In Santa Clara County, there's only room for one sheriff in town. The defendants are expected to be arraigned on the charges August 31, 2020 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. The remaining four defendants, who were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges, put off entering pleas until Sept. 21. 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. With Californias soaring mountains steep in snow, heres how to avoid an avalanche California law requires candidates for county sheriff to have experience as certified law enforcement officers. Every captain thats worked on this side of town has made an impact with the community. There were 44 reported burglaries from January to October of 2021, while 59 burglaries were reported in the same time period in 2022. NBC Bay Area called or emailed each of the four defendants in the case Friday, but so far, only Jensen's attorney has responded. "I know they used a lot of that money on social media, slamming me," he said. The Deputy Sheriffs Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. And were here to provide it. Jonsen said he has experience overseeing crime reduction from his time as a coordinator of the Antelope Valley crime fighting initiative run by the LA Sheriffs Department. Moreover, he doesnt have the authority to grant permits nor did he receive anything for processing them. Urena has a wealth of patrol experience, he told the five-member city council. 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. Over the next 30 years he worked in numerous roles in the county jail and Sheriffs Office. If the Sheriff lacks a full understanding of the Constitution it would stand to reason that he is vulnerable to violation of his oath. Contact Eli Wolfe at[emailprotected]or@EliWolfe4on Twitter. A contender for the top law enforcement job in Santa Clara County has won a coveted endorsement. He became captain in 2004 and retired in 2013. 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 . But the approval rate skyrockets for the 28 applicants who either gave campaign cash to Sheriff Laurie Smith directly or where a family member or employer donated. 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. With all of the county's 754 precincts reporting as of 5 p.m. Wednesday,. we have been without one, https://www.kevinjensen4sheriff.com/endorsements. Oakland police investigating spate of shootings that left one dead, five wounded How safe is your neighborhood? I would make every attempt and work tirelessly with community leaders to let them know the Sheriffs Office, or law enforcement as a whole, is here for you.. Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonsen remained on track Wednesday to be elected Santa Clara County's next sheriff. Were partnering with you the readers to make it happen. Per a plea agreement, his charges will be downgraded to misdemeanors and a maximum 18-month jail sentence in exchange for his cooperation with the district attorney. We know hes the best candidate to address these issues (in the office).. He replaces Capt. Your email address will not be published. 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. He may be contacted at 408-868-6612 or email at email Rich Urena. No other candidate mentioned the Constitution. To avoid the perception of impropriety, Jensen said he wont take any financial contributions from employees. Rosen wanted to make it clear his office will hold any public official accountable for misconduct. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office issued the following comment to ABC7 News. She has been working for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers since 2015. Stromgren recalled a conversation he had with Nielsen: I told him on a couple of occasions I didnt feel comfortable. 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. The recently released autopsy report of Thomas Phan, a 40-year-old homeless man shot and killed by deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station on Nov. 16, provided new details . He plans to implement greater civilian oversight in the jail systeman outstanding concern among county officials. Multiple sources said the year-long investigation has centered on accusations of the sheriff's office favoring people who apply for a concealed weapons permit if they donated to Smith's reelection campaigns. August 10, 2016 at 12:02 p.m. The Civil Warrants Division serves Civil process in the manner prescribed by law. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Capt. Civil process includes restraining orders, bench warrants, arrest warrants, evictions and any other notice or order from the courts. Whether applicants received a permit depended on which group they belonged to. The 16-page indictment, which you can read here , lays out each defendant's alleged role in the scheme to secure a massive campaign contribution for Smith in exchange for concealed gun permits. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office named Valenzuela the new commander of the West Valley Patrol Division last month. Allen says he stands out from his opponents because hes spent much of his career openly criticizing the office. 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. public and her constituents and say what's going on. The next sheriff will havesignificant challenges, including the ongoing warehousing of mentally ill inmates in the jail system, increased political scrutiny of the Sheriffs Office and the constructionof a new jail. Santa Clara Sheriffs gun-permit process: public safety or politics? This is your newsroom. The culture of management can no longer be one of fear and intimidation.. Here's where we stand, Armed carjacking suspect leads police on dangerous chase. Sheriff Smith herself was not among those indicted Friday, but Rosen said his office's investigation is wide ranging and far from over. Love to know the next forum is. In court Monday, he asked Judge Eric Geffon to re-seal the grand jury transcripts on the grounds that his clients trial rights will be prejudiced by their release.. When I had asked him in one of those early conversations I got, like I dont remember the words it was, basically, Dont ask.'. 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. We believe that working with the community, together we achieve great things and Im hoping to carry on that tradition and continue to provide the city of Cupertino with the best law enforcement services that we can.. You do the math. While a captain, he was assigned to oversee various Custody Bureau Divisions, including the Main Jail, Elmwood, Jail Reforms, Support Services, and Administrative Services, as well as the Transportation and Internal Affairs Units. 