Canny said at Tuesdays news conference that a lack of mental health resources and the criminalization of mental illness has forced Smiths office to do an impossible task., Mental illness is a public health crisis, not a criminal justice problem, she said. He would institute listening sessions with the community and hear about any problems people have with deputies or other personnel, he said.The most important quality he wants in his deputiesAllen wants employees with integrity, commitment, objectivity and who are problem solvers. The change meant that disputes that involve two officers including an incident in which a police captain was accused of using a racial slur would be privately investigated by the Human Resources Department and screened from the public.In 2021, after outcry from the public about the council's approval of the change, Jonsen complied with the council's reversal of the prior decision. Newsroom - County of Santa Clara "Management is the first place you have to start to change the culture," Allen said. My mother-in-law calls me and asks, 'What is best time to go shopping?'" Now THAT would be a real investigative story. Nielsen and AS Facebook team manager Jack Stromgren, accused of instructing his agents to fill in false in-county addresses on their CCW applications, testified they were in line for similar consideration as West. 16. TownSquare When I have my one-on ones, I lay it out very clearly. As sheriff, he would work to instill a culture and ethic that is "beyond a warrior mentality." The grand jury convened July 20 of this year and handed down its indictments Aug. 6. (@SJPD_PIO) March 1, 2022. Smith, who announced her retirement on Monday while the jury was deliberating, faced the charges in a civil trial that had been filed by a Santa County Civil Grand Jury in December. When asked about SB 1000, Sen. Josh Becker's bill to limit radio encryption, Jensen expressed caution. There have been twenty-eight persons serving in the capacity of Sheriff since 1850. Jonsen said he would also address lagging recruitment and retention of deputies and staff. Voters in the June 7 primary will determine which two candidates move on to the general election in November.Under Smith, deputies murdered a mentally ill inmate, and others in custody have been injured, costing the county millions of dollars in settlements. PR MediaRelease The case is still pending. When someone sent an application through the mail or dropped it off at the Sheriffs Office headquarters off of Younger Avenue in San Jose, Glennon said hed log the information on a spreadsheet and then file it. Jensen, 58, is a repeat candidate for Santa Clara County sheriff, having previously fought for the seat in the 2014 election against incumbent Smith. Equity "is the primary issue of this election carrying the momentum of the last two years where we have done so much around race and equality," Jonsen said. "Putting mentally ill people in jail with a bunch of cops (is a bad idea). I represent the diversity of Santa Clara County. Jensen, you would just stick it in a filing cabinet?. She supports California legislative bill SB 2, which creates a statewide system to revoke the license of a police officer who commits serious misconduct, and SB 16, which requires disclosure of a sustained finding of excessive use of force if an officer failed to intervene when another officer used unreasonable or excessive force. But a short time later, their cover was blown although it would take months more before the sheriffs office realized it. Reginald Cooks, the first PIO from the sheriffs custody division, assumed the role in 2017 and worked over the ensuing couple of years alongside Glennon at first and later with then-Deputy Michael Low. "Unfortunately, three of . "Training matters, and it influences the outcome," he said. He has instituted mindfulness strategies to improve officers' well-being. He supports more mental health care facilities for inmates with psychiatric conditions. Voters in the June 7 primary will determine which two candidates move on to the general election in November. Nagaye's husband is of Japanese ancestry and they have biracial daughters. Thinking you can't be held accountable is narcissistic. On Aug. 31, on the first arraignment date for the case. Is a 2020 Biden and Harris Ticket Good for Cannabis Legalization? She supports appointing a civilian watchdog to audit law-enforcement practices and management. Sentencing in such a case could normally result in her removal from office, but the sheriff's surprise resignation two months before the end of her sixth term makes that punishment moot. Lets see what the truth is.. I've had a really well-rounded career," he said, noting he was also assistant chief of the Department of Corrections running the jail before it was taken over by Smith. Twitter Facebook. [4], Two inmates escaped from custody in San Jose in November 2016. Email: publicin formation@dao.sccgov.org. As sheriff, he would provide education to the public on how to better protect their neighborhoods, and he would work collaboratively with law enforcement throughout the county. Smith said during a news conference that an in-depth review is necessary to get the true facts.. After attending high school in Novato, he spent 27 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. As sheriff, he said, he would continue community policing and engage in outreach to help all areas of the community. "I was booked, stripped and housed on the same floor where Michael Tyree got murdered," he said, referring to a mentally ill inmate who was beaten to death by sheriff's deputies in 2015.He didn't let his experience embitter him. Jensen is "100% for front-end mental health services" that help keep people safe and out of jail. Your email address will not be published. Newly elected Santa Clara County sheriff starts early after Laurie For