Allen has received endorsements fromReverend Jeff Moore, former president of the Silicon Valley NAACP, and several retired sheriff employees. I was at the sheriff forum and only one candidate said she would uphold the US Constitution. NBC Bay Area called or emailed each of the four defendants in the case Friday, but so far, only Jensen's attorney has responded. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Attorney Harpaul Nahal, left, is photographed outside of the San Jose Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Nahal was arraigned on conspiracy and bribery charges involving concealed weapon permits in Santa Clara County. Capt. And its not because I can give them any promotions or instantly solve their problemsits because Ive earned their trust over a long period of time.. Christian West, AS Solutions CEO at the time of the alleged scheme, was charged separately on two felony conspiracy counts. We have seen such words used when the City Council has voted. Im the candidate that brings the fresh perspective and greatest opportunity for change.. 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.. He touts his experience working as a correctional officer at Elmwood Correctional Facility, starting in the mid-1980s. 2007-03-13 12:18:00 PDT SAN JOSE -- Santa Clara County sheriff's investigators expect to go to prosecutors this week with their case against De Anza College baseball players suspected of having . He said its important to increase the offices transparency. Allen, 51, has mostly worked in the jail system. 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. Colton is a latecomer to the race, having filed her nomination papers in March. Nielsen testified at a grand jury hearing July 21 that he and West met with sheriff officials and discussed offering donations and other payments with the hopes of getting bulk CCW applications approved. A look at the best video roundup of snow falling across California, Has CA hit the all-time state snow record? No other candidate mentioned the Constitution. He is unlikely to be any better than the current Sherriff. They should not be for sale.". Ex-Jail Captain Sues Santa Clara Co. Sheriff's Office for Alleged I am a mom, wife, a veteran, LGBTQ+ ally and I understand the diversity of Santa Clara County, Nagaye said. public and her constituents and say what's going on. 5:45 p.m. Lake County sheriff declares a local emergency due to snow. In 2020, Luis was selected as the Acting Captain of the Special Operations Division and officially became fulltime Captain of this same division in September of 2021. August 7, 2020 / 11:34 AM Nielsens cooperation with the DA was affirmed in the grand jury transcripts, in which he testified that he understood he was still subject to potential misdemeanor charges even if he helped the prosecution. "I know they used a lot of that money on social media, slamming me," he said. Though Wasserman is mentioned in the Aug. 6 indictment of Jensen, Schumb, Nahal and Nichols, he too has not been charged. Thankfully, SJS usually gives the names of those who voted against a proposal. Capt. Headquarters Patrol - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara "You don't even need to live in the county, which is required by law.". Kevin Jensen, a retired captain with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, is running to replace Laurie Smith. He got his start in the West Valley working as a patrol deputy and detective before he was assigned as the investigator for the county councils office. Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung Indicted; New Indictment For His command experience includes serving as the assistant director of the protective services department at Valley Medical Center, the assistant division commander of the investigations division and the division commander of the court security division. "People have often said the only way to obtain a permit in Santa Clara County is to make a donation to the sheriff's office.". We are not done.". 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. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. To do it right you have to first know what is the requirement of the job then figure out if the candidates understand those requirements. "On August 7, 2020, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office publicly announced that Captain James Jensen has been formally charged with felony bribery, conspiracy and falsifying public documents by a Grand Jury.". So he is also a liar. Urena will oversee a division that serves the communities of Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills and unincorporated areas of the county, bringing 14 years of experience into the role. That is the County Sheriffs ultimate job duty. Laurie Smith - Wikipedia A gun parts manufacturer and two South Bay lawyers were the other three individuals named in the indictment. Santa Clara Co. sheriff's captain among 4 indicted on conspiracy charges The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Custody Division is the fifth largest jail system in California, and among the 20 largest systems in the United States. The conflict is so real and so grave that fair treatment of Schumb is unlikely unless the district attorneys office is disqualified, Wall wrote in the motion. