Orange County Sheriff’s Posse Raises Questions

Re “Carona’s Badge Is Slightly Tarnished,” column, May 27: The latest revelation that Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, shortly after being elected, deputized “86 friends, relatives, political contributors and others” is another glaring example of his lack of professionalism, personal judgment and decision-making capabilities in running the Sheriff’s Department and of our need to elect a new sheriff in the next election.

The fact that Carona directly issued badges (and in some cases weapons) to certain individuals whose only qualification to carry either was that they are personally or politically connected to Carona, and perhaps held future political value to Carona, truly reflects his lack of qualifications to hold any elected office.

It is time to retire “America’s sheriff” in the next election and elect a person to the office who will hold much higher personal standards in using the power and privileges of the office.

Bob Fitzgerald

Laguna Hills

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Whoa, pardner! The Orange County sheriff deputized his friends, relatives and financial supporters even though a state commission and county attorney raised questions about the practice?

That will certainly make it more difficult for him to claim he didn’t know it was questionable and looked bad.

But it does make you wonder why seemingly intelligent people make blatantly stupid decisions.

Phillip Hain

Glendale