2019 FCSO Year End Report
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2019
Fresno
County
Sheriff’s
Office
Annual
Review
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is
committed to serving and protecting our
community.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Topic Page
EXECUTIVE STAFF MEMBERS .......................................................................... 2
MESSAGE FROM SHERIFF MARGARET MIMS................................................. 4
MEMORABLE CASE ............................................................................................ 5
JAIL DIVISION ...................................................................................................... 9
ENFORCEMENT BUREAU ................................................................................ 18
PATROL BUREAU .............................................................................................. 21
DETECTIVE BUREAU........................................................................................ 27
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT BUREAU ................................................................ 37
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BUREAU ........................................................... 43
SPECIALTY UNITS ............................................................................................ 51
COMMUNITY EVENTS ...................................................................................... 64
2019 HIGHLIGHT PHOTOS ............................................................................... 69
KEY ADDITIONS ................................................................................................ 89
LOOKING AHEAD IN 2020 ................................................................................. 92
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Executives of the Sheriff’s Office
Margaret Mims
Sheriff
Steve Wilkins
Undersheriff
Tom Gattie John Zanoni
Assistant Sheriff Assistant Sheriff
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Executives of the Sheriff’s Office
Captain Steve McComas Captain Ron Vega Michele Lefors
Jail and Medical Services Jail Operations Inmate Services Director
Captain Mark Padilla Captain Jennifer Horton Captain Greg Gularte Tom Trester
Patrol Bureau Detective Bureau Operations & Support Administrative
Services Director
Sheriff’s Administrative Support Staff
Laurie Sahakian Tracee Crozier Elizabeth Cervantes Valerie Mull Raedina Windsor
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Sheriff’s Message
It is my honor to present this 2019 Annual Review of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Within these pages you will get a glimpse into our numerous and varied responsibilities. I am
sure that as you look through this report you will learn something new and interesting about
our organization.
There are 15 incorporated cities in Fresno County and more than 40 unincorporated
communities spread throughout 6,000 square miles of geography. Our responsibilities require
us to be experts in both rural and urban policing activities. Our services impact all of the nearly
one million residents of Fresno County. To keep our communities safe, we work closely with
state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as the local police departments of the
incorporated cities within our boundaries.
I am proud of the men and women of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and their dedication to
making Fresno County a safe place to live, work and visit. Remember, crime-fighting is a team
effort and our community members are an integral part of that team!
Inside this Annual Review, we will highlight the following items and more:
• How detectives captured a serial killer
• Jail operations
• Patrol operations
• Coroner’s Office statistics
• Specialty unit duties
• Community engagements
• New equipment investments
• Future projects
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MEMORABLE CASE
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SQUAW VALLEY SERIAL KILLER
ARRESTED
Homicide detectives with the Fresno
County Sheriff’s Office arrested 33 year old
Buford King of Squaw Valley, which
culminated a three year long investigation.
King meets the criteria of a serial killer,
which the FBI defines as someone who
murders two or more people in separate
events.
King is an Army veteran who has served in
Iraq. He is accused of killing two Squaw
Valley men, 35 year old Aleksey Shelest
and 62 year old Donnie Lee and 51 year old
Alberto Contreras of Visalia. King was an
acquaintance of all three men.
Alberto Contreras was last seen in January
2011 and was reported missing to the
Visalia Police Department in July 2011.
Aleksey Shelest was last heard from on
May 18th, 2016 when he was in Squaw
Valley. He was reported missing to the
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office on May 29th,
2016.
Donnie Lee was last seen November 1st,
2016 in the area of Squaw Valley Rd. and
Sand Creek Rd. in Squaw Valley. He was
reported missing to the Sheriff’s Office on
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November 22nd, 2016. Shelest and Lee’s
disappearances were later determined to
be suspicious, so sheriff’s homicide
detectives took over both missing persons
cases in 2016.
On August 20, 2017, the Fresno County
Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man
who had been shot in the foot. Deputies
responded and determined Buford King
was responsible for the shooting that took
place in the area of Squaw Valley Road and
Sand Creek Road. The two men knew
each other. The victim was in the area
doing construction work at the time he was
shot.
