The Lake County Sheriff's Office has announced “Coffee with Cops,” designed to enhance communication between concerned citizens and sheriff's deputies.

The informal get-togethers will take place on the third Tuesday of each month beginning at 10 a.m.

The community is invited to come and interact with local law enforcement officers to voice comments, concerns and pose questions.

Each meeting will take place at a different coffee shop or restaurant within the county.

The first gathering will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Woody's Café, 3505 Merritt Road (inside Kelseyville Lumber), Kelseyville.

For more information contact Sgt. Dave Perry at the sheriff's Northshore Regional Office, 707-274-6713.

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On Wednesday Lake County Sheriff Rod Mitchell announced the creation of a new quality assurance inspector position for the department.

Mitchell has tapped for the task retired Chief Deputy Jeff Markham, who has agreed to accept the unpaid position because of his commitment to the county and the department.

Markham retired from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department in June of 2005 after 36 years of service.

He was a state narcotics agent prior to joining the sheriff’s department as a sergeant in 1967. He rose through the sheriff’s command ranks of lieutenant and captain and then as a chief deputy. He was Sheriff Mitchell’s second-in-command for five years before he retired.

Mitchell said he knows that Markham’s work will directly benefit the public and he shared his enthusiasm about the position with his senior command staff.

“I am glad to have Jeff back in any capacity but this is one of his areas of expertise,” Mitchell said. “We’ll use his findings as the basis of training and policy development and it will make us better at what we do.”

Mitchell said he created the quality assurance inspector position after his own random audits revealed service related deficiencies.

“Our team consistently performs well on the major crimes against persons and the ‘in-progress’ kind of offenses,” he said. “We are inconsistent though at delivering that same high quality service on some of the cold property crimes.”

The sheriff and his staff attribute some of these problems to inadequate communication and others to inconsistent training. Markham’s audits will help them develop the proper corrective measures to enhance service regardless of the findings.

The sheriff’s office recently began sending out service questionnaires and the review of those documents will be among Markham’s many tasks.

Markham also will initiate evaluations of the department's performance on a random basis across the entire agency, so his work will not be limited to the patrol arena alone.

“I will be listening to dispatch recordings, making random contacts with crime victims, interviewing former jail detainees and reading dozens of reports each month and all with the intent of identifying weaknesses and developing the proper response to them,” Markham said. “I am excited to have this opportunity to serve the department and the community in this way.”

He will initiate audits of select cases and reports and he will respond to citizens who have questions or concerns about departmental procedures. This will allow Markham to contact citizens who have complaints about sheriff's department practices or policies and make recommendations to Sheriff Mitchell on methods of addressing those concerns.

In order to complete a project pertaining to a departmental reorganization, some of the existing sergeants will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

Mitchell told Markham that he also will be glad to have him back in the department to assist in the development of these junior command level officers.

If you have comments, questions, or suggestions that you’d like to provide to Markham, he can be reached at 707-262-4098 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Shane Hutchins, 32, was last seen on Thursday at Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino in Nice, according to a sheriff's office report.

The sheriff's office said Hutchins has a warrant for his arrest in Mendocino County for allegedly fleeing an officer, resisting arrest and being a reckless driver. He also has a warrant for violating his parole conditions.

Hutchins may travel between Lake County and Ukiah in a bronze- or gold-colored four wheel drive Chevrolet extended cab truck, officials reported.

He's described as a white male adult, age 32, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

If you see Hutchins, or have information as to his current whereabouts, call 911 with his current location, a description of any vehicle that he may be traveling in and, if possible, a description of his clothing.

If you have information that he is in another jurisdiction, please call the agency in that location.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is investigating an alleged armed robbery reported Monday night.

Lt. Brad Rasmussen said officers were dispatched at around 10:30 p.m. Monday to contact a male teenage juvenile who reported being an armed robbery victim.

The teen told officers that shortly before 10 p.m. he was walking in the area of Armstrong and S. Forbes streets when a black male adult, estimated to be around 20 years of age and armed with a handgun, robbed him, Rasmussen said.