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. San Jos Spotlight is the citys first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Jonsen or Jensen: Who will be Santa Clara County's new sheriff? Five candidates are jockeying for Smiths seat. Santa Clara County Sheriff Race - NBC Bay Area Allowing her team to continually bully and brutalize mentally challenged inmates is disgusting. Donors accounted for fewer than 4% of all CCW applicants over that time period, but constituted about 35% of those awarded permits, according to the records. If convicted, all four defendants could face prison time. Prosecutors expected to get alleged De Anza rape case Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department - Yelp This DAs office has successfully prosecuted elected officials, correctional officers, sheriffs deputies, police officers, attorneys, business owners and other prominent residents, Rosen said in a statement to this news organization Monday. Nagaye, 51, has served in the Sheriffs Office for 20 years, with the last seven as a supervising sergeant. This is the organizations third time endorsing an opponent of incumbent Laurie Smith, who has served as head of the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office since 1998. I worked with S. Allen at Elmwood (I am nurse). San Jos Spotlight was unable to find record of Colton serving in law enforcement. Sheriffs Capt. Capt. Neil Valenzuela takes over Sheriff's West Valley Patrol Division A Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain, a gun parts manufacturer, and two local lawyers - one a prominent political backer - have been indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy . Shes concerned about declining morale in the office,notingstaffing levels are lowwhich means many employees work mandatory overtime, separating them from their families. Election 2022: The race for Santa Clara County sheriff The department also said it's monitoring the situation and has no additional information to provide at this time. The sheriff's race: What they'd do if elected | News | Palo Alto Online SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith has been found guilty on all six corruption and misconduct counts in her civil corruption trial. 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. Civil/Warrants - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara To address the offices transparency, Nagaye said she would provide the Board of Supervisors and Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring with all materials that have been requested. The Deputy Sheriffs' Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. Besides sketching out the donation-for-permits plan, he surreptitiously recorded a conversation with Jensen using a DA-provided phone app, at a meeting just days before the corruption probe became public knowledge when search warrants were served at the sheriffs office. 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. An experienced set of fresh eyes is going to help pave the way toward putting an appropriate spotlight on transparency, and building trust within the community, Elder said. Rich Urena, who will head the Sheriffs Offices Detective Division. He wants to dismantle the system of nepotism that he claims took root in the Sheriffs Office during Smiths tenure. Rosen noted that any average member of the public applying for a CCW license in accordance with the instructions on the Sheriff's Office website would not have their application reviewed. Investigative Services - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I havent been provided any evidence at this point, but broadly speaking I believe that all of the folks involved were legally able to obtain the permits. Nagaye opposes the creation of a new jail, although she does support the creation of a new mental health facility to better meet the needs of mentally ill inmates. Urena has also served as a field training officer, recruit training officer, detective in the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team, a sergeant in the West Valley detective division, as a tactical flight observer aboard the sheriffs office helicopter, STAR 1, and as a mentor and leader to deputies. The $45,000 personal check, which Nielsen gave to Schumb -- the PSA's assistant treasurer -- represented more than half of the funds raised by the organization prior to the election that year. In addition to bribery, the indictment charges Jensen with conspiring with AS Solution employees to put false information in their CCW license applications. Three other AS Solution security employees at the time who got permits Leonard Lawrence, Rachael Paskvan and Jonathan Taunton were also described as listing home addresses or non-AS employers on their applications, and have not been charged. Election 2022 candidates for Santa Clara County Sheriff: retired Palo Alto police chief Bob Jonsen (left) and retired sheriff's captain Kevin Jensen. Take a look at more stories and videos by the ABC7 News I-Team. Long, who created a blog to document the CCW process in Santa Clara County, said he was unsurprised by the indictments. West Valley: Rich Urena is new captain of, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early, West Valley: Rich Urena is new captain of sheriff offices West Valley division. "I know a definitive link to Sheriff Smith has not been established based on these indictments, but I'm interested to see how things develop as this investigation continues into the future," said Chris Long, who applied for a CCW permit in 2019, but was denied after months of waiting. Jensen said hes concerned about the large number of mentally ill inmates in the jail system, butbelieves those with violent offenses need to be incarcerated. We also levy on wages, bank accounts, vehicles or any asset of the judgment debtor. They could spend time in prison if they are convicted. 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.. Essentially, just be out there for the community to ask us questions and get suggestions from the community about where the problems are, he added. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The associations members voted overwhelmingly to support endorsing him.. The second half of the agreed-upon donation amount wasstymied by the DA investigation, authorities said. Ex-CEO pleads guilty in Santa Clara County gun-permit case There has been a changing of the guard at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office West Valley Division. Look at all the officers that left for other agencies under his tenure. 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. Rick Sung as commander of the patrol division. Kevin Jensen said Tuesday that it was "humbling" that two unions want him to run against Sheriff Laurie . 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. 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. Capt. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Capt. The new sheriff of San Mateo County, Christina Corpus, has been assembling a command staff that includes a former Realtor who has little law enforcement experience, though he has volunteered with the Woodside Mounted Patrol. My intent is to change not only whats happening at the top of the organization, but some of whos at the top of the organization, Allen told San Jos Spotlight. she can't talk freely, then she needs to step down," Hirokawa said. Sheriff spokesman Sgt. Neil Valenzuela takes over Sheriffs West Valley Patrol Division, 2 brothers found guilty of murdering groom at California wedding party, With Californias soaring mountains steep in snow, heres how to avoid an avalanche, Southern California mountain residents head home, for many its the first time in days, Oakland police investigating spate of shootings that left one dead, five wounded, Woman found fatally shot on I-580 off-ramp. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Captain Among 4 Indicted In DA's Jonsen, 59, spent the last four years working as police chief in Palo Alto. In a statement, the sheriff's office said Jensen will be placed on administrative leave immediately. Sheriff of Santa Clara County, California. Capt. The ABC7 News I-Team asked Le to provide a comment but she declined. 1:45 p.m. Oakland police investigating spate of shootings that left one dead, five wounded All Rights Reserved. "This investigation revealed the sad reality that at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office there are 2 policies for those seeking CCW licenses. James Jensen, Christopher Schumb, Harpaul Nahal and Michael Nichols were indicted in the alleged pay-to-play plot, in which they are accused of brokering a deal for the executive security firm AS Solution to receive up to a dozen concealed-carry weapon permits in exchange for $90,000 in campaign donations to committees supporting Smiths 2018 re-election bid. Nagayes major endorsement is from the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, and she says she has strong support among deputies and residents. Sources have told this news organization that Nielsen a central figure in the scheme, who wrote the $45,000 check that touched off the investigation after Smith was re-elected in 2018 cooperated with investigators early on. Saratoga hosts LAW-tes and Coffee with a Cop events to keep the community engaged with the Sheriffs Office, Valenzuela said. Capt. . Monday through Friday through 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Star witness testifies at California sheriff's civil trial Jensen has also received endorsements from retired county supervisor Blanca Alvarado, Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley, Milpitas Mayor Rich Tran and former sheriff Robert Winter. NIchols owns a company called The Gun Co., which manufactures firearms parts. The state attorney general is investigating possible civil rights violations in the jail system, and Smith is fighting a political corruption accusation brought by a civil grand jury that claims she granted concealed firearm licenses to political supporters. In a statement, attorney Harry S. Stern said: "James is devastated by this development. But the sheriff position is not just any typical management job. The public information officers sergeants Richard Glennon, Reginald Cooks and Michael Low also testified that Jensen was still heavily involved in shepherding the CCW application process despite being promoted out of the PIO office, in a rapid ascendance from sergeant to lieutenant and then captain in just a few years. 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 spent the bulk of his career27 yearsin the LA County Sheriffs Department, retiring as captain of Lancaster Station. "If she's doing something that's unfair and unjust, she owes it to this community to step down," said Moore. He previously served as a board member of the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association and is founder of Lodge 65 of the Fraternal Order of Police in California. / CBS San Francisco. Santa Clara County Salaries - Sheriff's Correctional Captain Highest salary at Santa Clara County in year 2021 was $472,633. The remaining four defendants, who were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges, put off entering pleas until Sept. 21. "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. Urena was promoted to the position Aug. 1. Jonsen said the county should offer more skill-based programs in the jails for inmates so they can find employment upon release. The transcripts also contain testimony from three former and current sheriffs public information officers outlining a haphazard process with inconsistent criteria on who got the rarely-issued weapons permits. Former Santa Clara Co. Sheriff Laurie Smith found guilty on all 6 Luis later supervised the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team working regional investigations with local, county, state and federal public safety partners.