On Thursday, August 24th, the Fresno
County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team, FSO
homicide detectives, members of the
Fresno Sheriff and Clovis Police Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams went to
King’s home located on the 37000 block of
Squaw Valley Road. The extra resources
were due to detectives learning that King
may be in possession of explosives. The
SWAT team was able to get King to come
out of his home willingly and they took him
into custody. A search warrant was then
executed to perform a further search of the
property. Deputies found chemicals
commonly used for making explosives and
the bomb squads safely collected and
disposed of the materials. Detectives
considered King to be a person of interest
in the disappearance of Lee and Shelest,
so they also looked for evidence tied to that
investigation, but nothing was found.
King was booked into the Fresno County
Jail for the shooting and possessing
explosive materials. On January 13, 2018,
he bailed out of jail.
King reported to court on February 20, 2019
and the judge ordered him to be taken into
custody. He remained in jail since that day.
In March, detectives developed new
information that pointed to Lee and Shelest
being buried on King’s property. On March
20th, a search warrant was served.
Detectives, members of the Sheriff’s Crime
Scene Unit and heavy equipment operators
with Fresno County Public Works began to
dig into the land located behind King’s
home to look for human remains. On the
sixth straight day of digging, detectives
uncovered bones believed to be those of
Aleksey Shelest. Digging continued
through April 4th, but no other remains were
found.
Weeks later, detectives developed more
new information. This included a precise
location where Donnie Lee might be buried.
Additional information also surfaced that
King may have buried the body of Alberto
Contreras on some land along the 16000
block of Avenue 264 in Visalia.
On April 26th, detectives returned to the
property in Squaw Valley with a search
warrant to conduct more digging.
Meanwhile, other FSO detectives joined
detectives with the Visalia Police
Department, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office
and heavy equipment operators from Tulare
County and the City of Visalia. They served
a search warrant and began to dig on the
property off Avenue 264. On April 27th,
crews found human remains at both the
Squaw Valley and Visalia locations.
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All of the remains were submitted to the
California Department of Justice for DNA
analysis. The results showed positive
identifications for Alberto Contreras, Donnie
Lee and Aleksey Shelest. Detectives then
placed three homicide charges on King’s
jail record.
We would like to thank all of the agencies
and individuals for their assistance in this
lengthy investigation. This includes the
Fresno County and Tulare County District
Attorney’s Offices, the Tulare County
Sheriff’s Office, Visalia Police Department,
Forensic Anthropologist Doctor Roger
LaJeunesse and the Public Works
Departments of Tulare County, the City of
Visalia and County of Fresno. A special
thanks to Jason Slebin, Tim Howard, Ben
Leonard, Heath Preheim and Brian Blanton.
These equipment operators combined for
more than 700 hours of digging.
*** This case is pending adjudication.
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JAIL DIVISION
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JAIL DIVISION
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Jail Division is comprised of three bureaus. The Operations Bureau
commanded by Captain Ron Vega, the Medical and Services Bureau commanded by Steve
McComas and the Administration and Programs Bureau commanded by Director Michelle
Lefors. There are currently three jail facilities with staffing levels of 522 correctional officers, 48
correctional sergeants, nine correctional lieutenants and one program manager.
Jail Operations is responsible for the safety, security, care and custody of all inmates housed in
the Fresno County Jail facilities. The dedicated men and women working inside the jail provide
public safety services by maintaining order, discipline and required services to the inmates.
Fresno County currently contracts with health care provider Wellpath for its services in the jail.
Through our office’s direct oversight and collaboration with Public Health and Behavioral Health,
the Sheriff is managing the inmate population based on the continuity of care from the time the
inmate is booked to the time the inmate is released from custody. This may include linkage to
necessary services such as skilled nursing facilities and probation services. These services may
assist our community by shaping and influencing present to future behaviors. We remain hopeful
that together we can create a better quality of life for the public, inmates and their families.
The oldest jail facility is the South Annex Jail, which was built in 1941. The Main Jail was
constructed in 1989, and the North Annex Jail was opened in 1993. The average daily
population of the three jails is approximately 3,000 inmates of varying classifications. The jail
population includes approximately 800 state prisoners due to prison realignment and contracts
with the U.S. Marshal’s Office to house 145 federal prisoners.
South Annex Jail Mail Jail North Annex Jail
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JAIL WATCH COMMANDERS
Lieutenant Lorenzo Lara Lieutenant Kefer McCoy Lieutenant Jack Rocha Lieutenant Luis Plascencia
The jail Watch Commanders oversee the daily operations of the three jail facilities. The Watch
Commanders manage the inmates, correctional officers and our professional civilian staff.