example, when he worked on the Polly Klaas murder case, Jensen said he needed to have self-control. Allen said he would work to create a culture in which anyone in the sheriff's office could come forward to report misconduct without fear of retaliation. Well, the campaign where the money went had a media spokesperson as well. Second, I agree with HQs post, there should be a follow up on the paperwork and see how many applicants have ever been convited of possession or any other other offense vs the pile of records of violators of the law. "Everyone has a story," retired Santa Clara County Sheriff's Capt. Sign up for our. The more honest you are, the easier we can approach it. Were going to do these investigations, Smith said. Candidates for sheriff square off at community forum In 2015, the average daily population for the Santa Clara County Correctional facilities was . Crime and Public Safety | She said she would have an ongoing "meet the deputies" program to improve the agency's relationship with the community. GILROY, Calif. (KGO) -- The fentanyl crisis continues to claim the lives of those who are using the dangerous drug, and leaders in the South Bay want to stop overdoses at the source after three men were found dead from suspected fentanyl use. "Don't be afraid to bring someone else in," she said, to help de-escalate or assess the situation. The Sheriff's Office has been dogged by allegations of corruption. Thursday, Judge Eric Geffon. They declined to speak on camera, but they told us the fentanyl crisis is truly getting out of hand. While she fights the charges against her, Smith, 69, has decided not to run for reelection in the 2022 race after 24 years at the helm. "We sent detectives and crime scene investigators to the residence to conduct a full and thorough investigation," Sgt. "Regional systems like SVRIA (Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority) would need to have a voice in the regional interoperability considerations as well. The city also paid out $135,000 after a Palo Alto officer directed a K-9 to repeatedly bite a man who was sleeping in a shed during a manhunt for a kidnapping suspect.Another man, Julio Arevalo, filed a $10 million federal lawsuit after an officer slammed him to the ground and shattered his eye-socket bone in 2019. She would retrain more deputies who are on patrol in these skills and add more mental health services onto PERT teams.TransparencyShe supports appointing a civilian watchdog to audit law-enforcement practices and management. Both required discipline and commitment, attributes she said are important to achieve success and to lead. Santa Clara County leaders on the Fentanyl Working Group, like Santa Clara County Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine's Dr. Rachel Sussman, agrees, especially when it comes to youth drug use. In alphabetical order, here's what they had to say. It doesn't always need to be a disciplinary approach. Still, Smith remains the most intriguing figure and the biggest enigma in the case. All California municipal police chiefs may issue CCWs, although some may cede this process to the sheriff. You can't take the Fifth. The Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Bio; Command Staff; Mission Statement & Core Values; Newsroom; Contact Us; NEW Proposed UAS Program; NEW AB 481 6-Month Report; AB 481; SO Policies and Procedures; Open Data; Services. David Sanders, the CEO of a Santa Clara computer services firm and a campaign contributor to Sheriff Laurie Smith, opened the trunk of his car and pointed to his handgun. He wouldn't tolerate misconduct among any personnel, regardless of rank. That's why I'm great for this position. I was trying to get my job done and get my portion of the process done. Did you feel a little awkward pulling out a gun at Starbucks and showing it to Captain Jensen? Deputy District Attorney John Chase asked Sanders when he testified later before a criminal grand jury. In the 20 years I've been in this agency I only used pepper spray one time and I was ordered to use it," she said. Nagaye supports having a civilian watchdog to audit law enforcement practices and the management of the county jails. Jensen, who remained involved in CCW issuance even after getting promoted out of the PIO unit. A job prospect led him to San Jose, where his wife spotted a recruitment sign for deputy sheriffs. I understand the complexities," he said. About Us - Office of Emergency Management - County of Santa Clara Her failure to produce documents to the county's Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring caused the county Board of Supervisors to unanimously confer a vote of no confidence on her last August.She now faces potential removal from office after being accused by a civil grand jury of corrupt misconduct. The guards were convicted of second-degree murder in 2017. A mother of three, the San Jose resident said she would always "be there for my deputies.". Nowhere in the transcripts is there testimony that explicitly links Smith to the alleged scheme, beyond her statutory authority as the only person in her office who can approve CCW permits. Embarcadero Media file photo by Magali Gauthier. 456 following. I had no discretion whether or not somebody were to get a permit. Jensen also reportedly took private meetings with VIP applicants outside the Sheriffs Office, sometimes at a nearby Starbucks or Jamba Juice on Coleman Avenue. In fact, none of the PIOs who testified ever recalled actually witnessing Smith sign one. Jonsen or Jensen: Who will be Santa Clara County's new sheriff? The trial against Smith stems . Even if force is used, I have high expectations that my officers know the laws," he said. Your email address will not be published. Jensen said he would run a transparent sheriff's office that would openly communicate with the people it serves rather than hide information.