Sheriff’s asset forfeiture & psychotropics

Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting

Open Session begins at 10:45 A.M.
agenda: http://alamedacounty.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=alamedacounty_d3c7a26496434759a3307f97928bdee8.pdf&view=1

PUBLIC PROTECTION

11. Sheriff and General Services Agency - Approve the following recommendations:
A. Authorize an increase in appropriations in the Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Services division in the amount of $278,400 for the purchase of six new Ford PI (Police Interceptor) SUVs, including the purchase and installation of necessary equipment to outfit the vehicles, which will be fully offset with funding from the Federal Asset Forfeiture trust fund 84609;
B. Authorize the Sheriff’s Office to transfer funds in the amount of $278,400 to the General Services Agency for the purchase of the six new Ford PI SUV’s, including the purchase and installation of necessary equipment to outfit the vehicles; and
C. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to make the budgetary adjustments - CAO Recommends: Approve - (4/5 Vote)
attachment link: http://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/DocsAgendaReg_02_11_14/PUBLIC%20PROTECTION/Regular%20Calendar/Sheriff_GSA_12502.pdf


Supposedly this request is to supplement the county's contract for providing deputies to police AC Transit lines throughout both Alameda and Contra Costa counties. I don’t know how that can happen. It would seem to be a jurisdictional issue. More importantly, there is the issue of using the Federal Asset Forfeiture trust funds. This is an incredibly corrupt program. Essentially, “law” enforcement agencies ability to confiscate the property of people accused of violating the myriad of laws enacted without their knowledge or consent has been expanded exponentially. Not surprisingly, it has quickly led to corruption. How many times do these enforcement agencies dip into this? Is it in a stand-alone situation like this or is it often buried in an annual budget where concerned citizens are less apt to notice it? The sheriff’s department has a very large force and it is not shy in expressing it’s revenue generating capability. Governments are NOT supposed to make money, especially NOT in “law” enforcement.

Contact the supervisor elected to represent you and let them know this is not appropriate.

12. Sheriff and Health Care Services Agency - Approve Amendment No. 7 to Master Contract No. 900324 with Corizon Health Inc. formerly Prison Health Services, Inc. (Principal: Larry H. Pomeroy; Location : Brentwood, Tennessee) with a regional office in Alameda), Procurement Contract No. 3460 with Maxor, for psychotropic pharmaceuticals purchased by Behavioral Health Care Services for inmates in the custody of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, this amendment will increase the contract amount from $14,000,000 to $21,500,000 ($7,500,000 increase) with no change in the contract term of 7/1/08 through 6/30/16 - CAO Recommends: Approve
attachment link: http://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/DocsAgendaReg_02_11_14/PUBLIC%20PROTECTION/Regular%20Calendar/Sheriff_HCSA_12545.pdf

This is an amendment but it’s an amendment to many continuations of an original contract. Why so many extensions? Is there no competition? This company is based in Tennessee and supposedly has a “regional” office in Alameda though which came first – the office or the contract – is unknown. The larger issue for both society in general and inmates specifically in this case is how many psychotropic drugs are being prescribed. For the 8 year period they will have spent over $251 million! And since they’ve become so cozy, they are now going to take the current 3 year contract and add an annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment to it. Hence, the $ amount cited in the agenda item. It’s a real mess reading through the supporting contract request.

If you’ve ever attended one of these “regular” board of supervisors meetings, you know they tend to lump most if not all items into a big bundle of acceptance and then they all rubber stamp it. Write them and say this is ridiculous. More and more people are being bureaucratically pushed into psychotropics. Inmates are one of those “least amoung us” categories in our “society”. They are very susceptible to having what little rights they have being imposed upon. How many are being forced into this? Is it really due to previously existing conditions or is the condition caused by the cruel conditions of imprisonment? How many inmates does this affect? So many other questions can be asked. Better than writing, show up in person and let those 5 county supervisors hear a little wisdom.

Scott Haggerty, Supervisor, 1st District district1 [at] acgov.org
Richard Valle, Supervisor, 2nd District district2 [at] acgov.org
Wilma Chan, Supervisor, 3rd District district3 [at] acgov.org
Nate Miley, Supervisor, 4th District district4 [at] acgov.org
Keith Carson, Supervisor 5th District district5 [at] acgov.org
district: http://www.acgov.org/ms/addresslookup/Default.aspx

Those email addresses may or may not work. Each supervisor has a form-email that can filled out on their own pages within the county website.