They, along with their team of sergeants, ensure that correctional staff complete their duties in
accordance with law, policy, procedures and all court decrees with the ultimate goal of keeping
the inmates, officers, and the public safe.
JAIL SPECIALITY ASSIGNMENTS
Lieutenant John Copher Lieutenant Michael Porter Lieutenant Russell Duran Lieutenant Ned Burton
Jail Medical, Services and Programs Lieutenants and Jail Programs Manager oversee a
number of specialty units within the Jail Division. These specialty units are essential to jail
operations and require special training of the officers and the professional staff to ensure the
smooth operation of jail activity. The following is a list of speciality assignments and units:
Jail Services Construction Mailroom
Jail Chaplains Jail Lobbies American’s with Disabilities Act
Population Management Medical Liason Compliance
Booking and Records Clinic Transportation Transition from Jail to Community
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JAIL OPERATIONS
Detention Facilities:
Main Jail: Built in 1989 operates with 1,064 total beds
North Jail: Built in 1993 operates with 1,728 total beds
South Annex Jail: Built in 1941 operates with 499 total beds
Total beds: 3,291
Inmate Population:
:
The average daily population in 2019 was 3,042, which is broken down accordingly.
• 90% Males
• 10% Females
• 94% Felons
• 6% Misdemeanants
• 74% Pre-trial
• 26% Sentenced inmates
• The average age of all inmates is 35 years.
JAIL STATISTICS
Yearly bookings: Average length of stay: Yearly releases:
2019: 29,228 2019: 36 days 2019: 29,226
GENDER HISPANIC WHITE BLACK OTHER TOTAL
MALE 1637 522 461 149 2769
FEMALE 149 69 43 12 273
OVERALL 1786 591 504 161 3042
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JAIL TRAINING OFFICER PROGRAM
The Jail Training Officer (JTO) program is an intensive phase training program for newly hired
correctional officers. The purpose is to provide on-the-job training with a Jail Training Officer to
learn agency and Jail Division Policy & Procedures. The JTO program is completed in 28 weeks
under most circumstances.
The program consists of an orientation week, one week to follow and observe a training officer
and three additional phases of training. During the first two phases, the trainee is evaluated
weekly on skills and policies according to the phase check off list. The trainee must pass a
written test to advance to the next phase. Phase three is a period where the officer performs
the daily duties under observation of the JTO while receiving a monthly evaluation.
Jail Training Officers receive training to provide them with the tools and skills needed to teach
the trainees assigned to them. The JTO can use multiple techniques in the training program
including visual aids, verbal instruction, practical demonstrations, reading and writing
assignments.
In 2019, 77 correctional officers were hired to fill vacancies created by retirements, resignations
and positions added to comply with the Hall vs. County of Fresno Federal Consent Decree. In
2019, 96 officers completed the JTO program and 61 officers remained in the training program
at the end of the year.
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POPULATION MANAGEMENT UNIT
The Jail Division’s Population Management Unit is a vital component of the Jail Operations
Bureau. The unit is comprised of one lieutenant, four sergeants, 20 classification officers and
two intelligence officers. The unit is responsible for the screening, assessment, and
classification of inmates based on a formal and objective system that utilizes a point scale to
determine appropriate housing assignments. Inmates are interviewed to elicit and record
information that is utilized to determine their classification level. The purpose of this classification
level is to determine the most appropriate housing to maintain safety for inmates and staff.
The Population Management Unit is also responsible for investigating major incidents and
assaults that occur within the jail facilities. In 2019, the Population Management Unit
investigated over 1,000 incidents within the three jails.
JAIL CLINIC TRANSPORTATION UNIT
The Jail Clinic Transportation Unit (CTU) is a team consisting of eight correctional officers. The
officers receive specialized training in firearms, emergency equipment, driving, and tactical
scenarios. The CTU transports inmates to various medical clinics throughout Fresno County
while maintaining close supervision and custody of the inmates. The team specializes in
transporting inmates with mobility issues due to the limitations of their disability. The CTU
augments the Warrants & Transportation Unit in transferring inmates statewide to other
correctional facilities.
