Officials silent on whether officer will keep his job

Prows

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Odyssey driven by Rana Sibani, 54, of La Mesa, was traveling westbound on State Route 246 and had slowed to a stop to pull into a parking stall. She had two passengers in her car — Alaf Kawar, 83, and a 12-year-old minor, both of La Mesa.

A 2017 Ford F-350, driven by Lt. Prows, was heading west on State Route 246 as well and was directly behind Ms. Sibani’s car. He had one passenger in his pickup — Sylvia Prows, 51.

When Ms. Sibani slowed to a stop, the off-

Heitman

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“Over the past five years I have had the opportunity to work on collaborative initiatives with other safety departments and HHS. In this collaborative role, I chair the Community Corrections Partnership and the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council,” said Chief Heitman.

“Both the CCP and the JJCC bring together department heads and stakeholders. It has been an opportunity for me to begin developing my role as a facilitator while I bring people together and look for common goals and interests.

“I have had the opportunity to work in interagency initiatives such as enrolling more people in Medi-Cal, maximizing housing resources and making duty lieutenant allegedly tried to pass on the left, the CHP said. As a result, the right side of his pickup collided with the Honda’s left side.

He “failed to yield and continued driving westbound” on the highway as Ms. Sabani followed behind, attempting to flag him down, the CHP said. After approximately one mile, he pulled over to the right shoulder and came to a stop. Ms. Sabani had called Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies to report the traffic collision, and deputies arrived a short time later. Upon deputies’ arrival, they requested that CHP respond and conduct an investigation.

“CHP arrived and completed a traffic county resources available to the underserved populations.

So it seemed like a good fit for this assistant CEO position overseeing HHS and public safety departments.

“When you look at the major initiatives in the county, a lot of them involve the intersection of public safety and HHS,” she said.

“As we solve problems and provide better services for the community, understanding both sides and the court system will allow us to better leverage and have a collective impact. I have been in public service over 32 years, and I am not personally satisfied by chipping away at larger problems from the edges.

“I would like to be more fully involved and see how our county government can be involved in these initiatives. At the state level, there are things developing that will enable more local collision investigation, which led to a driving under the influence investigation,” the collision report said. Lt. Prows “was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.” His attorney, Mr. Chambliss, declined comment Thursday. email: neilhartstein@newspress.com level cooperation involving the intersection of these departments.

UCSB officials placed Lt. Prows on administrative leave pending the outcome of the CHP investigation and subsequent court case. They did not return a phone call Thursday seeking comment, including whether he will keep his job or be terminated.

“CalAim has a focus on prioritizing those with mental health issues and ensuring that they get better served. We have a really great group of department heads and organizations, and I am eager to work with them in a new way.”

Her new role will be oversight of the HHS as well as public safety agencies for the county including: probation fire department, sheriff’s office, public defender, district attorney, social services, Department of Behavioral Wellness, public health, the First Five division and child support.

In her new role, Chief Heitman said she would work to ensure the community’s needs are being met by the departments. She emphasized the importance of making decisions in a collaborative way.

“My role is supporting department heads and problem solving, to help us work together and collaborate on the mission of serving the community of Santa Barbara,” she said.

“I have greatly enjoyed my time as chief probation officer, but at some point you have to pass the baton and step into a season of exploring new things,” Chief Heitman said. “Throughout public service, I have always been in the role of celebrating the people around me and the work they are doing.

“My desire is for people to understand how incredible those working are doing and how far above and beyond they go to make this a safe community to live well. I am honored to be a part of that.” email: kzehnder@newspress.com