BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A grand jury report found that the Kern County Sheriff's Office was not adequately processing an executing arrest warrants in a timely manner.

According to the report, the grand jury received a a citizen complaint KCSO's handling and assignment of arrest warrants. The grand jury initiated an investigation into the claims to determine if policies and procedures were adequate and followed. Unannounced visits to various KCSO substations and personnel interviews were conducted to determine if there was any basis to the complaint.

The investigation found that a lack of trained supervision resulted in warrants not being served for weeks or months, along with violations of DOJ secondary verification requirements. The report noted that there was also no urgency to issue warrants in a timely manner.

The grand jury found that there is no coverage for sick or vacationing Sheriff Support Technicians, resulting in warrants going days or weeks without being assigned to a deputy.

The grand jury recommended KCSO should improve direct supervision at substations to ensure the timely service of warrants. They also recommended KCSO set up a tracking system or oversight procedure to ensure warrants are served in a timely manner and that Sheriff Support Technicians adjust their work schedule to ensure last minute warrants are processed for service.