Bill Moore, candidate for Orange County Sheriff and a 21-year law enforcement veteran, says Orange County Commissioners have been misled by current Sheriff John Mina, as he revealed what he calls a deputy staffing crisis and data discrepancies.
Moore wrote a detailed report to Orange County Board of County Commissioners, urging immediate and transparent action to address this crisis, which he says threatens public safety and undermines trust in local government. Moore is calling on county leaders and residents to closely scrutinize the upcoming 2025 budget presentation by Sheriff Mina, following a pattern of misleading claims made during last year’s 2024 budget presentation.
On July 11, 2024, Sheriff Mina told the Orange County Board of County Commissioners and the public that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) was doing “pretty good” compared to nationwide staffing levels. The sheriff downplayed concerns about vacancies, claiming the agency had hired 160 deputies in 2023, planned to hire the same amount in 2024, and that OCSO maintained staffing levels close to the national average stating, “We are…uh…have hundred eighty-one (181) uh, vacancies uh for deputies, that’s less than 10%, and if you compare that nationwide law enforcement that’s actually pretty good.”…