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. So he is also a liar. "CCW licenses should not be given in exchange for campaign donations. Kevin Jensen, who announced his run for sheriff last September. 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. Sheriff spokesman Sgt. A sheriff's captain was among four people indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy charges as part of an election campaign scandal tied to Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, the District Attorney's Office said Friday. Hes raised $72,398 through campaign donations and a loan. Though Wasserman is mentioned in the Aug. 6 indictment of Jensen, Schumb, Nahal and Nichols, he too has not been charged. Kevin Jensen said Tuesday that it was "humbling" that two unions want him to run against Sheriff Laurie . Permits to carry a concealed weapon can be difficult to obtain in Santa Clara County, as they are in most of the Bay Area. Capt. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Saratoga installed an Automatic License Plate Reader system at several intersections last spring to track cars coming in and out of the city and deter crime. Local News | Flood Advisory issued for Santa Clara Co. . There has been a changing of the guard at the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office West Valley Division. August 7, 2020 / 11:34 AM Last . Before that, he was chief of police in Menlo Park for five years. | All donations are tax-deductible. | All donations are tax-deductible. The activity took place in 2018 while Sheriff Laurie Smith -- who had the authority to grant the permits -- was in a tough battle race for reelection in both the primary and general elections. This is your newsroom. West Valley Detectives. He says it's time for Sheriff Smith to speak out if she knows anything 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. Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonsen said he wants to apply his experience working in the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to fix some of the long-time issues in Santa Clara Countys office. Sheriff Bob Jonsen has been in law enforcement since 1986. / CBS San Francisco. He said its important to increase the offices transparency. He said after Friday's news, Sheriff Smith needs to go. The second half of the payment was forestalled by the DA investigation. Number of employees at Santa Clara County with job title Sheriff's Correctional Captain is 35. "If you made a campaign donation and if Captain Jensen knew you to be a VIP, then you got special treatment and you got a CCW license," Rosen said. Then I suggest you educate other voters so more people are aware. Prior to being elected as the 29th Sheriff of Santa Clara County, he was the Chief of Police for Palo Alto Police Department (2018-2022). 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. It is extremely painful to have his integrity questioned after spending years dedicated to serving the people of Santa Clara County. Like his opponents, Jensen said hes concerned about the lack of transparency in the office, which he blames on Smiths managerial style. We were all stuck at home for COVID, and we didnt have really any kind of property crime because everyone was home. Christine Nagaye wants to transform theoffice into a national role model. A former manager for a security company who implicated a Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain and others in an alleged bribery scheme to trade political donations supporting the sheriff in exchange for concealed-carry weapons has testified in the civil corruption trial . At Best in the West, according to the indictment, Nichols introduced Nielsen to Jensen, where they agreed to a deal where AS Solution's agents would receive CCW permits in exchange for a large donation to the Sheriff's campaign. Urena told the council that he is prepared to take on the challenge. Hirokawa said Jensen's quick rise to captain after Smith's re-election raised eyebrows in the office at the time. Im the only candidate who has experience from a large sheriff organization as well as municipalities, and that diversity will serve me well, Jonsen told San Jos Spotlight, adding that his great-great uncle served as sheriff in Santa Clara County in 1870. Jonsen, who filed his papers to run in January, has received endorsements from former state Sen.Jim Bell, the Democratic Asian Pacific American Club and the Sunnyvale Democratic Club. Im the candidate that brings the fresh perspective and greatest opportunity for change.. 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. I live in Palo Alto, am happy that Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonson is leaving his Palo Alto position. Jonsen said he also values transparency in law enforcement. Jensen's attorney Harry S. Stern released the following statement to ABC7 News: James is devastated by this development. San Jos Spotlight is the citys first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. The exact terms of the deal were hammered out later that month, according to the indictment, when Nielsen and West met with Jensen, Nahal, and Nichols at a San Jose Jamba Juice and agreed upon an exchange of 10-to-12 CCW licenses for a $90,000 donation to Smith's campaign. San Jos Spotlight is the citys first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. That is what we are doing here.. Jensen started working as a deputy at Elmwood Correctional Facility in 1985. Santa Clara County Sheriff Sgt. As the I-Team reported last September, the man suffered brain damage and his parents are suing the county and the Sheriff's Department. ", #Breaking Four people including SantaClara Co Sheriffs Captain indicted in concealed carry pay to play scheme MORE @nbcbayarea. 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. A retired Santa Clara County sheriffs captain who ran for office in 2014 and lost, Kevin Jensen believes he has the momentum to take the seat. Saturday and Sunday through Closed. "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. Allen has been in the trenches for bit and dont think he is a good ol boy either. He also notedhes implemented community advisory groups in every command position hes held. I just want to do it within reason, getting mental health help we need on the front end, and also providing for those people who have to be in the jails..

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