The morale will get better, then the whole department, Jensen told San Jos Spotlight. How safe is your neighborhood? Only 62 applicants received a permit, according to the records. Love to know the next forum is. Allen was firm, fair and integrity was not an issue. Santa Clara Co. sheriff's captain among 4 indicted on conspiracy charges You do the math. None of the PIOs who testified could recall an instance where they personally witnessed Smith signing an approved permit, according to the transcripts. The second half of the payment was forestalled by the DA investigation. Kevin Jensen said Tuesday that it was "humbling" that two unions want him to run against Sheriff Laurie . Le reportedly wanted to create a break space for correctional staff. Sung is now the assistant sheriff for the administrative division. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Both Smith and Undersheriff Rick Sung invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when they appeared before a criminal grand jury Aug. 3, and refused to answer any questions about the scandal, according to transcripts of the proceedings. Schumb is a prominent political backer of the Sheriff and served as Assistant Treasurer for the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance, an independent expenditure committee that supported Smith's election bid. I will not vote for him for Sheriff. Len Ramirez and Kiet Do contributed to this story. Last . Local News | In court Monday, he asked Judge Eric Geffon to re-seal the grand jury transcripts on the grounds that his clients trial rights will be prejudiced by their release.. 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. Your email address will not be published. Hope Now we get a real sherriff elected. | All donations are tax-deductible. She resigned as sheriff on . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. And were here to provide it. And were here to provide it. He became captain in 2004 and retired in 2013. So he is also a liar. Whats next for the former Frys HQ in San Jose? The ABC7 News I-Team asked Le to provide a comment but she declined. Neither Smith, who has the sole authority in her agency to grant the gun permits, nor Martin Nielsen an AS Solution manager who provided security for Facebook executives has been charged. We know hes the best candidate to address these issues (in the office).. When it comes to enforcing the law, which is to say enforcing the Constitution for the United States of America, the Sheriff, being the Chief Law Enforcement Officer, answers to We the People The County Sheriff is a Constitutional Officer elected by the People and bound by oath as guardian of the Peoples unalienable rights secured by the Constitution. Friday afternoon the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office told ABC7 News that Jensen was officially placed on administrative leave. Local News | But the approval rate skyrockets for the 28 applicants who either gave campaign cash to Sheriff Laurie Smith directly or where a family member or employer donated. "The DA's office is continuing to investigate more crimes and more individuals related to Sheriff Smith's issuance of CCW licenses. Its going to be an easy election for voters to choosetheyre either going to choose somebody in the organization, or theyre going to choose for change, Jonsen said. Stromgren recalled a conversation he had with Nielsen: I told him on a couple of occasions I didnt feel comfortable. Kevin Jensen, a retired captain with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, is running to replace Laurie Smith. Office Hours. document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_5" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_6" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); San Jos residents deserve a trusted source for unbiased, independent political news. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. Political action committees for the Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association supported Jensens campaign when he ran against Smith in 2014. This is your newsroom. West Valley Detectives. Headquarters Patrol - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara 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. In 2017, she received $449,767.49 with overtime and benefits, on a $142,530.12 base salary. August 7, 2020 / 11:34 AM Source: https://nationallibertyalliance.org/files/sheriffmemo/Power%20and%20Authority%20of%20The%20County%20Sheriff.pdf. He replaces Capt. 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. After submitting seven concealed weapon permit applications to Jensen at a meeting, AS Solution manager Martin Nielsen donated $45,000 -- half of the agreed amount -- to the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance, an independent expenditure committee supporting Sheriff Smith. Santa Clara County sheriff faces grand jury accusation, no plea yet, Former opponent challenges embattled Santa Clara County sheriff, UPDATE: Santa Clara County pursues investigation of sheriff, Helen Chapman fights to save San Joses open space, Bejarano: Why I quit my East San Jose school board, Out of work: Beloved San Jose reverend faces uphill climb, Silicon Valley students stranded by shuttered schools, San Jose legislator wants to raise foster age. He is my choice. Ive worked at other places with the Sheriffs Office here and there but I just like the community here, and I like the fact theres more community outreach that we do on this side, Valenzuela said. