The Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) is a law enforcement agency serving
Alameda County
Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...
, California. ACSO is accredited through the
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) is a credentialing authority (accreditation), based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredit public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, trai ...
(CALEA), the
American Correctional Association
The American Correctional Association (ACA; called the National Prison Association before 1954) is a private, non-profit, non-governmental trade association and accrediting body for the corrections industry, the oldest and largest such associati ...
(ACA),
National Commission on Correctional Health Care
The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the standard of care in the field of correctional health care in the United States. With support from the major national ...
(NCCHC) and the
California Medical Association
The California Medical Association (CMA) is a professional organization based in California that advocates on behalf of nearly 50,000 physicians in legislative, legal, regulatory, economic, and social issues. The organization was founded in 1856 ...
(CMA).
As of 2008, the ACSO has approximately 1500 positions, over 600 of which are sworn peace officers.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office is charged with:
* Providing security to the consolidated superior courts
* Operating the coroner's bureau
* Operating a full-service
crime laboratory
A crime laboratory, often shortened to crime lab, is a scientific laboratory, using primarily forensic science for the purpose of examining evidence from criminal cases.
Lab personnel
A typical crime lab has two sets of personnel:
*Field ana ...
* Operating a county jail and detention center
* Conducting a basic academy pursuant to Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) requirements
* Performing civil processes
* Operating the county office of emergency services
* Providing fish and game enforcement
* Operating a marine patrol unit in the San Francisco Bay waters
* Providing patrol and investigative services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County
* Pursuant to contractual agreements, providing patrol and investigative services to the city of Dublin, Peralta Community College District, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex, Oakland International Airport, Highland County Hospital, social services, and to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
The Sheriff-Coroner is an elected position currently filled by
Sheriff Gregory J. Ahern. The previous sheriff,
Charles Plummer
Charles Plummer, FBA (1851–1927) was an English historian and cleric, best known as the editor of Sir John Fortescue's ''The Governance of England'', and for coining the term "bastard feudalism". He was the fifth son of Matthew Plummer of St ...
, served from 1987 to 2007. Yesenia Sanchez was elected to be Sheriff for the term 2023-2027.
Detention facilities
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office operates two detention facilities.
Santa Rita Jail
Santa Rita Jail is a county jail located in Dublin, Alameda County, California, and operated by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. With a design capacity of 3489, Santa Rita is one of the largest prisons in the United States and larger than man ...
, located in
Dublin, California
Dublin (formerly, Dougherty, Alameda County, California, Amador and Dougherty's Station) is a suburban city of the East Bay in California. It is located within the Amador Valley of Alameda County, California, Alameda County's Tri-Valley region. ...
, is the primary facility that houses most people arrested or convicted of crimes in Alameda County. The Glenn Dyer Detention Facility, also known as the North County Jail, houses a smaller number of inmates and is located in
Downtown Oakland
Downtown Oakland is the central business district of Oakland, California, United States; roughly bounded by both the Oakland Estuary and Interstate 880 on the southwest, Interstate 980 on the northwest, Grand Avenue on the northeast, and Lake ...
. Some inmates before they go to
Santa Rita Jail
Santa Rita Jail is a county jail located in Dublin, Alameda County, California, and operated by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. With a design capacity of 3489, Santa Rita is one of the largest prisons in the United States and larger than man ...
they stay at
Eden Township Substation, located in
San Leandro, California
San Leandro (Spanish for " St. Leander") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; between Oakland to the northwest, and Ashland, Castro Valley, and Hayward to the sou ...
.
Training and exercises
![2011 12 12 WestCoast Port Shutdown Oakland (10012321936)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/2011_12_12_WestCoast_Port_Shutdown_Oakland_%2810012321936%29.jpg)
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office operates a police academy and training exercises for the greater law enforcement community in the Bay Area. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office holds an academy for other agencies too like the Stockton Police Department,
Hayward Police Department,
San Leandro Police Department, the
Alameda Police Department
An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan
**Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan
Chile
* Alameda (Santiag ...
etc...
Urban Shield
Developed by former Alameda County Assistant Sheriff James Baker, Urban Shield was a weapons expo and first response training exercise that began in 2007. The goals of the program were to prepare law enforcement tactical teams, including SWAT teams, to respond to crises and coordinate efforts between law enforcement, fire personnel and medical personnel. An additional purpose was to assess the policies, procedures, organization, equipment and training of attending personnel.
Hosted in the San Francisco Bay Area by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Urban Shield was the largest urban full scale readiness exercise in the United States. Police, fire,
HAZMAT
Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...
