Hiscampaign filings do not reflect a total amount raised to date, but the candidate himself says hes raised about $50,000. 38 reviews of Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department "Thankfully, my only experience with the Santa Clara County Sheriffs has been getting fingerprinted at this station in San Jose. "I'm feeling very hopeful and optimistic, cautiously. The second half of the payment was forestalled by the DA investigation. New sheriff adds Realtor to her command staff With Californias soaring mountains steep in snow, heres how to avoid an avalanche Hannah Kanik is a Bay Area News Group reporter covering Santa Clara County's West Valley for The Mercury News, East Bay Times, The Los Gatos Weekly and The Saratoga News. Santa Clara County Salaries - Sheriff's Correctional Captain Highest salary at Santa Clara County in year 2021 was $472,633. There has been a changing of the guard at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office West Valley Division. The I-Team also reached out to Reggie Cooks, a public affairs officer for the sheriff's department, and he has not responded at the time this story was reported. Between 2014 and 2018, 749 Santa Clara County residents applied for a new CCW permit, according to records provided by the sheriffs department. From there, he was promoted to lieutenant and came back to Saratoga as the assistant commander of the West Valley Patrol Division. Smiths office granted concealed gun permits to 22 of those 28 applicants, an approval rate of about 79%. Jensen is competing with three other candidates: sheriff Sgt. Monday through Friday through 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. "It's been something of an open secret within the firearms community," Long said. Jensen is also accused of signing off on seven permit recipients who did not complete mandatory firearms proficiency exams including a permit renewal for county Supervisor Mike Wasserman. Love to know the next forum is. She has been working for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers since 2015. Jensen later instructed AS Solutions Inc. to have their executive protection agents falsify the names of their employer on their CCW applications, and for those agents living outside the county, to falsify their addresses as well, according to the indictment. A gun parts manufacturer and two South Bay lawyers were the other three individuals named in the indictment. Local News | Christine Nagaye wants to transform theoffice into a national role model. Public Safety Alliance ("PSA"), an independent expenditure committee supporting Sheriff Smith. Santa Clara County Sheriff candidates Kevin Jensen and Bob Jonsen. Jensen said he is also proud to have the support of former county Supervisor Blanca Alvarado. Jensen lost that election, but he believes the time is right for a new run and cites the support from the association. Capt. He says it's time for Sheriff Smith to speak out if she knows anything Whats next for the former Frys HQ in San Jose? Contact Information - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara Jensen, 58, retired in 2013. Besides sketching out the donation-for-permits plan, he surreptitiously recorded a conversation with Jensen using a DA-provided phone app, at a meeting just days before the corruption probe became public knowledge when search warrants were served at the sheriffs office. All Rights Reserved. This is the organizations third time endorsing an opponent of incumbent Laurie Smith, who has served as head of the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office since 1998. In addition to bribery, the indictment charges Jensen with conspiring with AS Solution employees to put false information in their CCW license applications. That is what we are doing here.. Santa Clara County sheriff candidate secures key endorsement West Valley: Rich Urena is new captain of, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early, West Valley: Rich Urena is new captain of sheriff offices West Valley division. The Deputy Sheriffs' Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. As police chief in Palo Alto, Jonsen said hes helped the city implement a program that partners behavioral health workers with police officers to respond to psychiatric emergencies. Smith has not filed papers for reelection or said publicly whether she intends to run. Jensen advised Nielsen to instruct AS Solution employees who were not residents of Santa Clara County to use local corporate addresses as their residence addresses in their applications. NIchols owns a company called The Gun Co., which manufactures firearms parts. Oakland police investigating spate of shootings that left one dead, five wounded The Sheriff's Office Parks Patrol Unit provides law enforcement services for the 28 regional parks and lakes managed by the Santa Clara County Parks Department. San Jos Spotlight is a project of the San Jos News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Then I suggest you educate other voters so more people are aware. End of an era: San Jose antique shops could disappear, Robes, candles and chants: South Bay official in hot water over religious ceremony, Proposed tax law threatens billions in San Jose funding. But now people are returning back to work, returning to normal life and going on vacations, so folks are starting to take advantage of that.. San Jos Spotlight is the citys first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. Civil process includes restraining orders, bench warrants, arrest warrants, evictions and any other notice or order from the courts. Captain James Jensen, attorney Christopher Schumb, attorney Harpaul Nahal, and business owner Michael Nichols are accused of conspiring with the CEO and a middle manager of AS Solution, Inc., an international security company, to offer a $90,000 bribe to obtain concealed firearms permits (CCW licenses) for the company's executive protection agents. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He served various roles for the next three decades, including as an assistant chief in the department of corrections and as jail administration commander. SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced Friday that four people -- including a Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain -- have been indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy charges in a scheme tied to Sheriff Laurie Smith's reelection campaign. Sheriffs Capt. Former Santa Clara County sheriff's captain throws hat in - KRON4 In addition to conspiracy and bribery charges, Jensen is accused of falsifying public records. If convicted, all four defendants could face prison time. Prosecutors expected to get alleged De Anza rape case Saying yes, but doing NO. We are not done.". This is your newsroom. Saratoga hosts LAW-tes and Coffee with a Cop events to keep the community engaged with the Sheriffs Office, Valenzuela said. SAN JOSE The former CEO of an executive security firm charged in an alleged scheme to trade political donations for concealed-gun permits from the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office abruptly pleaded guilty in the case Monday, in what prosecutors called a significant development for a corruption probe that could threaten Sheriff Laurie Smiths two-decade tenure. The testimonies confirm an earlier report from this news organization that found CCW permits were most frequently granted to high-profile applicants, and that the most common condition for approvals was a reference or order from Smith or one of her top commanders. 2007-03-13 12:18:00 PDT SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County sheriff's investigators expect to go to prosecutors this week with their case against De Anza College baseball players suspected of having . Le reportedly wanted to create a break space for correctional staff. Office Hours. He is my choice. Known for. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Attorney Harpaul Nahal, left, is photographed outside of the San Jose Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Nahal was arraigned on conspiracy and bribery charges involving concealed weapon permits in Santa Clara County. Moreover, he doesnt have the authority to grant permits nor did he receive anything for processing them. If convicted, the defendants could receive prison time. "It's a sad day for the Sheriff's department," said retired Undersheriff John Hirokawa, who was defeated in a runoff by Sheriff Smith in the election that year and wonders what role the money played. Sung is now the assistant sheriff for the administrative division. There is only ONE job in the United States that has the job description of defending the US Constitution and protecting We the People. "It's very unusual for a captain to be walked off in that manner for a project that wasn't for personal gain, on jail property. Hes worked in every area of sheriffs office jurisdiction. Rosen said there were two paths when it came to the issuing of concealed gun permits by the sheriff's office: One for average citizens and one for campaign donors and VIPs. Ricardo Rich Urena has been tapped to replace Capt. Bios - Captain Luis Martin | City of Santa Clara Earlier this year, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit analyzed five years' worth of data and found that donors to Smith's political campaigns were about 14 times more likely to get a concealed weapons permit than those who did not contribute. Jonsen or Jensen: Who will be Santa Clara County's new sheriff? Nate Gartrell covers crime and corruption in Contra Costa County. To be fair, all candidates seem passionate about wanting to a good job as sheriff and the questions asked are valid questions for any managerial jobs. Santa Clara County Sheriff Sgt. Both Smith and Undersheriff Rick Sung invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when they appeared before a criminal grand jury Aug. 3, and refused to answer any questions about the scandal, according to transcripts of the proceedings. The state attorney general is investigating possible civil rights violations in the jail system, and Smith is fighting a political corruption accusation brought by a civil grand jury that claims she granted concealed firearm licenses to political supporters. Capt. Neil Valenzuela takes over Sheriff's West Valley Patrol Division "You don't even need to live in the county, which is required by law.". She is now on paid . Were changing the face of journalism by providing an innovative model for delivering reliable, truthful news to the nations 10th largest city. Local News | Rick Sung as commander of the patrol division. Prosecutors allege that Nielsen and West were connected to Jensen by Schumb, Nahal and Nichols to get $90,000 split between the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance whose assistant treasurer was Schumb, a veteran South Bay litigator and the Sheriffs Advisory Board. However, if you are in the words of sheriff's Captain James Jenson a VIP, then he will meet you at Starbucks, personally review your application and help you fill it out. Its a small town community I like interacting with.. West Valley: Rich Urena is new captain of sheriff office's West Valley Ive worked at other places with the Sheriffs Office here and there but I just like the community here, and I like the fact theres more community outreach that we do on this side, Valenzuela said. public and her constituents and say what's going on. The DA's investigation began shortly after the general election in 2018, sparked by an inquiry from the Metro Silicon Valley weekly about executive security licensing and an extremely large campaign donation, which was reported in public filings. As we gather more evidence, we expect to file more charges against more individuals in the coming weeks. The Civil Warrants Division serves Civil process in the manner prescribed by law. She also served in the offices operational standards and inspections unit and worked at both Elmwood and the main jail. Local News | Were partnering with you the readers to make it happen. She is also facing a civil grand jury accusation for corrupt misconduct and a state attorney general investigation into possible civil rights violations in the county jail. San Jos Spotlight was unable to find record of Colton serving in law enforcement. The other three members of her command staff including former Mountain View . I-TEAM: Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain Amy Le removed from job As of January, he has raised $72,398. | All donations are tax-deductible. Its not clear if Colton qualifies for sheriff. Emergency Contact Information . (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group;. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Le apparently ran into trouble when her superiors did not like her project, and when they learned she didn't have a building permit. Sources have told this news organization that Nielsen a central figure in the scheme, who wrote the $45,000 check that touched off the investigation after Smith was re-elected in 2018 cooperated with investigators early on. He cited a internal solutions group he helped create inPalo Alto to address issues like morale and promotions. All of these people do not feel safe, and they feel threatened, Nagaye told San Jos Spotlight. Local News | There has been a changing of the guard at the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office West Valley Division. about the scheme. Sean Allen. The Sheriff's Office provides a high level of proactive police services to residents, schools, and the businesses within our jurisdiction with a strong emphasis on community service. If you care about your Constitutional rights, vote for the person who UNDERSTANDS and actually WILL uphold the US Constitution and your unalienable rights! "However, if you are -- in the words of Sheriff's Captain James Jenson -- a 'VIP,' then he'll meet you at Starbucks, personally review your application and help you fill it out," said Rosen. The second half of the agreed-upon donation amount wasstymied by the DA investigation, authorities said. To do it right you have to first know what is the requirement of the job then figure out if the candidates understand those requirements. Most of those applicants did not donate to the Sheriffs political campaign over that time period and fewer than 6% of those non-donors were awarded a concealed gun permit, according to sheriffs office records and publicly available campaign contribution data. A grand jury has indicted Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung and added an additional indictment against a captain linked to a concealed weapons permit scandal that has rocked the Sheriff's . "I think as an elected official, she needs to come forward and tell the Reggie Cooks said he couldn't disclose why that happened and offered the following official response: "In . After Smith won that race, she promoted Le to captain. Stromgren, who oversaw the security firms Facebook protection team, has not been charged, and testified to the grand jury that he was uneasy about the arrangement. SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) A retired captain for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is joining the race to become the next sheriff, now the second opponent looking to unseat current. County Sheriff's Captain, Prominent Lawyer Charged with Gun Permit Bribery Scheme. The following month, Nielsen and AS Solution, Inc. CEO Christian West met with Nichols, Hahal, and attorney Christopher Scumb at the Sainte Claire Club in San Jose, where Schumb described his fundraising work for Sheriff Smith and told Nielsen to seek out then Sheriff's Lieutenant James Jensen at the Best in the West SWAT competition. In 2020, Luis was selected as the Acting Captain of the Special Operations Division and officially became fulltime Captain of this same division in September of 2021. He said after Friday's news, Sheriff Smith needs to go. In 2017, she received $449,767.49 with overtime and benefits, on a $142,530.12 base salary. Take a look at more stories and videos by the ABC7 News I-Team. The DA's Office said it is continuing to investigate additional crimes and individuals in relation to the issuing of CCW licenses. Like his opponents, Jensen said hes concerned about the lack of transparency in the office, which he blames on Smiths managerial style. The investigation is active and ongoing," said Rosen. Contact Eli Wolfe at[emailprotected]or@EliWolfe4on Twitter. Comments are moderated and approved by administrators. Your email address will not be published. She previously worked as a reporter for PhillyVoice in Philadelphia and freelanced for The Seattle Times and The Whiskey Wash. She grew up in Sacramento, California, and graduated with a BA degree from the University of Oregon where she majored in journalism and minored in political science. Len Ramirez and Kiet Do contributed to this story. Here's where we stand, Armed carjacking suspect leads police on dangerous chase. Civil/Warrants - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara Capt. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Custody Division is the fifth largest jail system in California, and among the 20 largest systems in the United States. He supports the Board of Supervisors decision to build a new 500-person jail, and he favors adding more mental health resources for inmates. The remaining four defendants, who were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges, put off entering pleas until Sept. 21. He touts his experience working as a correctional officer at Elmwood Correctional Facility, starting in the mid-1980s. Undersheriff ensnared in Santa Clara County concealed guns corruption probe, Sheriffs office hit with corruption probe over concealed weapons permits, | Criminal Justice and Public Safety Reporter. A San Jose native, he graduated from UCLA with a BA degree in history and from the University of Maryland with a MA degree in journalism. "CCW licenses should not be given in exchange for campaign donations. CBS. Robert Salonga is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers criminal justice and public safety for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith has been found guilty on all six corruption and misconduct counts in her civil corruption trial. Source: https://nationallibertyalliance.org/files/sheriffmemo/Power%20and%20Authority%20of%20The%20County%20Sheriff.pdf. The ABC7 News I-Team asked Le to provide a comment but she declined. The investigation found that weeks after the scheme was hatched, the conspirators settled on a $90,000 "donation" in exchange for 10 to 12 CCW licenses. Sheriff of Santa Clara County, California. 