San Carlos police chief takes on role

“I just want everyone to know I’m available. I want to hear your concerns. I want to hear positive things,” said Bell during the forum. “We want to do what’s best for our community.”

Bell, a Sheriff’s Office employee of 14 years, was one of a handful of captains recommended to fill the bureau chief position by Sheriff Carlos Bolanos. The vacancy was created after former Chief Mark Duri was promoted to assistant sheriff, tasked with leading the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office’s Support Services Division. San Carlos contracts its police services to the Sheriff’s Office.

City Manager Jeff Maltbie said he selected Bell following a rigorous interview process with city department heads because of her deep familiarity with the city and her commitment to addressing its issues.

“She really had a good understanding of our community and real passion for approaching police work in a way that our community needs,” said Maltbie.

Similarly, Parmer-Lohan, the moderator of the public forum, said she has full confidence in the new chief, noting for potentially the first time in the city’s history women simultaneously hold some of the top positions of leadership.

“Chief Bell grew up in the area and has intimate knowledge of community and emotional ties,” said Parmer-Lohan, adding Bell's decade and a half years of experience with the Sheriff’s Office and leadership roles make her “extraordinarily qualified” for the position.

San Carlos is a small town, noted Maltbie, and home to just over 30,000 residents. Its troubles largely center on property crimes including car break-ins and catalytic converter thefts, a car part frequently stolen from Toyota Priuses.

Recognizing the threat to property, Bell said the department would continue using a data-driven policing model that deciphers crime trends out of incident reports. She implored residents to file police reports as soon as possible, regardless of the value lost because each incident helps form a larger picture around crime sprees and helps the agency better direct deputies where needed.

On police reform, Bell noted the Sheriff’s Office adheres to most of the policies outlined in the #8CantWait campaign, a national police reform initiative which gained traction during protests against police brutality last summer.

Hesitant to share her personal thoughts on calls to defund the police, an initiative to redistribute police budgets to other community resources which also gained wide support over the summer, Bell said building strong relationships is a priority in building trust.

“Perception is reality and we need to sometimes change the way we’re perceived and that means changing some of our behaviors,” said Bell. “The community has to be willing to engage with us and we are obviously more than willing to engage.”

Affirming her confidence in the agency, she also assured that each complaint filed against deputies is fully vetted and they routinely undergo training including the mental health focused Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team program.

Effectively responding to mental health emergencies is personal to Bell whose late father struggled with depression, she said.

Bell was born and raised in Redwood City where she currently lives with her wife Yonaira and 5-year-old daughter, Katelyn. Before entering law enforcement, Bell earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in psychology from Abilene Christian University with dreams of becoming a women’s basketball coach.

While earning a master’s degree in education from Southwest Baptist University, Bell worked as an assistant coach, traveling with the university’s women’s basketball team. She received offers to coach various high school programs but ultimately decided to return to California due to family-related obligations.

“I wasn’t willing to go anywhere or move anywhere for a job and I’m very family oriented,” said Bell during the forum. “I wanted to be back home and close to my family.”

Once back in the Peninsula she began working with Redwood City’s Parks and Recreation Department, running an after-school program of 125 students at Roosevelt Elementary School. While playing on a community softball team, Bell was encouraged to pursue a career with the Sheriff’s Office by a fellow softball player and correctional officer, a role she’d achieve in 2006.

After a year as a correctional officer, Bell was promoted to deputy, a title she held for five years. Much of her time with the Sheriff’s Office though has been spent in administrative roles serving as a lieutenant at the Maple Street Correctional Facility in Redwood City.

She was promoted to captain in 2019 and worked as the facility commander on Maple Street before being selected to as the San Carlos chief of police, a role she started in December. Such an elevation from correctional officer to top administration is known in the Sheriff’s Office as being home-grown.

“I was blessed to be chosen to fill that role after an interview process with City Department Heads,” said Bell in an email. “I am a local gal and love serving the community in which I am a part of.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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