Organizational Structure

Divisions and Units

Administration | Animal Services | Civil Division | Custody | Field Operations | Support Services

Automation Services provides a variety of systems, services and support to the Sheriff’s Department and Animal Services as well as to the public and other criminal justice agencies in San Luis Obispo County. The Sheriff's Department has seen enormous advances in technology over the past five years. Automation Services has grown from supporting approximately 80 computers, 200 users and 4 major systems in 1997 to over 200 computers, 390 users and 12 major systems today.

Technology greatly enhances our efforts to quickly disseminate information to our deputies and detectives as well as to other law enforcement personnel to aid in crime prevention and criminal investigations. Notable systems in use by the Sheriff’s Department are:

· Livescan – electronically transmits fingerprints to the Department of Justice

· Picture Link and Cal-Photo, local and statewide photos databases for photo line-ups and subject identification

· CAD –Computer Aided Dispatch tracks calls for service in our Communications Center

· Megan’s Law - sexual offender database available to the public

· TRAK – Technology for Recovery of Abducted Kids is linked to allied agencies and the media to quickly disseminate information on missing persons

· AFIS – Automated Fingerprint Identification System linked to the FBI database

· CLETS –California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System hosted by the Sheriff's Department to provide inquiries to state and federal criminal databases

· Document Imaging system to electronically archive documents

· RMS – Records Management System to track incidents occurring in the unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County

· CivilServe – civil process case management system

· Computer forensics – service to analyze digital evidence in crimes

· PetWhere – Animal Services shelter management system tracks animals, licensing, complaints and rabies activity in the County

The Fiscal Services unit responds to the budgetary, financial, and fiscal needs and mandates of the Sheriff's Department. The unit provides accounting support, grant management, and staff studies for all divisions of the Sheriff's Department.

The Sheriff’s Department Civil Division is one of the oldest duties of the Sheriff of the County. The servicing of legal documents has grown to an average of 10,000 processes served each year.

Currently, the Civil Division is comprised of three full-time and one half-time office staff employees. Four Deputy Sheriffs are assigned to specific areas within San Luis Obispo County and are tasked with serving the vast array of documents through this County and within the cities.

· Summons and Complaints
· Summons and Petitions, Orders of Examination
· Prejudgment Claim of Right to Possession
· Earnings Withholding Wage Garnishments
· Levy Garnishment
· Till Tap
· Civil Subpoena Duces Tecum
· Evictions and Writs of Possession
· Keeper Levies
· Vehicle Levies
· Civil Bench Warrants

In addition to in-County services, the Civil Division will assist with service of documents outside the San Luis Obispo County and California, but within the United States. The Civil Division is also under exclusive contract to serve all documents for the San Luis Office of the California State Department of Child Support Services.

Questions and/or fee quotations should be directed to the Civil Division at (805) 781-5484.

Located between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay, the San Luis Obispo County Jail is a correctional facility operated by the Sheriff's Department. The primary function of the County Jail is to detain individuals under their supervision in a safe and secure environment that provides protection to the community. The jail serves all of San Luis Obispo County, and arrests are transported from city police departments, California Highway Patrol, and State Parks. Approximately 12,000 people are booked into the county jail each year for a variety of crimes ranging from alcohol related charges to murder. Inmates can serve up to one year in the County Jail, and are provided various programs to reduce criminal behavior, and to learn new job skills. Various educational and self-improvement programs, such as adult education, substance abuse prevention and computer training enhance the offender's reintegration into the community. Over the years as the inmate population has grown, the County Jail underwent several renovations. Various housing units, ranging from direct supervision units to dormitory settings can house up to 500 inmates. To keep the County Jail operational, it is staffed by highly trained correctional officers and other support staff who maintain a level of professionalism that provides superior service to the community.

This section is currently under construction.

The highly trained Correctional Officers who work the Court Services/Transportation detail, transport inmates from the County Jail to Court Holding for their court appearances. Court Holding is part of the Court House which is located at the corner of Santa Rosa and Palm Streets in San Luis Obispo. The Court Services/Transportation detail is made up of ten officers who are responsible for the health and welfare of the inmates and work closely with the Judges and court staff to ensure the legal needs of the inmates are met. The officers also transport inmates to medical and dental appointments, and from various State and local agencies.

The Court Holding facility is also used by inmates from the California Men's Colony, Atascadero State Hospital, and the California Youth Authority. Over the last year, 16, 094 inmates processed through Court Holding.

The Sheriff’s Patrol Division is responsible for the first line law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County. Deputies respond to calls for service, conduct proactive law enforcement activities, and perform initial investigations of crime. Patrol personnel are deployed from three stations throughout the county.

The Coast Station, located in Los Osos, is responsible for patrolling from Avila Beach to San Simeon and from the Las Padres mountain range to the Pacific Ocean. The North Station, located in Templeton, patrols from the Cuesta Grade to Camp Roberts and from the Las Padres mountains to the eastern county line. Located in Oceano, the South Patrol Station is responsible for patrolling all areas south of Avila Beach.

Patrol Headquarters is located near San Luis Obispo provides on-duty Watch Commanders and the 911/Communications Center.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department Detective Division is responsible for the investigation of criminal activity that occurs in the unincorporated county area and to investigate unusual and sudden deaths that occur anywhere within the County. Six criminal investigators assigned to the division conduct follow up investigations to criminal activity reported within the unincorporated county area. This includes all misdemeanor and felony crimes from vandalism to homicide. Two investigators are assigned to each of the three patrol areas of the county. These investigators follow up on crimes that require interviews, evidence collection or involve suspects who are out of the county. In addition to criminal investigations this unit also conducts follow up investigation for all missing persons reported to the Sheriff's Department, as well as spousal and elder abuse cases. This division has the responsibility to determine and document those responsible for criminal activity and prepare the cases for review by the District Attorney's Office for criminal filing.

