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Local News | Then I suggest you educate other voters so more people are aware. He was promoted to captain and was assigned to Stanford University before requesting to come back to Saratoga and serve as the division commander. A look at the best video roundup of snow falling across California, Has CA hit the all-time state snow record? Transcripts show the county supervisor blamed a chronically bad memory for his inability to recall whether he fulfilled the proficiency requirements. 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. SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced Friday that four people -- including a Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain -- have been indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy charges in a scheme tied to Sheriff Laurie Smith's reelection campaign. 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 may be contacted at 408-868-6612 or email at email Rich Urena. Rosen reiterated Monday that his offices investigation is still active, but declined to comment on whether prosecutors are any closer to implicating the sheriff. San Jos Spotlight is the citys first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. In the 20 years that Neil Valenzuela has worked for the Sheriffs Office, he keeps coming back to Saratoga. 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. "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. I was at the sheriff forum and only one candidate said she would uphold the US Constitution. He supports the Board of Supervisors decision to build a new 500-person jail, and he favors adding more mental health resources for inmates. Election 2022 candidates for Santa Clara County Sheriff: retired Palo Alto police chief Bob Jonsen (left) and retired sheriff's captain Kevin Jensen. 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.. The Civil Warrants Division serves Civil process in the manner prescribed by law. In addition to bribery, the indictment accuses Jensen of conspiring with AS Solution employees to put false information in their CCW license applications. My resolutions are not something Im just sayingits something Ive been doing my entire career.. Hes worked in every area of sheriffs office jurisdiction. 2 brothers found guilty of murdering groom at California wedding party In a surprise turn, West used the defendants Monday arraignment to plead guilty. 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). (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen is photographed outside of the San Jose Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group). 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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. Sean Allen. Smiths office granted concealed gun permits to 22 of those 28 applicants, an approval rate of about 79%. Kristi Myllenbeck covers all things Cupertino, from crime and breaking news to education and development. Le has been one of the most well-paid Santa Clara County employees for years. Allen also wants to address the homophobia and racial inequitieshe sees in the office. Shes concerned about declining morale in the office,notingstaffing levels are lowwhich means many employees work mandatory overtime, separating them from their families. Sheriff spokesman Sgt. San Jos Spotlight is a project of the San Jos News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. 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. "I think as an elected official, she needs to come forward and tell the Amy Le, who led the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers' Association (CPOA) and went to bat for Sheriff Laurie Smith in her last election, was served a letter charging her with wrongdoing, stripped of her badge and escorted off the job Friday. Whats next for the former Frys HQ in San Jose? Rich Urena, who will head the Sheriff's. Jensen later instructed AS Solutions Inc. to have their executive protection agents falsify the names of their employer on their CCW applications, and for those agents living outside the county, to falsify their addresses as well, according to the indictment. 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. Rosen said the office has been cleared of any conflict by the state Office of the Attorney General, which will represent the DAs office in the motion hearing. The culture of management can no longer be one of fear and intimidation.. Ricardo Rich Urena has been tapped to replace Capt. And Captain Jenson will even wave the mandated gun testing at a gun range," said Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen. So he is also a liar. Per a plea agreement, his charges will be downgraded to misdemeanors and a maximum 18-month jail sentence in exchange for his cooperation with the district attorney. When I got my prints taken here, it was my third fingerprinting in probably ten months, as all my jobs involve(d) either working with minors or with school districts that serve minors. Comments are moderated and approved by administrators. "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 has picked up support from the main unions serving jail employees: the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office issued the following comment to ABC7 News. We know hes the best candidate to address these issues (in the office).. Sheriff Bob Jonsen has been in law enforcement since 1986. In a lawsuit filed Nov. 13 in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Amy Le says the Sheriff's Office effectively forced her to resign in retaliation for alerting higher-ups about a female lieutenant's sexual harassment complaint against a high-ranking officer. Kevin Jensen, who announced his run for sheriff last September.The association's members voted overwhelmingly to support endorsing him. We also levy on wages, bank accounts, vehicles or any asset of the judgment debtor. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office named Valenzuela the new commander of the West Valley Patrol Division last month. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He replaces Capt. Prosecutors allege that Nielsen and West were connected to Jensen by Schumb, Nahal and Nichols to get $90,000 split between the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance whose assistant treasurer was Schumb, a veteran South Bay litigator and the Sheriffs Advisory Board. 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. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. In a statement, attorney Harry S. Stern said: "James is devastated by this development. He is unlikely to be any better than the current Sherriff. The next sheriff will havesignificant challenges, including the ongoing warehousing of mentally ill inmates in the jail system, increased political scrutiny of the Sheriffs Office and the constructionof a new jail. Thats why his chances a slim. He said its important to increase the offices transparency. Jensen has also received endorsements from retired county supervisor Blanca Alvarado, Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley, Milpitas Mayor Rich Tran and former sheriff Robert Winter. it's safer than driving," said Marin County Fire Captain Matt Watson. Hirokawa said Jensen's quick rise to captain after Smith's re-election raised eyebrows in the office at the time. Local News | The ABC7 News I-Team asked Le to provide a comment but she declined. A grand jury has indicted Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung and added an additional indictment against a captain linked to a concealed weapons permit scandal that has rocked the Sheriff's . "I'm feeling very hopeful and optimistic, cautiously. "It's very unusual for a captain to be walked off in that manner for a project that wasn't for personal gain, on jail property. 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. When asked if Jensen was acting on his own or working with Sheriff Smith, Rosen said that because the investigation was ongoing, it was not appropriate for him to comment on the possible roles of other individuals. Known for. Hes also interested in growing the jails mental health resources by potentially enlisting interns and clinicians in training from local universities. Im the only candidate who has experience from a large sheriff organization as well as municipalities, and that diversity will serve me well, Jonsen told San Jos Spotlight, adding that his great-great uncle served as sheriff in Santa Clara County in 1870. "And it's very clear that that's not the case under Sheriff Smith and her office. / CBS San Francisco. Here's where we stand, Armed carjacking suspect leads police on dangerous chase. He served various roles for the next three decades, including as an assistant chief in the department of corrections and as jail administration commander. 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. We were all stuck at home for COVID, and we didnt have really any kind of property crime because everyone was home. She has spent months fending off attacks from the Board of Supervisors, which voted no confidence in her leadership. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Santa Clara County Sheriff's Captain James Jensen is photographed outside of the Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Jensen was arraigned on conspiracy and bribery charges involving concealed weapon permits in Santa Clara County. Jensen started working as a deputy at Elmwood Correctional Facility in 1985. If they dont get this then they are oblivious and are incapable of doing a good job if elected. Every captain thats worked on this side of town has made an impact with the community. Character is hugeif you dont have the ability to make decisions for the right reasons, it wont work, Jensen said. 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. He wants to dismantle the system of nepotism that he claims took root in the Sheriffs Office during Smiths tenure. There were 44 reported burglaries from January to October of 2021, while 59 burglaries were reported in the same time period in 2022. I would make every attempt and work tirelessly with community leaders to let them know the Sheriffs Office, or law enforcement as a whole, is here for you.. 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. Allowing her team to continually bully and brutalize mentally challenged inmates is disgusting. Comment Policy (updated 11/1/2021): We reserve the right to delete comments or ban users who engage in personal attacks, hate speech, excess profanity or make verifiably false statements. The Deputy Sheriffs Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. The complete transcript of the grand jury's findings will be released in the coming weeks. She is now on paid administrative leave. In addition Robert Johnson has done his best to avoid transparency. Allen, 51, has mostly worked in the jail system. The second half of the agreed-upon donation amount wasstymied by the DA investigation, authorities said. The county has a similar program, but Jonsen wants to expand it to meet greater demand. 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. . A former manager for a security company who implicated a Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain and others in an alleged bribery scheme to trade political donations supporting the sheriff in exchange for concealed-carry weapons has testified in the civil corruption trial . Jensen, 58, retired in 2013. He cited a internal solutions group he helped create inPalo Alto to address issues like morale and promotions. Get San Jos Spotlight headlines delivered to your inbox. A retired Santa Clara County sheriff's captain who ran for office in 2014 and lost, Kevin Jensen believes he has the momentum to take the seat. As the new captain assigned to the West Valley patrol division, Im committed to the legacy weve built here in the city of Cupertino, he said. 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. They could spend time in prison if they are convicted. SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) A retired captain for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is joining the race to become the next sheriff, now the second opponent looking to unseat current. It is extremely painful to have his integrity questioned after spending years dedicated to serving the people of Santa Clara County. San Jos Spotlight is a project of the San Jos News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. Kevin Jensen, who announced his run for sheriff last September. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Santa Clara County is getting a new sheriff for the first time in more than two decades, following Laurie Smiths decision to not run for a seventh term. Christine Nagaye, Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonsen and sheriff Sgt. "I know they used a lot of that money on social media, slamming me," he said. Sources tell the I-Team that Le was a supervisor at the Main Jail's sally port when a mentally ill inmate was beating his head against a post inside a transport van. "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.". A sheriff's captain was among four people indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy charges as part of an election campaign scandal tied to Santa Clara County Sheriff. The division commander is Captain Rich Urena, who serves as the Chief of Police for the Town of Los Altos Hills. As a detective he was assigned to the West Valley division, he was also one of our tactical flight observers up in our sheriffs helicopter, a field training officer and recruit training officer at the academy.. He started his law enforcement career with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office in 1989. Woman found fatally shot on I-580 off-ramp He also notedhes implemented community advisory groups in every command position hes held.