Former Attorney for San Diego Sheriff to Head Orange County’s Law Enforcement Watchdog

Robert Faigin, the former director of Legal Affairs for the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, was unanimously appointed as the new head of the Orange County Office of Independent Review by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in Santa Ana, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2022. Courtesy of County of Orange

Robert Faigin, the former director of Legal Affairs for the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, was unanimously appointed as the new head of the Orange County Office of Independent Review by Orange County Supervisors Oct. 4.

In the position, starting Nov. 4, Faigin will review the county’s sheriff’s department, public defender’s office, its district attorney, and probation and social services agencies to ensure their operations are efficient and free of misconduct.

Faigin replaces Sergio Perez, who has moved on to become the Inspector General for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to investigate fraud and waste allegations in the agency.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors listen to local residents at a board meeting in Santa Ana, Calif., on Aug. 10, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Faigin has worked for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department since 2001 as the Chief Attorney to the Sheriff, in charge of minimizing risk and liability through legal work and coordination between the board of supervisors, county counsel, the district attorney, and public defender offices.

“We were all happy to see [Faigin’s] background. He clearly knows the process [and] procedures so he can hit the ground running with knowledge on how those agencies are supposed to operate,” Supervisor Don Wagner told The Epoch Times.

Wagner did not want to compare Faigin with his predecessor. However, he said he believes Faigin will allow the Supervisors to analyze his findings more before releasing them to the media, which, he said, Perez did not do.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors meet in Santa Ana, Calif., on Aug. 25, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Faigin’s close work with the San Diego police also gives him the ability to already know the “ins and outs” of the sheriff’s department, Wagner said.

“Robert has continuously worked to improve our operations and his influence will be felt for a long time to come,” Undersheriff Kelly Martinez from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department told The Epoch Times. “Orange County will benefit from his experience and approach, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Before his work in San Diego, Faigin was a prosecutor in Solano County and the senior deputy district attorney for Lassen County, both in Northern California. He has a Master’s Degree in public administration from Cal State Dominguez Hills and a law degree from Pepperdine University.