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Security Emergency Response Team (SERT)
The Jail Division’s Security Emergency Response
and Tactics (SERT) team was founded in 1983 under
Sheriff Hal McKinney. This was in response to the
ever-increasing challenges imposed by the inmate
population and overcrowded conditions within the
jails. The SERT team was initially equipped with
donated equipment, along with a lot of volunteered
time. It has evolved into a well-organized, well-
equipped and highly trained tactical unit that plays an
instrumental role in ensuring safe and orderly
operations in the jail facilities.
The team is comprised of correctional officers, sergeants and commanded by a lieutenant.
Members are experienced and highly disciplined officers who have demonstrated their ability to
perform under very stressful situations. All members participate in specialized training to
maintain proficiency of essential skills and critical incident readiness. In addition to their regular
assignments, team members are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to critical
incidents within the jail facilities.
SERT’s primary function is to respond immediately and suppress inmate disturbances, typically
large disturbances. Inmates with higher levels of criminal sophistication, due to prison
realignment, adds challenges in the county jail system and to the work of SERT.
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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
The Services and Programs Bureau (ADA) unit, manages the
accessibility needs of those inmates confined within the Fresno
County Detention Facilities that have disabilities and accessibility
needs in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ADA unit currently manages the needs of approximately 121
inmates and meets with each inmate at a minimum of once each
month. During the calendar year of 2017, the ADA Unit
conducted 2,176 ADA interviews to review the needs of the Jail Division’s ADA population.
The managers of the ADA unit are Professional Associates of the National Association of ADA
Coordinators and receive frequent training and updates.
SHERIFF’S INMATE LABOR CREW (SILC)
The Sheriff’s Inmate Labor Crew is also referred to as the Graffiti Abatement Team (GAT). They
work in partnership with the community by using inmate labor as a resource. GAT is utilized to
complete beautification projects that help to improve the quality of life for the residents of Fresno
County. The primary focus of the work crew is graffiti abatement within the county.
GENERAL POPULATION SERVICE & PROGRAMS
The Inmate Programs Unit provides a number of programs and services to the inmate population
with assistance from contracted service providers and more than 200 volunteers. The
partnership with the Fresno County Office of Education has resulted in 20 inmates earning their
high school diplomas while in custody. Our volunteers dedicated nearly 17,000 hours of service
to jail inmates during 2019. The Inmate Programs Unit was also responsible for conducting 82
marriages and processing close to 46,000 Inmate Request Slips for materials and information.
Staff employed by the Inmate Programs Unit also provided parenting, life skills, relationship
building, music appreciation, yoga, cognitive behavioral restructuring, anger management and
job readiness programs to inmates.
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TRANSITION FROM JAIL TO COMMUNITY (TJC)
In August of 2013, the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) funded the Transition from
Jail to Community (TJC) housing unit at the Fresno County Jail. The goal of the TJC model is
to improve public safety and reintegration outcomes by providing services to transition offenders
back into their communities.
The TJC Unit partners with a myriad of community based organizations such as Turning Point,
Sierra Educational Research Institute and the Fresno County Office of Education as well as the
Fresno County Probation Department. These organizations along with the TJC staff provide
services to the inmates including sober living assistance, substance abuse treatment, job
readiness, education, cognitive behavioral restructuring, parenting and anger management.
As of this report, the TJC Unit has served 584 inmates since its beginning. Of these inmates,
540 have been released from jail and are under the supervision of Fresno County Probation. Of
the men released from this program, 158 have returned to custody with a new conviction. This
calculates to a 71% success rate with regard to recidivism for inmates involved in the Transition
from Jail to Community program.
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ENFORCEMENT BUREAU
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PATROL WATCH COMMANDERS
Lt. John Reynolds Lt. Brandon Pursell Lt. Ron Hayes Lt. Richard Wilhoite
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Watch Commanders work 12 hour shifts, overseeing
daily operations. They work closely with the area commanders, patrol sergeants and deputies.
Watch commanders are committed to providing quality enforcement services to maintain a
safer community. They ensure patrol staff has the necessary resources to enforce the law and
protect the public.
Patrol Bureau
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Bureau have dedicated deputy sheriffs and
professional staff ready to serve the many communities throughout the County of Fresno. We
are dedicated to our partnerships with those we serve based on mutual communication,
cooperation and trust.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office provides patrol services for roughly 6,000 square miles. In
1983, patrol services were decentralized and divided into four Patrol areas. Each area is
commanded by a lieutenant who supervises field services from a substation located in each of
the areas.