The alleged suspect reportedly demanded and removed personal property from the teenage victim. Rasmussen said the teen reported the robbery suspect was associated with a gray sedan.

Rasmussen said the department is continuing to investigate the circumstances and details of the incident.

At this point he said they do not have any other detailed information to indicate that any suspect

may be specifically targeting victims in the area of the incident.

However, Rasmussen said police request that members of the public maintain awareness of their surroundings and stay alert for any suspicious persons or activities.

Anyone who may have information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.

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The public comment period, which began Monday, will continue through Sept. 22, according to a letter issued by the Administrative Office of the Courts.

A public meeting will be held on the project from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The office is considering adopting a mitigated negative declaration in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act for the courthouse project, the proposed site for which is located at 675 Lakeport Blvd.

The 50,158-square-foot, two-story building will have a basement and four courtrooms, with a total estimated cost of $71.7 million. Completion is set for the first quarter of 2015, according to the state's Office of Court Construction and Management.

The Lakeport Boulevard location was approved as the top site in March, as Lake County News has reported.

Air quality, biological and cultural resources, noise and vibration, and transportation and traffic are among the environmental issues that the mitigated negative declaration will address, the state's letter explained.

Currently, Lakeport's court facilities all are housed on the fourth floor of the Lake County Courthouse on N. Forbes Street, which was built in 1968.

The state previously decided that building was too cramped, and created access and safety issues. As a result Lakeport's new courthouse was placed among the state's highest-priority courthouse projects.

The funds to build the new courthouse are provided by a portion of judicial branch fees, fines and penalties designated by Senate Bill 1407, the state reported.

The public is encouraged to comment on the mitigated negative declaration, which can be found at the Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport, telephone 707-263-7455; or the Lakeport Community Development Department at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St., telephone 707-263-5613.

Comments should be submitted to Laura Sainz of the Administrative Office of the Courts, 2860 Gateway Oaks, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95833, telephone 916-263-7993 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Copies of the document also can be requested from Sainz.

For more information on the project visit www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/occm/projects_lake_lakeport.htm.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The fall session of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Citizens’ Academy is scheduled to commence on Sept. 7 held in Lakeport.

Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A 15th session with a graduation ceremony will conclude the academy on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011.

Since the academy’s inception in January of 1998, more than 300 members of the community have successfully completed the program, according to the sheriff's office.

The academy has proved to be a highly successful way of educating county residents about sheriff’s office operations, as well as the issues relating to law enforcement and the judicial system in general.

In 2002, the program received the “Stars of Lake County” award for best idea of the year in Lake County.

While the program is primarily intended for members of the community simply seeking to become more informed on law enforcement issues, those contemplating a career in law enforcement also are welcome to apply, the agency said.

The curriculum and teaching methods are similar to that of a basic law enforcement academy. However, the overall focus of the program is to provide a better understanding of the policies and procedures of the Department, as well as the approach taken to provide law enforcement services to Lake County communities.

Subject matters for the academy include: the history of the office of the sheriff; the selection and training process for new employees; central dispatch operations; the role and responsibilities of the uniformed deputy; major crimes investigations; jail operations; firearms and the use of deadly force; marine patrol services; narcotics investigations; the civil process; the Office of Emergency Services; coroner’s investigations; press relations; tactical (SWAT/SERT) operations; search and rescue operations; K-9 enforcement; internal affairs investigations; marijuana investigations; the sheriff’s

chaplain program; the judicial process in the courtroom; and the budget process.

The program consists of 14, three-hour classes offering classroom and “hands-on” instruction by deputy sheriffs, custody staff, supervisors, civilian employees and command staff whose assignments are specific to their respective subject of training.

There is no cost to those attending the academy. However, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Resident or employment in Lake County;

• At least 18 years of age;

• No felony convictions;

• No misdemeanor convictions within three years;

• Able to attend all 14 sessions.

Anyone interested in becoming a more informed member of the community is encouraged to participate in this worthwhile program.

Those wishing to enroll can do so at the Sheriff’s Main Office, located at 1220 Martin St. in Lakeport.

For more information, please contact the academy director, Sgt. Brian Kenner, at 707-262-4200.

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