Former chief of staff claims right to be at the Sheriff’s Office HQ

“I just took a little bit of a break, but I’ll be going back in there,” Aenlle said. 

The “break” Aenlle is referring to follows the elimination of his former paid position as a civilian member of Sheriff Christina Corpus’ executive team. 

The public release of an investigative report by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell into Corpus and her administration found Aenlle at the forefront of concern, identifying him as a sworn officer-impersonator abusing his power and receiving special treatment. In response, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors zeroed out the budget for his position — which was made exclusively for him by Corpus.

Aenlle’s former title was executive director of administration, however, he referred to himself as chief of staff, and it was a position that had previously never existed in the county’s Sheriff’s Office.

County Executive Mike Callagy said at the Nov. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting where they abolished the position that Aenlle was barred from accessing any county facility that is not open to the public. Although Callagy stated this with a fervor that suggested it was an extraordinary measure against Aenlle specifically, in response to the investigation’s findings, this was not the case. 

Aenlle, just as any other civilian, is not allowed to enter restricted areas of county facilities unless he is escorted by someone of authority, such as the sheriff. The pair has also been accused of maintaining a personal relationship beyond friendship, raising the question of how often this invitation to Aenlle may be extended. 

However, Aenlle is now suggesting that his status as a reserve deputy grants him access, regardless of invitation. 

“I can be anywhere if I’m acting in the capacity of a reserve,” Aenlle said. “When I’m not acting in that capacity — which is not possible because I’m a Designated Level 1 with 24 hour authority, which means I have peace officer powers 24/7.”

A reserve deputy are volunteers with patrol and jail assignments. They are similarly trained and duly sworn law enforcement personnel, just as full-time paid deputies. They also have the same powers of arrest as full-time deputies, and are required by law to meet hiring, background, medical and field training standards, according to the Sheriff’s Office website.

To be a reserve deputy, one must volunteer a total of 192 hours over the year and attend regular training meetings, and Aenlle’s status under this designation was questioned by Cordell in her investigative report.

It wasn’t until after Cordell reached out to Aenlle for an interview for the investigation that any volunteer hours at all were recorded between January 2024 to July 2024, according to the report. 

The former chief of staff said, as of this moment, he is still a reserve deputy and has not only met the minimum volunteer hours, but “exceeded those hours for god’s sake.” He added that the required hours are at the direction of the sheriff. 

The Jan. 23 visit from Aenlle to the office headquarters prompted a response from sheriff’s Capt. Mark Myers, who expressed concern to staff over Aenlle’s presence and the fact he was armed with a concealed weapon. Myers is the chief of police in San Carlos, and was one of all five captains within the Sheriff’s Office who voted no confidence in Corpus. 

On Jan. 27, Aenlle submitted a complaint to the County Attorney’s Office alleging Myers violated his rights, including disclosing Aenlle’s concealed carry weapon permit to a journalist. 

“By exposing this sensitive information, he not only compromised my personal safety but also subjected me to potential danger,” Aenlle wrote to County Attorney John Nibbelin. 

However, Aenlle also claimed that he doesn’t need a CCW permit to be armed, because he is a reserve deputy with police powers.

Myers did not respond to a request for comment. Nibbelin said he would not speak to the matter as “civilian complaints against sworn officers” are confidential. 

While Aenlle believes he is a reserve deputy with access to facilities, Nibbelin said, “I don’t think we necessarily agree with that,” but said reserve deputy statuses are at the discretion of the sheriff.

Aenlle said there is a “narrative they’re putting around me about being dangerous” but said he has never had any complaint made against him. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association has said previously they believe multiple human resources complaints have been made against Aenlle, which was substantiated by Cordell’s investigation. 

“I’m a peace officer for god’s sake,” Aenlle said. “My termination was not because I wasn’t doing my job. By the way, I did my best — I exceeded expectations.”