,
EMS and
EOD teams from all over the nation trained in multiple scenarios over a continuous 48-hour program. In the first year, scenarios included an active shooter on the
UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...
campus, an airplane hijacking, a maritime interdiction, and a 20-mile hike. Since 2012, the Bay Area UASI tests portions of the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program as part of the full scale readiness exercise, such as the regional mass fatality plan.
Urban Shield was primarily sponsored by the
Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
,
and receives additional support from the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative, which had a 2014-2016 budget of $6,358,300 from San Francisco City and County funds. $4,901,339 of this was allocated to “Enhance Homeland Security Exercise, Evaluation, and Training Programs,” including management, oversight, and support of the Urban Shield conference. Private corporations including Verizon Wireless, Motorola, Sig Sauer, and Uber
offer services and equipment in support of the event, and additional funding comes from private weapons manufacturers such as
Lenco and
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
.
In the past, these manufacturers served only the Pentagon, but have expanded sales to civilian police departments and SWAT teams in recent years.
![Alameda County Sheriff Ford CVPI -2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Alameda_County_Sheriff_Ford_CVPI_-2.jpg)
Numerous first responders from around the county and the world have participated in or observed Urban Shield. It has attracted international SWAT teams, including those from Singapore, South Korea, Israel, and Bahrain in 2014.
In 2010, 2011, and 2013 Israeli elite counter-terrorism unit
Yamam
The Yamam ( he, ימ"מ, an acronym for ''Centralized Special Unit'' , ''Yeḥida Merkazit Meyuḥedet''), also called in Hebrew and Israel's National Counter Terror Unit (I.N.C.T.U.) in English, is Israel's national counter-terrorism unit, ...
won the exercise, breaking and setting records. Boston police commissioner Edward F. Davis credited Urban Shield with helping prepare the Boston Police Department for their response to the Boston Marathon bombing.
Opposition and end to Urban Shield
There have been protests against Urban Shield prior to and during the event every year since 2013.
In 2013, the Urban Shield training program was controversially held on the second anniversary of the removal of Occupy Oakland from
Frank Ogawa Plaza
Frank H. Ogawa Plaza is a public square located in Downtown Oakland.
Location and elements
Occupy Oakland Nov 12 2011 PM 29.jpg
Frank H. Ogawa Plaza is located where San Pablo Avenue converges with Broadway and 14th Street. The west side of t ...
. Community activists such as the Stop Urban Shield Coalition recognize Urban Shield as part of a trend of global
militarization
Militarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state. The process of milit ...
and escalated police intervention on civilians.
Activists also had concerns about Urban Shield expanding
direct militarization through increased weaponization, given that Urban Shield included a major arms expo where vendors market advanced, military-grade technology to the SWAT teams and police departments in attendance. In 2014, activist pressure over Urban Shield led to Mayor
Jean Quan
Lai Jean Quan (born October 21, 1949) is an American politician that served as the 49th mayor of Oakland, California from 2011 to 2015. She previously served as City Council member for Oakland's 4th District. Upon inauguration on January 3, 201 ...
's announcement that Oakland will not host the military weapons expo in 2015, marking the first such move since Urban Shield started in 2007.
The following year, the 2016 Urban Shield conference was held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA and was also opposed by protestors, 20 of whom were arrested for trespassing and obstruction. Protesters expressed that the technology showcased at Urban Shield promotes
police surveillance and control that specifically targets poor people and people of color. The demonstration included performances and speeches to resist the repression.
Notable controversies of Urban Shield included:
* A "Black Rifles Matter" t-shirt sold at the weapons expo, as a satirical denigration of the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
movement.
*
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration tha ...
teams participating in the exercises, despite Alameda County being a
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
county.
* The Alameda County Sheriff's Office hosting the far-right
Oath Keepers
Oath Keepers is an American far-right anti-government militia whose leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the government of the United States, including the transfer of Presidential power as prescribed by the US Constitution. ...
militia at Urban Shield 2017.
* An Urban Shield weapons expo vendor referring to Arab, Muslim, and social justice organizations as "terrorists."
* The use of props depicting enemies in training scenarios as Muslims, African-Americans, and other darker-skinned minorities.
In 2018, the Stop Urban Shield Coalition and community organizations successfully pressured the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to put an end to the program. In 2019, the Board of Supervisors reaffirmed their decision to end the program, and Urban Shield was defunded.
