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Contact
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Information:
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(415)
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CONGRATULATIONS
to
Our New Hires, Promotions and
Retirees:
New
Hires:
Deputy C. Andam
Deputy A. Cardenas
Deputy H. David
Deputy K. Driscoll
Deputy D. Duong
Deputy S. Durr
Deputy F. Flores Jr.
Deputy A. Gawley
Deputy J. Jeung
Deputy I. Kaiwi
Deputy B. Lau
Deputy N. Leal
Deputy E. Leo
Deputy J. Li
Deputy S.
Lopez
Deputy M.
Quach
Deputy I.
Segundo
Deputy J.
Singh Cadet H. Antoine
Cadet E. Bretz
Cadet A. Escobar
Cadet M. Hicks
Cadet S. Lee
Cadet G. Nagy
Cadet R. Pardo
Cadet V. Ponce
Cadet E. Prado
Cadet E. Rocha
Cadet J. Tijerino
Cadet A. Villalobos
Cadet D. Williams
Crispin Hollings
Chief Financial Officer
Terry Rather
Public Relations Officer
Austin Demmon
Apprentice Stationary Engineer
Brandon Jones
Apprentice Stationary Engineer
Dennis Dulay
Rehabilitation Services Coordinator
Chief
P. Miyamoto
Lt.
J. Gochez
Lt.
R. Winters
Sr.
Deputy D. Daguman
Sr.
Deputy L. Ferrigno
Sr.
Deputy R. Taylor
Retirees:
Deputy J. Chan
9 years
Deputy G. Jones
16
years
Deputy E. Redus
22 years
James Nelson
Farmer
24 years
Clayton Smith
Rehabilitation Services Coordinator
36 years
In
Memoriam:
Karen
Toy
Sr.
Legal Processing Clerk
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©
2016
San
Francisco
Sheriff's
Department
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A
Message from
Sheriff
Vicki
Hennessy
Welcome
to the September-November 2016 San Francisco
Sheriff's Department newsletter.
On
Election Day, November 8, more than 150
Sheriff's Deputies were assigned to retrieve and
secure all the voted ballots from San
Francisco's 576 voting precincts. We have
been entrusted with this duty since 2003 for
every local and general election. This is
an enormous undertaking that requires meticulous
planning and flawless execution. In this
issue, we have an article explaining the process
and, from Theodore Toet, Executive Assistant to
the Sheriff, a first-person account of a night
riding along with the election
team.
This
month, we have a promotion and some new
faces. Please join me in congratulating P.
Miyamoto on his promotion to Chief Deputy. Chief
Deputy Miyamoto joined the Sheriff's Department
in 1996 and has served in every rank up to and
including Assistant Sheriff. He has worked
in all of our jails, including the now-closed
old San Bruno facility. In addition to
jail duty, Chief Deputy Miyamoto worked in
Training, the Sheriff's Patrol Unit, and
Internal Affairs. A longtime member of the
Emergency Services Unit, he is also the
commander of the Special Response
Team.
I
am delighted to welcome Crispin Hollings and
Terry Rather, both of whom joined the Department
in September. Crispin is our new Chief
Financial Officer, and Terry serves as our
Public Relations Officer. Crispin comes to
us from the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission, where, since 2008, he served as the
Financial Planning Director. Terry
previously worked for the Continuing Education
of the Bar, where she was a Senior
Editor.
Since
the beginning of 2016, we have hired 53 Deputy
Sheriffs and 48 Sheriff's Cadets. We
welcome this infusion of new talent, but
recognize that until they complete their
training, many deputies and cadets are required
to work mandatory overtime shifts. I
understand how difficult and unpredictable that
can be for the people affected by our short
staffing, and want them to know how much their
contribution to keeping us at mandatory minimums
is appreciated.
Training
is a priority for me. All sworn staff is
required to complete 24 hours of Advanced
Officer (AO) Training. This year,
POST-mandated subjects include CPR/AED
instruction, defensive tactics, and range
requalification. In addition, we are
including Gender Awareness as well as updates on
case law and legal requirements related to the
use of force. To supplement AO, training
bulletins covering such subjects as the Prison
Rape Elimination Act (PREA), firearm safety
guidelines, and employee injury and illness
prevention have been distributed for discussion
at muster.
We
are always proud to present stories about staff
performing good work, both on- and
off-duty. This month, we feature stories
about the Department's participation in Urban
Shield, a Fleet Week softball tournament, and
Senior Deputy S. O'Neill's participation in Bark
at the Park with his K-9 partner, Brixx.
Cathrine Sneed and Captain J. Ramirez provided
free Halloween pumpkins to visitors and their
children at County Jail #5 again this
year. County Jail #2 hosted a robust job
fair in August, featuring more than 45 employers
and program providers offering opportunities to
prisoners post-release. In September,
program staff presented a victim impact panel
for SWAP (Sheriff's Work Alternative Program)
participants that featured victims, survivors
and offenders of drunk driving.