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DETECTIVE BUREAU
Lt. Kevin Lolkus Lt. Arley Terrence Lt. Jose Salinas
The Detective Bureau consist of three detective teams who have the responsibility to
investigate various crimes targeting the citizens of Fresno County. The teams consist of a
Special Investigation Unit, Gangs (MAGEC) and a Person Crimes Unit.
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT BUREAU
Lt. Brent Stalker Lt. Ryan Hushaw Lt. Frances Devins Lt. Shawn Erwin Dir. Michael Koop Lt. Robert Salazar
Civil / Communications Training Records Internal Affairs Forensic Lab Human Resources
The Operational Support Bureau is responsible for providing critical services with
professionalism and integrity, resulting in a strong community partnership and an overall
improvement in the quality of life in Fresno County. The Bureau consist of Civil, Communications,
Training, Records, Internal Affairs, the Forensic Lab and Human Resources.
ADIMINSTRATIVE SERVICE BUREAU
Lt. Robert Woodrum Baldomero Berber Kal Chakravarthy Lt. Christopher Torres
Coroner / Public Administrator’s Office Business Manager I.T. Manager Court Services
The Administrative Bureau is responsible for the coordination of essential functions of the
sheriff’s office. The bureau consists of the Coroner’s Office, Public Administrator’s Office,
Business Office, Information Technology and Court Services.
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PATROL BUREAU
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Area 1 Headquarters
Lt. Matt Alexander
Lieutenant Matt Alexander is the Area 1
Commander and supervises six
sergeants, 26 deputies, one detective
and one community service officer
assigned to the area.
Area 1 is located in the western part of
Fresno County and encompasses 2,393
square miles of rural area. Area 1 is
bounded by five different counties, which
contains six incorporated cities and is
home to 63 miles of Interstate Highway 5.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
provides contracted law enforcement
services to the City of San Joaquin.
Area 1 is known for the being one of the
nation’s leading producers in the
agricultural and livestock industries.
Area 2 Headquarters
Lt. Kathy Curtice
Lieutenant Kathy Curtice is the Area 2
Commander and supervises seven
sergeants and 50 deputies.
Area 2 is located in the metropolitan area
of Fresno and encompasses 327 square
miles. Area 2 is the smallest of the
geographical patrol areas, but has the
highest concentration of citizens and
generates approximately 60% of the total
calls for service for the entire Patrol
Bureau.
Area 2 is the home of the famous Fig
Garden Christmas Tree Lane, Kearney
Park Civil War reenactment and the Lao
and Hmong New Year festivals.
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Area 3 Headquarters
Lt. Joe Smith
Lieutenant Joe Smith is the Area 3 Commander and supervises nine sergeants, 36
deputies, eight detectives and three community service officers assigned to the area. This
command also includes the Boating and Dive Team and the Agricultural Crimes Task
Force.
Area 3 is located in the southeast portion of Fresno County and encompasses 556 square
miles. The Area 3 substation is located in the city of Selma, just off Highway 99.
Area 3 is well-known for the Blossom Trail, recreational parks, agricultural / livestock and
the Caruthers District Fair.
Area 4 Headquarters
Lt. Louis Hernandez
Lieutenant Louis Hernandez is the Area 4 Commander and supervises five sergeants and
26 deputies assigned to the area.
Area 4 is located in the eastern part of Fresno County and encompasses 2,719 square
miles of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The area attracts tourists during the different
seasons of the year for activities such as backpacking, hiking, camping, skiing, the
Huntington Lake High Sierra Regatta, Hume Lake campgrounds and various local
festivals.
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AREA ROBBERY / PROPERTY CRIMES DETECTIVES
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Robbery / Property detectives are responsible for
investigating various felony and misdemeanor property related crimes. The unit is
comprised of two sergeants and 10 detectives.
Detectives are strategically deployed to each of the four patrol areas and investigate
crimes committed in their geographical boundaries. They are responsible for keeping
patrol deputies updated on leads and trends they have identified on their
cases. Detectives maintain good working relationships with the community and together
they share information to assist in solving cases. More than ever, detectives are relying
on technology to help solve crimes. This often includes leads generated through the
internet and images captured by cameras.
AGRICULTURAL CRIMES TASK FORCE
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Agricultural Crimes Task Force investigates all cases
that have a nexus to the agricultural community. The unit is supervised by one sergeant
and is allotted six detectives and a California Highway Patrol investigator.