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All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Neither Smith, who has the sole authority in her agency to grant the gun permits, nor Martin Nielsen an AS Solution manager who provided security for Facebook executives has been charged. Instead, it will be tossed in a filing cabinet and forgotten. Allen said in his first 100 days in office he wants to meet with every politician in the county and glean ideas about how to improve his office. This is my favorite place to work. After submitting 7 CCW license applications to Jensen at a meeting, AS Solution manager Martin Nielsen donated the first half of that amount to the Santa Clara County. As the new captain assigned to the West Valley patrol division, Im committed to the legacy weve built here in the city of Cupertino, he said. She needs to leave and take the stench shes created with her. Election 2022: The vote for a new South Bay sheriff Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Allen says he stands out from his opponents because hes spent much of his career openly criticizing the office. He said its important to increase the offices transparency. "This investigation revealed the sad reality that at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office there are 2 policies for those seeking CCW licenses. MILPITAS, Calif. (KGO) -- Santa Clara County Sheriff's Captain Amy Le got walked off the job at Elmwood Jail this past Friday in tears, her badge and county vehicle taken away. Santa Clara County sheriff-elect Bob Jonsen will take office early A veteran staff trainer, Allen wants to change how officers apply use of force, saying there need to be more alternatives for de-escalating situations and preventing harm to inmates. He wants to dismantle the system of nepotism that he claims took root in the Sheriffs Office during Smiths tenure. Only 62 applicants received a permit, according to the records. "I know they used a lot of that money on social media, slamming me," he said. I feel the right person for the job is not the smoothest talking person that sounded good. His career in law enforcement with the sheriffs office began in 2002, and since then he has worked a wide range of assignments, which include patrolling the West Valley cities, as well as performing law enforcement duties for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authoritys transit patrol division. He spent the bulk of his career27 yearsin the LA County Sheriffs Department, retiring as captain of Lancaster Station. I think its a trend that were seeing, property crimes increasing, now that were going back to work, Valenzuela said. Ex-Jail Captain Sues Santa Clara Co. Sheriff's Office for Alleged ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Report an Issue to the Sheriff | Los Altos Hills, CA BY EMILY MIBACH. Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. My intent is to change not only whats happening at the top of the organization, but some of whos at the top of the organization, Allen told San Jos Spotlight. There were 44 reported burglaries from January to October of 2021, while 59 burglaries were reported in the same time period in 2022. "If she's doing something that's unfair and unjust, she owes it to this community to step down," said Moore. Colton is a latecomer to the race, having filed her nomination papers in March. Jonsen said he also values transparency in law enforcement. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The associations members voted overwhelmingly to support endorsing him.. Im the candidate that brings the fresh perspective and greatest opportunity for change.. A Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain, a gun parts manufacturer, and two local lawyers - one a prominent political backer - have been indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and. She is now on paid administrative leave. Rosen said his office's probe was triggered by a San Jose Inside article focusing on a large 2018 contribution to Smith's campaign. He also notedhes implemented community advisory groups in every command position hes held. Star witness testifies at California sheriff's civil trial Office of the Sheriff - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara I think its important to know the men and women who have this difficult job in difficult times are this much behind a candidate, Jensen told San Jos Spotlight. "My concern is not whether the sheriff grants many or few CCW licenses, but whether they are being granted or denied for the wrong reasons," Rosen said. An inquiry from the Metro Silicon Valley weekly about executive security licensing and an extremely large campaign donation -- which was reported in public filings -- spurred the DA to start an investigation shortly after the general election in 2018. We are not done, he said. If convicted could get 11 years in prison. 2 brothers found guilty of murdering groom at California wedding party Im the only candidate who has called out the bad behavior and served all the major functions in the Sheriffs Office.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! As a lieutenant, Le was the first female president of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Correctional Peace Officers Association, and steered the union's endorsement to Sheriff Laurie Smith this past election. Jensen's attorney Harry S. Stern released the following statement to ABC7 News: James is devastated by this development. Political action committees for the Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association supported Jensens campaign when he ran against Smith in 2014.
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