In
this issue, we profile Ron Perez, who
administers the COVER Program at County Jail
#5. COVER, which stands for Community of
Veterans Engaged in Restoration, works with the
Veterans Administration to provide programming
specifically responsive to the needs of men and
women who have served our country. Ron,
himself a Vietnam vet, has served the Sheriff's
Department since the late 1970s. His
story, and the story of COVER, is an important
and compelling one.
Time
has flown quickly this year, and I have been in
office for 10 months. Since March, I have
been co-chairing the Re-Envisioning the Jail
Replacement Project, along with Director of
Public Health Barbara Garcia and Taxpayers for
Improving Public Safety Representative Roma
Guy. This effort, which seeks to create
alternatives to incarceration for mentally ill
offenders, has brought together representatives
from the community, nonprofit providers, and
city stakeholders. The preliminary report
on the work of the Re-Envisioning Work Group
will be presented to the Board of Supervisors'
Government Audit and Oversight Committee on
Thursday, December 1 at 9:30 a.m.
Here is
a link to the data and prioritized
recommendations of the Work Group. One of
the most pressing needs identified throughout
this process is a comprehensive shared criminal
justice data infrastructure capable of producing
coherent and consistent cross-department
data. Despite efforts all departments have
made to update their data systems, producing
useful data still requires hours of manual
work. This experience has reaffirmed my
commitment to work with the JUSTIS community and
its executive sponsor, the City Administrator,
to deliver the quality of data we all need to
plan for the future.
A
snapshot of other challenges we will address in
the coming year includes:
- Internal
Affairs auditing and reporting to the
public.
- Automating
our incident reports to allow us to report out
on trends and incidents of interest, including
use of force. Note: The Sheriff's Department is
required to produce a quarterly report on the
use of force, which can be found on our website
under Public Notices.
- Rising
prisoner population counts and closing the
seismically unsafe County Jail #4, an obsolete
linear-style jail.
- Fully
adopting our transgender policies to include
gender identity expression and preferences for
appropriate searching and housing.
- Continuing
self-audit on our correctional
processes.
- Monitoring
the use of the Pre-Trial Risk Assessment tool
adopted in May 2016 that replaced the risk
assessment tool that was used for the previous
25 years.
- Beginning
a Controller's audit of our Information
Technology and Support Services Unit that will
review staffing, work load, efficiency and
software.
- Preparing
a Board of State and Community Corrections grant
to renovate County Jail
#2..
There
is much that we do well as a department, yet
there is still more we have to accomplish.
I am happy to have the dedicated staff that
works to make a better future for the
Department, the people we house and the city as
a whole.
Happy
Thanksgiving to you and your loved
ones!
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Sheriff's Department Secures
Ballots on Election
Day
The
Sheriff's Department, as it has done for nearly
1½ decades, served as the guardian of the
ballots for Election Day in San Francisco.
In
2001, San Francisco voters passed Proposition E,
an elections reform measure
that assigned responsibility to
the Sheriff's Department
to secure and transport ballots on
Election Day. Prop. E passed because of
perceived voting irregularities that had been
alleged in previous San Francisco elections. A
six-month probe by the state in 2001 found that
21 precincts sampled had ballots that had been
tabulated improperly in the 2000 election. Also,
mailed-in absentee ballots had been moved from
City Hall to a possibly unguarded separate
building as a precaution against a potential
anthrax threat. Other past election day issues
included ballot box lids found floating in the
bay, misplaced and duplicate ballots, and wet
ballots that had been dried in a
microwave.
Since the Sheriff's Department took
over securing the ballots in 2003, there have
been no issues.
The Election Day operations process
actually started three months before the
election. Lt. J. Shannon first met with the
Department of Elections staff to discuss the
"game plan." He then worked on staffing Election
Day, and deputies were assigned to various
tasks. Lt. Shannon communicated frequently with
the Department of Elections to make sure they
are on the same page. He assigned deputies to
the election routes, and completed an overtime
matrix as well as an estimated cost to
payroll.
On Election Day, Lt. Shannon's day
began at 9 a.m. and ended about 2 a.m. the next
day. He ensured all sites were set up and
briefed all staff assigned to election duties at
various sites throughout the day and night. He
also monitored the sites throughout the day and
night and remained in contact with the San
Francisco Police Department and the Department
of Elections.
The Sheriff's Department had about
175 sworn staff assigned to the election. The
staff's role was to collect ballots from 576
polling places throughout the city and safely
and securely deliver them to Pier 48, Shed B,
for initial processing. The Sheriff's Department
was also responsible for collecting Insight
Memory Packs and Edge Result Cartridges from
each polling place and ensuring that they were
downloaded at upload sites, strategically
located throughout the city, then transporting
them to the City Hall elections computer room
for safe storage.