The unit’s primary objective is to suppress criminal activity by means of proactive
enforcement, thorough investigations and educating our partners in the agricultural
community. The unit also investigates all metal theft in Fresno County, so detectives work
closely with the metal recycling yards to ensure they are abiding by state laws and
regulations.
Fresno County continues to be one of the top producing agricultural counties in the nation.
There are well over 400 different commodities grown throughout our county, an industry
worth $7.9 billion in 2018 alone. Because of this, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office places
a high value on the investigation of agricultural crimes and the prosecution of criminals
who prey on the agricultural community.
The task force participates in a number of organizations, some of which include
A.C.T.I.O.N. (Agricultural Crime, Technology, Information, and Organizational Network),
the California Rural Crime Prevention Task-Force, the Fresno County Farm Bureau,
and the Fresno County Ag Roundtable. A.C.T.I.O.N. is an association of thirteen central
California counties that regularly share information, support and technology to help
combat agricultural crime throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
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EVERBRIDGE MESSAGING SYSTEM
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is enrolled in the Everbridge public warning system.
This is used as a means to notify the public of disasters, major public hazards and
potential public safety issues. The system allows the sheriff’s office to relay messages
via telephone, text messages, email and social media to the public, schools, businesses
and first responders in a timely and efficient manner. The public can register for free at
https://member.everbridge.net/index/453003085614497#/signup
SECONDS 2 SURVIVE
Since 2014, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has made presentations of its Seconds 2
Survive program to several local schools and businesses. The presentation primarily
focuses on active shooter situations. The goal of the course is to make people think
ahead of time about how they will react in an emergency to ensure they become a
survivor and not a victim. The program identifies response plans by examining specific
facilities related to the training.
Seconds 2 Survive is taught by Sheriff employees and typically runs 90 minutes. It is
available free of charge to Fresno County residents / organizations.
To make a request for the program,
please fill out the form located at:
http://fresnosheriff.org/seconds-2-
survive.html.
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OPERATIONAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(Op I.T.)
The Operational Information Technology Unit (Op I.T.) is under the supervision of
Sergeant David Rippe. Op I.T. works directly with the professional analysts and
engineers of the Sheriff’s Information Technology (I.T.) staff. They ensure the various
systems and technologies used by our personnel are functioning properly and are being
utilized in a manner consistent with the way in which we deploy. There is one full-time
deputy sheriff assigned to this unit who helps test, troubleshoot and train staff on the
various operating systems.
MENTAL HEALTH LIASON
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office coordinates with Fresno County Behavioral Health to
provide the highest level of training and quality of service. The partnership started as a
pilot program in the metropolitan area and has expanded to include additional field
clinicians. Deputies utilize the services to bridge barriers with the community that are
associated with mental health.
The field Mental Health Law Enforcement Liaison can do the following:
● Write 5150 holds per the Welfare and Institutions Code
● Provide assistance to deputies to ensure holds are written in a way that ensures the
person gets a thorough and complete examination, as well as a possible referral to
long-term care.
● Designate resources for all involved parties encountered, including the 5150, their
family and friends.
● They have the ability to make referrals to optional treatment facilities and programs.
Correctional Officers train regularly with crisis intervention and descalation with the
Health Provider at the jail with oversight from Behavioral Health. Through a
collaborative effort we hope to reduce the amount of crisis for both the inmates, family
and staff.
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DETECTIVE BUREAU
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HOMICIDE UNIT
The Homicide Unit consists of one lieutenant, one detective sergeant and eight
detectives. The primary responsibility is to investigate homicides, questionable death
cases, officer involved shootings, assaults with deadly weapons, kidnappings, assaults
on officers and weapons violations. Detectives continue to work hard to bring closure and
justice to all the families who lost loved ones. The entire team continues to manage their
own individual caseloads while assisting each other in the major investigations.
Criminal investigations conducted by the unit during 2019 include, but are not limited to
the following:
2019 STATISTICS
• 15 Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office homicides
• 3 Other agency homicide investigations
• 18 Total homicides
• 11 Homicides solved
• 5 Officer involved shooting (OIS) investigations
FSO – 3
Other agencies - 2
• 1 In-custody death investigations (patrol)
• 4 In-custody death investigations (jail)
• 1 Cold cases solved
As a courtesy, if another agency requests our services for a homicide investigation, we
will agree to take control of it.
