I recently attended a community event sponsored by our Foster City Chamber of Commerce and several local visionary investor partners, titled “State of the Peninsula.” The event promised open dialogue about housing, workforce development, tourism, regional messaging and the long-term vitality of our economy. The panel featured an impressive lineup of elected leaders, as well as business and civic leaders who spoke to the challenges that affect us all.
Yet for all its value, the conversation missed what may be the most urgent issue facing San Mateo County today: the deepening crisis in the Sheriff’s Office. To discuss the “State of the Peninsula” without acknowledging the instability of our Sheriff’s Office — a department that consumes $300 million of our tax dollars each year — is to present an incomplete and dangerously misleading picture of where we stand.
• 98% of deputies cast a vote of no confidence in the sheriff’s leadership.
• More than 100 deputies have left the department, including an undersheriff and two assistant sheriffs.
• The sheriff’s own chief of staff was dismissed.
• A grand jury investigation has concluded with a formal accusation of misconduct, and the county is now awaiting recommendations from Judge James Emerson following a two-week hearing.
• A growing list of lawsuits tied to this administration’s decisions could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
• A recent fight at the jail left six inmates hospitalized and four deputies injured.
• There have been seven deaths in our jails since January 2023, the most recent on Sept. 29.
This is not a side issue. It goes to the heart of public safety, fiscal responsibility and community trust. And it is not just about mismanagement. In the event of a major disaster — such as an earthquake, wildfire or flood — the sheriff is the lead law enforcement officer for the Peninsula. Every coordinated response would fall under her command. Can we honestly say we are prepared for that reality, given the turmoil we see today?
The men and women who serve as deputies, who put their lives on the line every day, deserve better leadership. The residents of San Mateo County, who provide the funding and who rely on effective law enforcement, deserve better accountability.
It is time for us as a community to demand more from our elected leaders. We cannot discuss the “State of the Peninsula” without mentioning the Sheriff’s Office. Until we have a system of strong oversight and accountability to prevent problems in the Sheriff’s Office from escalating into crises, any conversation about our county’s future is incomplete.
Again, I am asking all residents to join me and the Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County and demand transparency, accountability and the updating of our county governance mechanism to ensure this situation never happens again. Thus, the need for a permanent Inspector General’s Office now cannot be overstated.
The state of the Peninsula cannot be strong for all if one of the most important institutions charged with our safety is in disarray. Last, and above all, it is time for the Board of Supervisors to take decisive steps to restore accountability and stability. Our community cannot afford to remain mired in dysfunction.
Jim Lawrence is the Chair of Fixin’ San Mateo County.
(1) comment
Here we go again… I believe Rahm Emanuel said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” Here we have Mr. Lawrence attempting to take advantage of the Corpus debacle to potentially waste more money for a permanent IG and the supporting staff which will need to be established. Never mind that taxpayers are already footing the bill for a civilian oversight commission which to my knowledge hasn’t produced anything of value (or anything newsworthy) except of course, costing taxpayers and pushing for a permanent IG. There’s no guaranteeing an IG would make any difference in the proceedings. Instead of wasting more taxpayer money, let’s let this serious crisis to go waste. BTW, seems to me that the “facts” listed would have been avoided if voters made a better decision in electing a Sheriff. People get the government they voted for and in the future, perhaps voters will realize their choices have consequences.
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