The Sheriff's Department and the
Department of Elections set up two command posts
on Election Day. At the Department of Elections
post at City Hall, two sworn supervisors
monitored, dispatched and relayed information to
the Department of Elections and the Sheriff's
Department. The Sheriff's command post
monitored, dispatched, relayed and documented
communication over radio channels. Sworn staff
kept track of all ballot collection activities
through the supervisor stationed at the
Processing Center as ballot collectors return to
that location.
Vehicles used for the Election Day process
were equipped with global positioning system
(GPS) devices. The GPS allowed the Sheriff's
command post to log into a website and
accurately view where the vehicles carrying
ballots are located at any given time. This
allowed the Sheriff's command post to redirect
personnel as needed. In addition to the GPS, the
Sheriff's command post also used WebEOC, which
had computerized incident command forms and
live-time computerized updates from the Ballot
Processing Center.
Sworn staff patrolled all areas where
"live" or voted ballots were being processed,
stored, or transported until the election is
certified by the Secretary of State. The
certification process can take up to 28
days.
Polling sites opened at 7 a.m. and
closed by 8 p.m. Deputy start times varied
depending on assignments, such as: staging, 3
p.m.; command post, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; ballot
collecting, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; collecting memory
packs, 6 p.m.; and processing, 8 p.m. Deputies
usually work 4 to 8
hours.
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Observing
Election Day Operations
By Theodore Toet
I've
never wondered what happens to my ballot after
casting it. Like many voters, I trust that it
was delivered to the Department of Elections
without interference. Although I had not given
much thought to the process, my family stressed
the importance of voting. I was too young to
vote in the 2008 presidential election, and the
first election I was eligible to vote in was two
years later in 2010. My polling place was in the
garage of a house I had walked past on my way to
and from high school for years. It felt strange
walking the route again, two years later, and
that feeling intensified as I entered the
familiar, yet unfamiliar neighbor's
garage.
The
next year I moved, but still lived outside of
San Francisco. Due to my constantly changing
work and school schedules, I reregistered as a
permanent absentee voter. Every election, I
received my ballot in the mail, filled it out
and sent it back. Although finding stamps was a
challenge for a millennial who had never written
a letter before, I knew how the postal service
worked and never wondered how my ballot got to
the Department of Elections for
processing.
When
I joined the San Francisco Sheriff's Department
earlier this year, I heard mumblings of concern
about the 2016 elections. I remember thinking,
"Why is everyone so concerned about elections
here? Isn't the workplace an inappropriate place
to talk about politics?" That is what I was
always told. I asked, "Why is everyone talking
about the election?" I was told that the Sheriff
was responsible for collecting and securing San
Francisco's voted ballots and that the city's
elections experienced a crisis of confidence in
the early 2000s. My coworker recalled the story
of an election where empty ballot tops were
found floating in the bay and at Ocean Beach.
After hearing this, I conceptually understood
the Department's role in San Francisco's
elections, but I could not visualize it until
election night.
On
November 8, I reported to Pier 48, Shed B, where
I joined 125 sworn sheriff's deputies preparing
for the evening. The briefing was located at the
back of the shed and as I walked down, I noticed
a huge empty space that appeared unfillable.
When the muster briefing began, I was bewildered
by the size of the operation. A total of 157
staff members were assigned to work through the
night collecting the voted ballots. One hundred
twenty-two were assigned to drive 116 different
routes collecting voted ballots from 576
precincts. An additional 30 sheriff's deputies
were working in various command posts overseeing
the operation, and coordinating with the
Department of Elections.
Traditionally,
presidential election years have large voter
turnout and, with many contested issues on the
November ballot, voters were out in droves to
cast their votes. The polls closed at 8 p.m. and
deputy sheriffs prepared to begin the collection
process. I rode with Lieutenants Shannon and
Cabebe, who were responsible for overseeing the
operation. After briefing the deputies and
dispersing them to their polling locations, we
headed to City Hall where we met a team of
deputies providing security and assistance to
the Department of Elections. After checking in,
we headed to a nearby polling location to ensure
that campaign workers were not electioneering
within 100 feet of the polling place and that
poll workers were not experiencing any
issues.
After
checking in with a few polling locations, we
headed to the Sheriff's Command Center, where we
met a team of deputies assigned to support the
deputies collecting ballots for the event. We
arrived around 9 p.m., before many poll workers
had an opportunity to close their polls and
prepare the materials for the deputies. There
were few phone calls. During this time, I saw
how the department tracked which ballot
collectors had completed their routes and how
the process was conducted. Around 9:45 p.m., the
phones began ringing off the hook and the
Command Center sprang to life. Deputies called
with problems they were experiencing, from not
being able to locate their polling sites, to
poll workers not having materials ready for
collection.
As
the evening progressed, and deputies began
arriving at Pier 48 with the collected voted
ballots, Lt. Cabebe walked me through the final
step of the operation. The deputies arrived in
vans with the collected ballots and drove
through Shed B where five groups of Department
of Elections workers scanned and unloaded the
vans, taking the voted ballots with them. The
collected ballots were then sorted, placed on
dollies and transported for storage. As I
watched the operation unfold, I could not help
but think of Henry Ford's auto assembly lines.