High Tech Crime

The fight against High Tech Crime includes both the investigation of online criminal activity on the Internet and the field of computer forensics. Computer Forensics is the process of obtaining evidence from digital media (hard drives, CDs, DVDs, diskettes, etc.) that can be presented in a court of law.

The Sheriff’s Department has a dedicated computer forensics lab facility, and has trained personnel in both online crime investigations and computer forensics. The Department works closely with other allied agencies within the county to make these specialized capabilities available to their respective investigative units.

Rural Crimes Unit

The mission of the San Luis Obispo County Rural Crimes Unit is to enforce laws and provide investigative services related primarily to theft and property damage in the agriculture communities and rural industries. The Rural Crimes Unit provides current and up-to-date crime prevention techniques and strategies to the farmers and ranchers of San Luis Obispo County.

The Rural Crimes Unit has adopted a philosophy of community-oriented policing and is committed to working in partnerships with the agriculture and livestock industries in San Luis Obispo County. Together, we can reduce losses caused by criminal activity that creates a negative impact on the farmers’ and ranchers’ efforts to enhance the quality of life in San Luis Obispo County.

The Special Operations Unit (SOU) is responsible for selected enforcement activities throughout the County. Located near San Luis Obispo, the SOU is comprised of several mission specific operations.

Our Sheriff’s Narcotic Unit conducts comprehensive investigations and undercover operations to combat the illegal drug activities in the County. To investigate and discourage gang activity within the County, there is a multi-agency Gang Task Force. A Special Problems Unit operates to assist the patrol stations with community problem solving. With flexible schedules and a wide variety of resources, the Special Problems Unit focuses on crime problems which are difficult to address while working standard patrol area.

The Special Operations Unit also has assigned to it, a 6-year old black Labrador Retriever named Jake, along with his handler, Deputy A. Barger. Jake is trained to detect the odor of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, opium, and marijuana. Jake and Deputy Barger received 200 hours of formal narcotics detection and canine handling training at Master K-9 School for police canine teams in Cherry Valley, California. Jake receives on-going monthly training with Maryann Bohnett in Santa Maria, California.

Jake is a passive alert K-9, which means he sits down when he detects one of the drug odors he was trained to identify. Since being placed into service, Jake has found in excess of 7000 grams of cocaine, 5000 grams of methamphetamine, and 64000 grams of marijuana.

Jake is available for demonstrations. For further information contact Deputy Barger at (805)781-4516.

The Sheriff's Special Enforcement Detail is a group of Deputies and Sergeants under the command of the SED Commander who have the training and equipment to resolve a critical incident including but not limited to hostage situation, barricaded suspect, armed suicidal subject, crowd control and high risk warrant service.

The team was formed in the 1970s to deal with the civil unrest of the time. Call outs have included riots in Isla Vista , the Diablo Canyon Power plant protests and riots in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. The team has become an integral part of emergency response in San Luis Obispo County. The team averages 10-15 call-outs a year. The team currently trains 10 hours a month and deputies attend basic and advanced tactical courses though-out the state. The tactical equipment supplied to the team is state of the art including weapons, less lethal munitions, new equipment truck, trailer and an armored rescue vehicle.

The team has only been involved in one fatal incident since it's inception. Most critical incidents are resolved without the use of force through negotiations. The team is currently training with a focus on terrorism. Training has been conducted at several critical facilities in the county. The Special Enforcement Detail will continue to focus on providing the citizens of San Luis Obispo County one of the best trained, equipped, and motivated tactical teams in the state.

The San Luis Obispo County Bomb Task Force began responding to calls for service in 1982 and was a coordinated team approach with a thorough commitment from all law enforcement agencies within San Luis Obispo County. Funding resources currently come from the County, all incorporated cities, California State Polytechnic University, and Cuesta College. The Task Force is certified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and responds to all bomb related incidents within San Luis Obispo County and is currently under contract for responses to Monterey County.

Each of the four team members is an FBI trained and certified Bomb Technician, capable of rendering safe and disposing of improvised explosive devices, military ordnance, commercially manufactured explosives, and weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, biological, and chemical) . The Task Force can be contacted on a 24 hour - 7 day a week basis through the Sheriff’s Department Watch Commander at (805) 781-4553.

Support Services consists of three distinct service areas; Records and Warrants, Administrative Services and Human Resources. Each unit is responsible for specific functions dealing with the support and maintenance of the Sheriff’s Department.

Administrative Services deals with risk management assessment, handles workers compensation matters and processes employee involved vehicle accident and industrial injury reports. The Unit also has the responsibility over Property and Training.

· Members of the property unit are responsible for the safe and secure storage, record keeping and disposition of property and evidence submitted to them by the Sheriff’s Department and Narcotics Task Force. Property is stored for a variety of reasons including found, recovered, evidence, and safekeeping. Inquiries may be made at (805) 781-4533 to receive information about retrieving property.

· The Training Unit for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department develops and presents current, realistic training for sworn peace officers, correctional staff, and civilian employees to enhance work proficiency and professional skills. The Training Unit is responsible for training approximately 400 Sheriff’s Department and Animal Services employees.

Human Resources coordinates the recruitment and screening of applicants, which includes conducting background investigations. The unit has the responsibility of processing the required paperwork on all new hires and maintaining personnel files on over 400 active employees. The unit also maintains backgrounds, internal affairs, and separated employee files.

The Records and Warrants Unit processes and maintains San Luis Obispo County’s warrants and criminal records. Associated duties include the coordination of extraditions, registering sex/drug/arson/gang offenders, processing concealed weapons permit applications, validating documents for the Department of Justice, fingerprinting applicants, and responding to requests from allied agencies and members of the public relating to the release of crime reports.