OK. Let's take this from the top (literally).
Sheriff Carona was corrupt. Period, end of discussion. The Federal charges against him include his selling CCW permits for $1,000 a pop. Worse, most of the deputies knew it when it was going on. Those willing to work for the SOB had to tolerate working under a "tarnished badge".
NOT ONE of those deputies can be trusted today. OK? I've said this before and I've caught flak for it, but it's true: corruption at the top has a corrosive influence all the way down. If you don't believe me, follow those links above and especially this one:
http://www.occcws.com/?p=542
It takes a firm hand to do a clean sweep once a department is this far gone.
These articles don't even go into the craziest event: sheriff's department staff spying ON THE SUPERVISORS:
http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.c...ervisors/6288/
This went public only because somebody on the pro-self-defense side did a public records request for the video. Only then did the sheriff admit the spying had happened, because it would be obvious once the tape went public.
The sheriff did NOT take action against the spies until it was clear they were busted.
This is corruption.
So far, the OC Board of Supes has taken one welcome step: they've banned the sheriff's office from providing security at their meetings and contracted with one of the town PDs for that function. That's a serious insult to the sheriff but doesn't go near far enough. What they need to do is cut the sheriff's department budget to zero until first, she's gone and second, her replacement does shall-issue CCW. If that means firing every deputy while the department is broke, GOOD: better no department than a corrupt one.