After seeing this process, I decided to see how
many deputies were waiting in line. I walked
outside and saw an endless stream of headlights.
As far down the street as I could see, I saw
headlights from the vans trying to deliver their
ballots were waiting. It was incredible. I asked
a deputy I knew who was being processed as he
entered Shed B, how long he had been in line. He
told me he got in line at 10:09 p.m.; it was now
11:30 p.m.
The
operation began at 4 p.m. and didn't end until 2
a.m. By the end of the night, the vacant space
that appeared unfillable was packed with voted
ballots. I was astonished by the volume of voted
ballots received and by the number of deputies
required to collect the ballots. I heard that
every election, one-third to one-half of
registered voters turn out to vote. This year, I
saw the volume that number
represents. |
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(From left): Deputy C. Chan, Deputy
E. Melendez-Pineda, Deputy M.
Nguyen, Deputy A.
Gutierrez, Deputy A.
Garay, Deputy S. Cox,
and Deputy A.
Cleveland. |
Seven
deputies proudly graduated the 181st Basic
Academy Class of the Contra Costa County Office
of the Sheriff on October 28. The academy
consisted of a demanding six months of basic
police training, including vehicle operations,
firearms, defensive tactics, report writing,
chemical agent/gas, and scenarios. The academy
challenged the newest members of the Department
mentally, physically and emotionally. This
academy is known to be the most stressful within
the surrounding Bay Area counties, which prides
itself on producing peace officers capable of
performing at high levels even under stressful
conditions. These challenges made the seven
stronger and brought them together as a
team.
The
Academy Class participated in the annual "Cops
and Kids" community event and also assisted in
raising $5,000 for families of a fallen officer
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The
Department's newest deputies look forward to
using their academy training throughout their
careers and now know the special bond
shared between peace officers throughout the
state. They would also like to extend thanks to
Deputy Hugo Aparicio, who organized extra
defensive tactics, firearms, and a ride-along
training, which contributed to the success of
these recruits.
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Sheriff Vicki Hennessy pinned a badge
on Deputy
Cox. | |
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Sheriff's
Department Holds
Gender
Awareness Training
The
Sheriff's Department, in response to concerns
from the transgender, gender variant and
intersex (TGI) community, has implemented a
gender awareness training class for all sworn
officers. The course is focused on giving
personnel a better understanding of TGI people
and their needs.
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Transgender
flag |
The
four-hour course, which is certified by
the Board
of State and Community Corrections, was under
development for
the past 18 months. In
developing the class, the Sheriff's
Department received
input and resources from the Human Rights
Commission; Theresa Sparks, Mayor Ed Lee's
senior advisor on transgender initiatives;
representatives from the Transgender Law Center;
and San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)
Officer Broderick Elton, who is also an SFPD
instructor. Chief Deputy K. Gorwood, Lt. J.
Quanico and Lt. R. Winters took the information
provided and developed the curriculum. There
will be multiple instructors from the Sheriff's
Department teaching the class.
The
Sheriff's Department held its first class for
sworn officers September 23, 2016, at County
Jail 5 in San Bruno, and the course is now being
held twice weekly. All sworn officers will
attend the training, which delves into topics
such as legal and policy requirements,
definitions of the LGBTQI community, and
treating all with respect.
The
training was created to educate Sheriff's
Department personnel on gender awareness and how
to respect the changing norms of the LGBTQI
community. The goals of the training are to
facilitate and ensure a discrimination-free
environment; and provide for the specific
safety, security and medical needs of LGBTQI
inmates in a humane manner while maintaining the
safety, security and good order of all Sheriff's
Department facilities.
Some
policies covered in the training include
requiring personnel to address individuals with
names, titles, pronouns and other terms
appropriate to their identity. For instance, if
you're unsure about which pronoun to use,
respectfully ask the person for clarification.
Additionally, personnel must not use derogatory
remarks or make assumptions about a person's
sexual orientation based on that person's gender
expression or identity.
Earlier
this year, Sheriff Vicki Hennessy issued a
directive
- Searches of Transgender and Gender
Non-Conforming (GNC) Inmates - that also
included training bulletin GNC Community
Interaction on the topic of TGI inmates.
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Through COVER, Ron Perez
Continues
To Reach Out to Incarcerated
Vets
Ron
Perez, a program coordinator for the Community
of Veterans Engaged in Restoration (COVER), knew
early on that his calling in life would be to
aid people in need.
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Ron
Perez |
He
started as a case worker in 1975 for the
University Year for Action, a
special Peace Corps program operated in
conjunction with New College of
California. Perez was a student at the college
at that time,
working on a bachelor's degree in Humanities. As
part of the program, staff received $140 a
month, lunches and college credits. Perez's job
was to assist prisoners with entering drug
treatment programs to get their jail sentences
reduced. After University Year for Action, he
also worked for Community Employment Training
Act (CETA) as a temporary employee, then
obtained a rehabilitation position with the
Sheriff's Department.