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jonsen couldnt even run Palo Alto PD. Comments are moderated and approved by administrators. Between 2014 and 2019, only about 150 permits were issued or renewed in Santa Clara County. Character is hugeif you dont have the ability to make decisions for the right reasons, it wont work, Jensen said. Moreover, he doesn't have the authority to grant permits nor did he receive anything for processing them. Jonsen said he has experience stabilizing organizations bleeding staff, noting he helped staunch the flow of people leaving the Menlo Park and Palo Alto police departments, in part by raising salaries to a competitive level. Allen said in his first 100 days in office he wants to meet with every politician in the county and glean ideas about how to improve his office. By Bay City News Published July 16, 2013. These cameras capture vehicle license plates and compare them with Sheriffs Office databases to alert authorities when a plate matches a listing. ", #Breaking Four people including SantaClara Co Sheriffs Captain indicted in concealed carry pay to play scheme MORE @nbcbayarea. The 16-page indictment, which you can read here , lays out each defendant's alleged role in the scheme to secure a massive campaign contribution for Smith in exchange for concealed gun permits. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Capt. Its not clear if Colton qualifies for sheriff. Moreover, he doesnt have the authority to grant permits nor did he receive anything for processing them. Capt. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office named Valenzuela the new commander of the West Valley Patrol Division last month. 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. Jensen said he is also proud to have the support of former county Supervisor Blanca Alvarado. Permits to carry a concealed weapon can be difficult to obtain in Santa Clara County, as they are in most of the Bay Area. (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. Jensen, 58, retired in 2013. First published on August 7, 2020 / 11:34 AM. NBC Bay Area called or emailed each of the four defendants in the case Friday, but so far, only Jensen's attorney has responded. "CCW licenses should not be given in exchange for campaign donations. Here's where we stand, Armed carjacking suspect leads police on dangerous chase. San Jos Spotlight is the citys first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. 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. Local News | The Deputy Sheriffs Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. You don't even need to live in the county, which is required by law. 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 Civil Warrants Division serves Civil process in the manner prescribed by law. Nagaye said she wants the Sheriffs Office to improve its relationship with diverse communities in Santa Clara County, and would set up a commission to jumpstart this process. Every captain thats worked on this side of town has made an impact with the community. Hiscampaign filings do not reflect a total amount raised to date, but the candidate himself says hes raised about $50,000. Sheriff Bio - Office of the Sheriff - County of Santa Clara Shes concerned about declining morale in the office,notingstaffing levels are lowwhich means many employees work mandatory overtime, separating them from their families. 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. They should not be for sale.". The side of a Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in this file photo. "It's a sad day for the Sheriff's department," said retired Undersheriff John Hirokawa, who was defeated in a runoff by Sheriff Smith in the election that year and wonders what role the money played. The sheriff's race: What they'd do if elected | News | Palo Alto Online West, who Rosen said has given truthful testimony to date, similarly told the grand jury, with the number of CCWs that we were hoping to get, they believed that, $90,000 would be a reasonable donation, according to a July 31 transcript. An inquiry from the Metro Silicon Valley weekly about executive security licensing and an extremely large campaign donation -- which was reported in public filings -- spurred the DA to start an investigation shortly after the general election in 2018. How the scandal-plagued Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office will operate in a post-Laurie Smith era will be determined by the vote of the people in the Nov. 8 election. Nichols, CEO of The Gun Co. based in Milpitas, reportedly knew Nielsen as a buddy, and eventually worked with Nahal and Schumb to get the alleged quid pro quo in motion. Santa Clara County sheriff-elect Bob Jonsen will take office early after Board of Supervisors vote Jonsen, who was elected sheriff with 50.81% of the vote in November, will become the. We were all stuck at home for COVID, and we didnt have really any kind of property crime because everyone was home. Sheriff Robert Jonsen Sheriff's Office Facebook Page Sheriff's Office Twitter Feed Sheriff's Office Instagram Feed Contact Us 55 West Younger Avenue San Jose, CA 95110-1721 Phone: (408) 808-4400 Toll Free: (800) 211-2220 Fax: (408) 294-2467 Email: so.website@shf.sccgov.org Jensen advised Nielsen to instruct AS Solution employees who were not residents of Santa Clara County to use local corporate addresses as their residence addresses in their applications.