Annual Report 2009 - Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department

Employees of the Quarter
Civilian Employee of the First Quarter
Administrative Office Professional Elizabeth Rutherford
has recently gone above and beyond her normal
job duties. One day Ms. Rutherford was talking to a
Business Office employee about the Haines directories.
These are books used by law enforcement agencies
to look up addresses and contact information of
county residents. Ms. Rutherford was told that it was
up to each bureau to decide if they wanted to retain
Elizabeth Rutherford the directories. No one had ever considered this issue
or made a decision concerning the renewal or cancellation of the subscription.
Ms. Rutherford took it upon herself to contact every bureau to
inquire if they really needed the Haines books. She then explained that
the cost to each bureau was $262.76 per book yearly. Within two weeks
the decision was made by all the involved parties to cancel the Haines
directories. The Sheriff’s Office had subscribed to 25 of these books on
an annual basis. The resulting cost savings totaled $6569.
On another occasion, Ms. Rutherford was asked to investigate various
charges on the department’s pager monthly billing sheet. She researched
those charges and reported back with her findings. Ms. Rutherford
was informed that we had 3 pagers that were being charged for but
currently not in use. She then discussed the situation with Commander
Gross to obtain his feedback. Commander Gross made the decision to
send the pagers back to the company.
The total cost savings from the Haines directories and the return of the
pagers for this quarter is $8009. These substantial savings resulted because
one person decided to go the extra mile in the performance of her
duties. Ms. Elizabeth Rutherford is commended for her conscientious
attention to detail and her resolve to examine spending practices.
Custody Deputy of the First Quarter
On Sunday, February 8, 2009, while completing a
safety check at the Santa Maria Jail facility, Custody
Deputy Juan Duarte observed a lone female inmate
in a cell where she had fashioned a noose out of a
jail-issued sheet. She had reached the point where
the noose was attached to the television mounting
bracket. Custody Deputy Duarte entered the cell and
quickly dismantled the noose. Upon interviewing the
C Dep. Duarte inmate, Custody Deputy Duarte learned that her
brother had recently passed away, and with no remaining family, she felt
despondent and alone. Fearing for her safety, Custody Deputy Duarte
took immediate action to place her in a safety cell. Additionally, he followed
up by contacting Mental Health Services at the Santa Barbara
Main Jail to ensure that the inmate would receive proper mental health
assistance upon her arrival there.
The following week, Custody Deputy Duarte was returning to the Santa
Maria Jail facility from a late night transport to the Main Jail. While travelling
in hazardous conditions due to heavy rain on northbound U.S. 101
near the Noquoi Grade, Custody Deputy Duarte observed a vehicle in the
southbound lane spin out of control and slam into the center divider. He
immediately radioed Dispatch his location and the circumstances of the
accident. As he was checking the welfare of the young male driver, Custody
Deputy Duarte observed that, although the driver did not seem to be
injured he did appear to be under the influence. Custody Deputy Duarte
detained the driver until the California Highway Patrol arrived. The driver
was subsequently arrested for Driving under the Influence and a local
traffic warrant.
Custody Deputy Juan Duarte is commended for his quick actions that ulti-
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INTEGRITY ~ CARING ~ COURAGE ~ FAIRNESS ~ SERVICE