"I took the civil service exam for
the rehab position, as did Mike Hennessey, who
later would serve as Sheriff from 1980 to 2012,"
he said. "Mike scored 100 percent on the exam. I
scored 98 percent, but with my five-point
veterans preference, my score rose to 103
percent, ranking me No. 1 on the list and Mike
at No. 2. He still razzes me about
that!"
Perez worked for the Department until
the late 1990s, when he retired. He later
started consulting and helped Sunny Schwartz
develop COVER in 2010. Schwartz was the program
administrator for COVER, and Perez joined on as
a coordinator. COVER, which is funded by the
Sheriff's Department, teams with the Veterans
Administration (VA) and other groups to provide
services to incarcerated veterans. They are
given access to treatment, housing and medical
care and helped with disability claims. Even
veterans with "bad papers" - less than honorary
discharges - can participate. COVER is based out
of County Jail #5 in San Bruno.
"COVER is the reason I came out of
retirement," he said. "The military has a creed
that says 'No man left behind,' and for me, this
creed extends to those who are
incarcerated."
Perez is a veteran as well. He was
drafted into the Army after he graduated high
school. He trained as a medical specialist, was
sent to Vietnam and attached to an infantry
unit, where he provided care to injured
soldiers. He received several awards during his
stint in the military, such as the Silver Star,
Purple Heart, Army Commendation with "V" Device
(denotes valor), and Combat Medic
Badge.
He said that during the Vietnam War
era, the VA didn't have programs to help
incarcerated veterans, and he's glad that has
changed. "When COVER was started, that was
during a time that the VA recognized that some
veterans get incarcerated and need services,"
Perez said.
COVER was created to help a growing
population of incarcerated veterans.
"Unfortunately, some veterans were going to come
in contact with the justice system," Perez said.
"We didn't want to make the same mistake that
had been made with Vietnam vets."
When COVER first started, it had a
full pod of 48 veterans - plus a waiting list.
Perez said by showing that there was a
significant population of veterans in jails,
community programs such as COVER were able to
push to get Veterans
Justice Court established in
2013. The Veterans Justice Court, a partnership
among the Sheriff's Department, Veterans
Administration, District
Attorney's Office, Public Defender's
Office, Department of Public
Health, Human Services
Agency, Adult Probation
Department, and the San Francisco Bar
Association and its defense
counsel, provides specialized support for
incarcerated veterans, such as housing, drug
treatment and employment.
With the Veterans Justice Court
working in tandem with COVER and other programs,
the recidivism rate for COVER veterans is at 7
percent. "We strongly encourage our veterans to
get in Veterans Court," he
said.
Other jurisdictions have taken notice
of COVER's success, as San Diego, Riverside and
other counties have replicated the
program.
To date, 250 veterans have gone
through the program to receive services and
resources. There are currently 20 veteran
inmates in the program and about 40 in Veterans
Justice Court. The COVER pod also houses some
non-veteran inmates who are older than
50.
Although the initial focus of COVER
was on male veterans, the program also assists
women. "We go down to County Jail 2 and do
intake, notify case managers that they're
veterans, and get them in Veterans Court," he
said. There are currently five female veterans
in the program.
Perez and COVER also work closely
with Swords to
Plowshares, which was started at
San Francisco State University by veterans as a
peer support group in the 1970s. Over the
decades, Swords to Plowshares has expanded to
doing jail outreach. Swords to Plowshares has
continued to grow and is nationally recognized
as a premier veterans' association. Swords to
Plowshares provides veterans with employment and
legal services, and has housing units for them
in San Francisco and Treasure
Island.
Perez has been connected to Swords to
Plowshares since 1975, when the first
incarcerated veterans' self-help program was
started. From there, he was recruited to join
its Board of Directors, and served as Board
president for a term. He remained on the board
until about 20 years ago, when he married a
Swords to Plowshares staff member and resigned
to avoid a conflict of interest.
Perez relishes his position with
COVER because it has given him the chance to
continue his work. "When I first retired,
I felt that we had not fully addressed
veterans," he said. "The role was incomplete. I
hadn't accomplished everything that I wanted to
at that time. With COVER, I've gotten to see
Veterans Court established. COVER works. I'm
ecstatic to be a part of COVER, to see the
impact it has on veterans, and to see veterans
reentering
society." |
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Attendees enjoyed the hospital's
anniversary
celebration. |
The
Sheriff's Department joined Mayor Ed Lee,
Supervisor Norman Yee and 300 members of the
community in celebrating Laguna Honda Hospital
and Rehabilitation Center's 150th anniversary on
October 15.
The
celebration included live music, food trucks,
hospital tours, visits to the farm on campus and
an appearance by the Cal men's basketball
team.