Crime laboratory
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office operates a crime laboratory that is accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. The crime lab, located at the Eden Township substation, receives and analyzes evidence from law enforcement agencies throughout Alameda County. The crime lab has capabilities in controlled substance analysis, latent fingerprint recovery, ballistics, tool mark identification, and DNA extraction and analysis. Crime lab staff can also serve as crime scene investigators upon request by law enforcement agencies in the county.
Coroner's bureau
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office operates the coroner's bureau in East Oakland. Coroner's pathologists, deputy sheriffs, forensic death investigators, and sheriff's technicians assist law enforcement agencies to determine the cause and manner of death of persons in Alameda County. Additional duties include notifying next of kin, and when needed, the seizure and protection of decedents' assets. In special circumstances the ACSO decides when to refer cases to the public administrator, such as when next of kin cannot be located.
Topics of controversy
In early 2013, Ahern was one of the first law enforcement officers in California to propose purchasing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Opponents petitioned the purchase, and formed the organization Alameda County Against Drones (ACAD). The ACAD gained nationwide attention resulting in the board of supervisors failing to approve the purchase.
With the June 2014 election, a group called "Elections for the People" expressed concern that for many decades the position of sheriff, while elected, has not been a contested election. The current sheriff, Gregory Ahern, was selected by the prior sheriff, Charles Plummer, and has run twice, unopposed. The 2012 salary for the sheriff of Alameda was over $547,000; this included a base salary of $267,871 and other benefits and payments.
On November 12, 2015, 29-year-old carjacking suspect Stanislav Petrov was pushed to the ground and beaten with batons by two Alameda County Sheriff's deputies, in an alley in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. The beating was recorded on film. On May 10, 2016, the two deputies were charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery and assault under color of authority. On April 27, 2017, Petrov's attorney confirmed a $5.5 million settlement payment, $1M of which was paid by Alameda county, the rest by an insurer. The criminal case is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On June 13, 2019, at the
Oracle Arena
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, there was a 20-second incident
between 20-year veteran Alameda County Sheriff deputy Alan Strickland
and the president of the winning Canadian team, the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
,
Masai Ujiri
Masai Ujiri (born 7 July 1970) is a British-born, Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball executive and former player and is the president of basketball operations of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
After a m ...
, seconds after the Raptors had dethroned the
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
-based two-time defending NBA champion
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
as
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) champions winning the
2019 NBA Finals
The 2019 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2018–19 NBA season, 2018–19 season and conclusion of the 2019 NBA playoffs, season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoff series held ...
. Ujiri was heading towards the Raptor's postgame victory celebration on the court seconds after watching the Raptor's "historic win" on a tunnel video when the Alameda County Sheriff deputy attempted to stop him
to
ask for credentials.
Ujiri, who is 6' 4", allegedly made physical contact with the deputy while holding his NBA lanyard pass in his right hand.
According to ''The Globe and Mail'' ACSO's Sgt. Ray Kelly confirmed that while Ujiri did produce ID to the deputy, the red placard he presented did not permit court access. Sgt. Kelly said that Ujiri held up his credentials in the deputy's face in an "aggressive" manner and since it was not the specific "purple badge and gold arm band" that were the required on-court credentials, the deputy made physical contact with Ujiri to block his access.
Sgt. Kelly confirmed that the deputy "forcefully push
d and that Ujiri responded by pushing the deputy twice as hard.
According to Sgt Kelly, "during that shove
jiri
Jiri ( ne, जिरी) is a municipality in Dolakha District in the Bagmati Province of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 13,638 people..
Jiri, which lies about 190 kilometers from Kathmandu, is the m ...
s arm struck our deputy in the side of the head" resulting in a concussion.
In the seconds that followed, bystanders illegally and forcefully restrained the deputy while Ujiri, now a fugitive, got onto the court.
According to the witnesses interviewed by the ''Globe'', the deputy remained in place for ten minutes after the altercation.
The
Oakland Police Department
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is a law enforcement agency responsible for policing the city of Oakland, California, United States. As of May 2021, the department employed 709 sworn officers and 371 civilian employees. The department is div ...
and the ACSO are investigating and reviewing video footage from the arena and preparing a report for the District Attorney. Sgt. Kelly said that the deputy's body cam was "switched off the instant Mr. Ujiri made contact."
The Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley will decide whether a misdemeanor battery on an officer charge—which is a criminal charge—will be laid against Ujiri as recommended by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. The matter was subsequently resolved in October 2019
Rank structure
History
![Memorial alameda county police lone tree cemetery fairview](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Memorial_alameda_county_police_lone_tree_cemetery_fairview.jpg)
During the
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement (FSM) was a massive, long-lasting student protest which took place during the 1964–65 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The Movement was informally under the central leadership of B ...
riots of the 1960s, the Alameda County sheriff deployed several squads of deputies. Clad in light blue jumpsuits, they quickly became known by anti-government protesters as the "Blue Meanies".
In November 2010, October and November 2011, and January 2012, Alameda County sheriff's deputies were requested by the Oakland Police Department and supplied by the sheriff to assist at protests.
San Francisco Chronicle, June 24th, 2013
Sheriffs
*
Andrew H. Broder
Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...
(25 March 1853 – 7 November 1858), first sheriff
*
Peter E. Edmundson
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
(7 November 1858 – 7 November 1861)
*
Joseph Addison "J.A." Mayhew (7 November 1861- 2 Sep 1863)
*
Harry Nicholson Morse (2 September 1863 – 7 November 1878)
*
Jeremiah Tyrrel
Jeremiah, Modern: , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning "Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish ...
(7 November 1878 – 7 November 1882)
*
Charles McCleverty (7 November 1882- 7 November 1893)
*
Robert McKilcain
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
(7 November 1893 – 7 November 1896)
*
Clifford B. White (7 November 1896 – 7 November 1898)
*
Samual B. Allen (7 November 1898 – 7 November 1900)
*
Oscar S. Rogers (7 November 1900 – 7 November 1902)
*
John N. Bishop
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
(7 November 1902 – 27 February 1905), died in Office
*
Frank Thomas Barnet
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Cu ...
(27 February 1905 – 7 November 1926)
*
Burton Becker Burton F. Becker was the police chief of Piedmont, California in the early 20th century and Kailiff of Ku Klux Klan No. 9 in Oakland, California.Cray, Ed, ''Chief justice: a biography of Earl Warren'', New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997. pp 52–5 ...
(7 November 1926 – 7 November 1930)
*
Michael B. Driver Michael Branner Driver (1868–1942) was Mayor of Berkeley, California from 1927 to 1930, and Sheriff of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Alameda County, from 1930 to 1939. He resigned as Mayor of Berkeley when he was appointed Sheriff, replaci ...
(7 November 1930 – 28 November 1940)
*
Howard Gleason
Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
(28 November 1940 – 7 November 1963)
*
Frank Madigan
Frank Madigan (1908–1979) was sheriff the Alameda County Sheriff's Office in Alameda County, California from 1963 to 1975. Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr. served under him during the Berkeley, CA protests. Sheriff Madigan had the Alameda County S ...
(7 November 1963 – 7 November 1974)
*
Thomas Lafayette Houchins Jr. (7 November 1974 – 7 November 1978)
*
Glen Dyer (7 November 1978 – 7 November 1986)
*
Charles Plummer
Charles Plummer, FBA (1851–1927) was an English historian and cleric, best known as the editor of Sir John Fortescue's ''The Governance of England'', and for coining the term "bastard feudalism". He was the fifth son of Matthew Plummer of St ...
(7 November 1986 – 6 June 2006)
*
Gregory J. Ahern
Gregory J. Ahern (b. ) was the 22nd Sheriff of Alameda County, California, serving for four terms between 2007 and 2023, losing re-election in 2022 by 21.6% .
Early life
Ahern graduated from Moreau Catholic High School. He earned a Bachelor ...
(6 June 2006 – present)
Other law enforcement agencies
Most of the cities within the county have their own police forces, including the Alameda Police Department, the
Berkeley Police Department
The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department for the city of Berkeley, California, USA.
History
Shortly after Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, a town marshal and constables were elected to provide law enforcement ...
, the
Oakland Police Department
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is a law enforcement agency responsible for policing the city of Oakland, California, United States. As of May 2021, the department employed 709 sworn officers and 371 civilian employees. The department is div ...
, the San Leandro Police Department, the Hayward Police Department and the Fremont Police Department. The municipal police departments provide routine law enforcement services for those cities, with the ACSO providing corresponding services for unincorporated regions of Alameda County and the city of
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
.
See also
*
List of law enforcement agencies in California
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in California, including local (city), county, and statewide agencies. Historic agencies are included.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 ''Census of State and Local Law Enforcem ...
References
* Sheriffs from 1853 to 1883 - "History of Alameda County", M.W. Wood, 1883.
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Government of Alameda County, California
Sheriffs' departments of California
Law enforcement in the San Francisco Bay Area