52% of AB109 Early Releases Re-arrested In Sweep

SWEEP OF "REALIGNED" PRISONERS
This morning the Costa Mesa Police Department issued a press release detailing the results of a sweep conducted last week with the Orange County Probation Department aimed at those criminals released back into our community as a result of Assembly Bill 109 (state prison realignment).

MORE THAN HALF RE-ARRESTED
It came as no surprise to me that more than half of those located and audited - 11 out of 21 -  were re-arrested.

PERIODIC SWEEPS TO CONTINUE
According to police sources, sweeps such as this one will occur periodically to make sure those criminals released under the re-alignment program are fulfilling the terms of their early release and have not committed other crimes.  For our folks in the CMPD and other law enforcement agencies this must be a little like hitting a tennis ball against a backboard.  They hit it (catch the crooks) and it just comes right back at them (following re-alignment release).

FEWER COPS, MORE CRIMES
And, of course, there is the issue of having 20% fewer sworn police officers to deal with all criminals in our city...  That's OK with our current council majority, though.  As long as we get the streets paved they're happy as clams.  We'll find out at the Budget Study Session next Tuesday just where their priorities fall.  You can assume they'll find money for more playing fields and another $1million for CEO Tom Hatch's slush fund, but how much will they allocate to more police officers?

THE TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE

On Thursday, May 16, 2013, the Costa Mesa Police Department partnered with the Orange County Probation Department in a collaborative effort to conduct compliance checks on those offenders subject to Post-Release Community Supervision (PCS), per Assembly Bill 109 (state prison realignment).  These checks were designed to locate and audit the activity of those local criminal offenders residing within Costa Mesa whom are under the supervision of the Orange County Probation Department.

Officers contacted twenty-one PCS offenders and persons living locally in the Costa Mesa area.  The compliance checks resulted in eleven offenders being arrested for violations of the conditions of their Post-Release Community Supervision and/or new criminal law violations.   

The following persons were arrested:

1. Steven Gray, 30 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances, possession of paraphernalia, violation of probation / PCS terms. 
2. Freddy Ramirez, 31 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances, possession of paraphernalia, violation of PCS terms and warrants.   
3. Daniel Peckenpaugh, 24 years old, of Costa Mesa - Warrants.
4. Anna Giss, 31 years old, of Laguna Woods - Possession of drug paraphernalia and probation violations.
5. Justin Markin, 32 years old, of Laguna Woods - Probation violations.
6. Jamie Bergstrom, 30 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of PCS terms and warrant.
7. Ashley Lyons, 27 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances and probation violations.
8. Krystal Martinez, 24 years old, of Costa Mesa - Violation of PCS terms.
9. Ryan Gobrogee, 29 years old, of Costa Mesa - Violation of PCS terms.
10. Ryan Walker, 24 years old, of Newport Beach – Misappropriation of access card.
11. 17 Year Old Juvenile of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances.

The Costa Mesa Police Department will continue to collaborate with Orange County Probation to conduct similar, future compliance checks of PCS offenders living in the Costa Mesa community.