The
Sheriff's Department has staff stationed at the
hospital around the clock, including a sergeant,
three senior deputies, eight sworn staff and 13
cadets. In addition to maintaining security, the
Sheriff's Department is responsible for taking
incident reports on crimes that occur on campus,
responding to disturbances by residents,
visitors and staff, and enforcing traffic and
parking laws. The Sheriff's Department has been
managing security at the hospital since 2001,
and first assigned staff there in
2002.
Laguna
Honda opened in 1866 as an almshouse for the
poor. Today, it is a premier 780-bed
rehabilitation and skilled nursing hospital. San
Franciscans passed a bond in 1999 to rebuild
Laguna Honda. In 2010, it became the most modern
skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in the
country. Laguna Honda helps people recover from
strokes, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic
disorders, brain injuries, neurologic
conditions, amputations and other major
trauma.
"Laguna
Honda has been here through earthquakes, polio
epidemics, smallpox and AIDS, always responding
to the needs of the community," San Francisco
health director Barbara Garcia
said.
Laguna
Honda is part of the San Francisco Health
Network, the health care delivery system
operated by the San Francisco Department of
Public Health that also includes Zuckerberg San
Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center,
primary care clinics throughout the city,
specialty care, mental health and substance
abuse treatment
services. |
The Garden Project
Hosts
Pumpkin
Giveaways
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Pumpkins grown by the Garden
Project. |
Sheriff
Vicki Hennessy joined Garden Project staff and
San Francisco Police Department Captain Parea
for the annual pumpkin patch and community day
at Garfield Park on October 22. The 1,500
pumpkins were grown by the Garden Project at the
farm located at County Jail #5 in San Bruno.
Garden Project Earth Stewards, who are local
high school and college students, plant the
pumpkins in the late spring, and care for them
throughout the summer and early
fall.
In
other Garden Project events, Captain K. Paulson
greeted a visiting school group with pumpkins on
October 24. Additionally, in early October,
Captain J. Ramirez arranged for Religious
Services to distribute pumpkins to families
visiting County Jail #5. Since 1999, the Garden
Project, the Sheriff's Department and the San
Francisco Police Department have worked together
to distribute pumpkins to public school
children, nonprofits and at community
events. Cathrine Sneed founded the Garden
Project in
1992. |
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Sheriff Vicki Hennessy (right) led
the swearing-in of the latest class of cadets
and one counselor on October 28 in San
Francisco. Front row (from left): Cadet G. Nagy,
Cadet M. Hicks, Cadet A. Villalobos and Cadet D.
Williams. Second row (from left): Counselor
Dulay, Cadet H. Antoine, Cadet E. Rocha and
Cadet J. Tijerino. Back row (from left): Cadet
A. Escobar and Cadet R.
Prado. |
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Sheriff's Department
Team Competes
In Fleet Week
Softball Tournament
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Sheriff's
Department softball
team.
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The Sheriff's Department softball team
enjoyed a day of fun in the sun at the Seventh
Annual Fleet Week Softball Tournament on October
6 at Moscone Park in San Francisco. Despite a
seven-run rally by the Sheriff's Department in
the bottom of the seventh inning, the team lost
a close battle, 12-10, to the Olympic Club in
the winner's bracket.
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Sheriff's Department batter took a
swing. |
The Sheriff's Department, which
competed in the tournament previously, advanced
to the winner's bracket without having
to play a round-robin
game. The Olympic Club and the Salesian Boys'
and Girls' Club edged out the U.S. Navy and the
U.S. Marine Corps in early play. The Olympic
Club played East Bay champion U.S. Coast Guard
for the championship.
During the games, the Blue Angels
could be seen practicing their aerobatics over
the city.
Scoma's restaurant catered the lunch
and the owner, Cheryl Scoma, threw out the first
pitch to start the tournament. The Academy of
Art University's women's softball team also
played a one-inning exhibition game. The
highlight of the morning was watching military
men and women attempting to hit the fast pitches
thrown by the California Academy of Art
Institute's pitchers. A good time was had by all
sworn staff, military, civilians, family and
friends.
The Sheriff's Department team
consisted of Senior Deputy D. Daguman, Deputy J.
Chu, Deputy M. Vigil, Deputy J. Irving, Deputy
J. Mooney, Deputy C. Fung, Deputy C. Smith, Lt.
C. Krol, Deputy L. Chiu and Deputy E. Mixco.
Thanks to all the participants and Senior Deputy
Conway for organizing the team, and to the San
Francisco Parks and Recreation Department for
allowing the Sheriff's Department to practice
before the
tournament. |
Dog Handling Skills
Wow the Crowd at
'K-9 Heroes: Bark at
the Park' Event
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Sr.
Deputy S. O'Neill with his K-9,
Brixx.
