriff’s Department had me come out three times within five months for testing.”

Quaco was then accepted into the academy. “I was told I had two weeks to get here.  I packed up my car with my belongings and my dog. I got here on a Wednesday and the academy started on Friday. I hadn’t even unpacked my car.”

He recalled that the best Read more »