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A
large crowd watched in amazement as participants
demonstrated their dog handling skills at "K-9
Heroes: Bark at the Park" on October 8 at Duboce
Park in San Francisco. Senior Deputy S. O'Neill
and his German Shepherd, Brixx, represented the
San Francisco Sheriff's Department at the
event.
Bark
at the Park was hosted by the Department of
Emergency Management and was held in conjunction
with Fleet Week. At the event, law enforcement
and animal service organizations put on
demonstrations with dogs. The event grew out of
the Department of Emergency Management handing
out packets to the public detailing how to care
for your dogs during an emergency, such as an
earthquake. That evolved into an event that
showcased dog handling skills.
The
dogs are trained in search and rescue, detection
and general assistance. Sr. Deputy O'Neill
presented an explosives detection demonstration
with Brixx while the U.S. Customs and Border
Patrol brought a beagle that did an agricultural
search demonstration, and the San Francisco
Police Department performed obedience with its
dog. In addition to the demonstration, Sr.
Deputy O'Neill also took questions from the
audience to explain what the dogs were doing. He
said he looks forward to this event every
year.
"I
enjoy it," Sr. Deputy O'Neill said. "I like
seeing other agencies come out and show what
they do. I also like showing the public what the
San Francisco Sheriff's Department can
do."
This
was the Sheriff's Department's fourth year
participating in the event. In addition to the
Sheriff's Department, there were 10 agencies and
organizations, including the Marine Corps,
California Highway Patrol, Canine Companions for
Independence, and Paws for Purple Hearts,
joining in the fun.
Master
of Ceremonies Donna Sachet emceed the event, to
the delight of the crowd.
The
Sheriff's Department has two canine handlers.
Each handler has one explosive detection K-9 and
one narcotics detection K-9.
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Special Response
Team Participates in
Urban Shield
Training Exercises
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Sheriff's
Department SRT team members (from left): Deputy
D. Basconcillo, Deputy K. Ng, Sgt. E. Luquin,
Sgt. J. Kuhns, Deputy N. Naranjo, Deputy M.
Gonzales, Deputy B. Mercado and Deputy J.
Gomez.
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The
San Francisco Sheriff's Department Special
Response Team (SRT) participated in the Urban
Shield regional training exercises September
9-12 at several Bay Area sites. Urban Shield,
hosted by the Alameda County Sheriff's
Department, is a unique event that gives
participating tactical teams a practical
opportunity to evaluate their level of emergency
preparedness and ability to perform during a
48-hour continuous operational period.
The
Sheriff's Department has participated in the
Urban Shield exercises since its inception in
2007.
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Participants responded to simulated active
shooter in a government
building. |
This
year, SRT members participated as a tactical
team, and the Emergency Services Unit operated
two sites with
different tactical scenarios
at the Civic Center Courthouse and the Public
Utilities Commission building. During the
training exercise, the team participated in 34
individual events ranging from search warrant
service to active shooter/immediate action
scenarios. Teams were transported to the
scenario sites located in five area commands
throughout the Bay Area. The SRT was confronted
with simulated IED/explosives, terrorist
attacks, mall shootings, barricaded subjects,
hostage rescue, waterborne interdiction and
dignitary protection, designed to test its
capabilities and decision-making. The team was
debriefed after each scenario with immediate
feedback from tactical evaluators from federal,
state and local agencies.
Thirty-six
teams from throughout California, and as far
away as
Las
Vegas and Mexico, competed in the exercises. The
SRT scored 1026 points at the event. The Alameda
County Sheriff's Department scored the most
points with 1112.
Our
participation has proven invaluable, leading to
challenging experiences for the team and an
increase in our operational
capabilities. |
Reentry Resources
Fair Attendees
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Sheriff
Vicki Hennessy (front row, center) with
providers at the Reentry Resources
Fair.
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The
second annual Reentry Resources Fair took place
August 8 at County Jail #2 in San Francisco.
About 150 inmates attended the event. The fair,
which was presented through a partnership
between the San Francisco Sheriff's
Department, Five Keys
Charter School and an array of
community-based organizations, is designed to
help inmates adjust to life after they are
released.
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A participant received information on
services at the event. |
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For
this special event, the Education Corridor at
County Jail #2 was converted into an expo center
with 45 community service providers in
attendance. These services included a wide range
of prerelease planning needs, such as Social
Security, MediCal, second chance banking
opportunities, transitional employment,
substance abuse treatment program, housing, and
educational programs. In addition, the
event included more than a dozen community-based
organizations specifically focusing on the
transgender community.
The
purpose of the event was to give inmates
exposure to available resources that they can
access after release; to offer participants an
opportunity to hone their interactive skills;
and to help them understand the importance of a
support system/network once
released.
From
the participant satisfaction surveys submitted
by community representatives and in-custody
participants, many responded that the
connections and links created at this event were
invaluable tools for the women and men to employ
while making a successful transition from
incarceration back to their families and
communities.
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Kudos
for Good Work!
The Sheriff's Department strives to provide
exemplary service to the communities we serve.
We'd like to recognize these deputies for jobs
well done.
Deputy G. Edwards and Deputy C.
Gatson
Deputies G. Edwards and C. Gatson received
a call for a mental health transport from
the Westside
Clinic on August 17 at 2:15 p.m. The
on-duty psychiatrist said the subject was a
danger to himself and was to be placed on a
72-hour psychiatric hold. The deputies were
attentive and compassionate in handling the
subject. An LVN from the clinic wrote an email
to the Sheriff's Department thanking the
deputies for their response, saying "It's good
to know that we can call on your department and
have any potentially volatile situation managed
in a professional and courteous way. It is
equally important to know that we can expect our
patients to be treated with dignity and
kindness, especially when they are at their
worst." Deputy D. Perez and Deputy C.
Yambao
Deputies D. Perez and C. Yambao assisted in
thwarting a possible child kidnapping attempt.
The deputies responded to a call on September
21, shortly after noon regarding a possible
kidnapping in progress at Fell and Gough
Streets. Once on the scene, they saw San Francisco Police
Department officers attempting to talk
to the suspect, who had a young child in tow.
The suspect suddenly took off running without
the child. Several police officers remained with
the child. The deputies first followed the
suspect by car, then chased him on foot. Deputy
Perez caught up with the suspect in a grassy
park near Octavia and Linden Streets, and helped
the San Francisco Police Department officers
detain the suspect. Deputy T. Tek
Deputies are responsible for keeping all
people safe. Sometimes it means preventing a
suicide. Other times it is appropriately
classifying and housing a prisoner to keep him
or her from harm. On October 26, Deputy T. Tek
recognized that an inmate he was transporting
was in distress and rapidly deteriorating. His
quick actions in escorting her to 2 South
Medical, the nearest medical facility, helped
save her. Medical staff stabilized the inmate
after several minutes and she was able to
breathe normally.
Lt. R. Winters
Lt. R. Winters saved the life of a man who
fell unconscious during a flight. Lt. Winters
was traveling to Phoenix for the Special
Olympics Conference when the man seated in front
of him passed out. The man was cold, pale and
nonresponsive, and Lt. Winters was unable to
detect a heartbeat. Another passenger helped Lt.
Winters lay the man on the floor, then Lt.
Winters used an automatic external defibrillator
on the man and began CPR. A nurse who was on
board the plane and the other passenger both
performed rescue breathing on the man while Lt.
Winters compressed his chest. The man then
regained consciousness and was
responsive. |
Marin Day School's Class Learns
About Community Service, Safety
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Deputy
N. Khalil (left) and Deputy V. Zambrana handed
out bags of goodies to the
children.
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The
Marin Day School's Seagull Class visited the
City Hall Security Unit in San Francisco on
September 12 to learn about community service
and public safety. Sr. Deputy J. Leonardini,
Deputy T. Lee, Deputy V. Zambrana, Cadet T.
Thomas and Cadet M. Travis hosted the
visit.
The
class of 3 year olds toured the Control Room to
view operations, and took turns using metal
detector wands for searches. The students were
also given coloring books and other assorted
goodies. |
Victim Impact Panels
Hosted
The San Francisco Sheriff's Department, in
collaboration with Mothers
Against Drunk Driving (MADD), hosted a
Victim Impact Panel on September 25. The event
is part of a six-month pilot program, which will
hold these panels from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
every second Saturday and fourth Sunday at the
Sheriff's Department Community Programs building
at 70 Oak Grove, San Francisco. The panels consist
of victims, survivors and
offenders
of drunk driving. During
these presentations, speakers tell their
stories, which are not designed to condemn or
shame, but to provide firsthand testimony of the
trauma that can be suffered as a result of drunk
driving.
Fourteen Sheriff Work Alternative
Program (SWAP) and Electronic Monitoring (EM)
participants attended the September 25 panel.
The panel presented a PowerPoint presentation
that covered topics such as basic driving under
the influence laws; misdemeanor versus felony
driving under the influence; detection of
impaired drivers; and commonly used drugs. Two
speakers also gave powerful and touching
lectures about how drunk driving has affected
their lives. One speaker was a driver who killed
two people while intoxicated. The second
speaker's father was killed by a drunk
driver.
SWAP participants assigned to work on
the days of the panels are required to attend.
One EM participant, who was involved in a DUI
that resulted in a death, also was selected to
attend the class.
As shown by the feedback from the
September 25 event, the panel made a strong
impression on the participants. Thirteen of 14
attendees stated that the presentations had a
positive impact on them. Twelve also said they
will change their behavior regarding drinking
and driving. Additionally, 10 said they will
share what they learned from the presentation
with others.
The Sheriff's Department is looking forward
to continuing this collaboration with
MADD. |
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Articles
About Children of
Incarcerated
Parents
The
San Francisco Chronicle published
two stories on the important issue of children
of incarcerated
parents.
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and
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