SEXUAL ASSAULT / ABUSE / MISSING
PERSONS UNIT
The Sexual Assault / Abuse / Missing Persons Unit consists of detectives assigned to
work a variety of abuse, sexual assault and missing persons cases. This unit also deals
with sexual predators and sex registrants. There is one sergeant and 14 detectives
assigned to this unit. Detectives from this unit also investigate other crimes as needed
and work closely with their peers throughout the office.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency for the Central California Internet
Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program. There are 61 ICAC Task Forces in the United
States. The Central California ICAC has 62 affiliated agencies working under our
jurisdiction. There are more than 4,500 federal, state, local law enforcement and
prosecutorial agencies working in task forces across the United States.
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2019 STATISTICS: CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT
• 1,203 Domestic violence incident and crime reports
• 428 Felony domestic violence crime reports
• 270 Misdemeanor domestic battery crime reports
• 277 Restraining order violations
• 225 Emergency protective orders issued
CHILD SEXUAL PREDATOR PROGRAM
(CSPP)
• 254 Compliance checks
• 12 Arrests
• 1 Open PC 290 violations filed with District Attorney’s office
SEXUAL ASSAULT /CHILD ABUSE UNIT
• 372 Cases investigated by sex crimes/child abuse detectives
• 42 FBI-Part I forcible rape cases
• 8 FBI-Part I forcible rape cases closed by arrest
PC290 SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION UNIT
• 771 Registration transactions; annual updates, moving or address changes in
and out of jurisdiction, transients, incarcerations and deceased
• 526 Of the 771 registered offenders assigned to FSO, 39 are currently in
custody at Fresno County Jail, California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation or Federal Prison.
• 30 Of the 30 out of compliance registered sex offenders, we had 23 active
felony warrants, seven Pre-Megan’s Law with limited information, zero
were out of compliance.
ELDER ABUSE
• 104 Reports related to elder abuse
MISSING PERSONS
2019 STATISTICS
• 442 Missing person/runaway juvenile cases were reported
• 431 Closed cases (97%)
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INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
(ICAC)
2019 STATISTICS
• 1,996 Reactive cases
• 21 Proactive cases
• 50 Arrests related to possession and distribution of child pornography
• 1,912 Cyber-tips received
• 269 State search warrants executed
• 1,208 Technical supports
• 22 Presentations with a total attendance of 1,531 people
• 24 Public events with a total attendance of 38,897 people
• 4 Cases submitted for federal prosecution
• 50 Cases submitted for state prosecution
The internet is a vast and wonderful resource for adults and children. Unfortunately,
there are those that prey on our vulnerable population. To highlight and prevent you or
your family from becoming a victim to predators, we encourage you to visit the ICAC
website. It can be found at: http://www.centralcaliforniaicac.org/
UNITED STATES MARSHALS TASK FORCE UNIT
The United States Marshals Service Pacific
Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force is
comprised of law enforcement officers from the
United States Marshals Service, Fresno County
Fresno Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police
department and Selma Police Department.
Officers’ duties include locating and
apprehending felony fugitives based on cases
generated by participating agencies. We have
one deputy sheriff assigned to the Task Force.
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CRIME SCENE UNIT
The Crime Scene Unit consists of eight crime scene specialists and one supervising
crime scene specialist. The unit has experienced technicians who provide crime scene
investigations and evidence processing to assist all detective units for the Fresno
County Fresno Sheriff’s Office and allied agencies. In 2019, the Crime Scene Unit
completed 961 work orders and responded to 359 call for service.
PROPERTY & EVIDENCE UNIT
In 2017, the Property and Evidence unit continued to make progress in
purging pieces of evidence that are no longer needed as evidence to
crimes. By purging these items, more room was created for the new
evidence that comes in on a daily basis by Sheriff-Coroner’s Office
employees. In 2017, two part-time workers continued to help in the
disposition of property that has been kept in storage for years. The
Fresno Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is still exploring options so all of the
property can be stored under one roof.
HELP ELIMINATE AUTO THEFT (H.E.A.T)
Help Eliminate Auto Theft (H.E.A.T.) team is a multi-agency law enforcement partnership
that proactively identifies, investigates and arrests vehicle thieves within Fresno County.
The current team consists of personnel from the California Highway Patrol (C.H.P.),
Fresno Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County Juvenile Probation, Clovis Police Department,
National Insurance Crime Bureau (N.I.C.B.) and a part-time Deputy District Attorney.
Partial funding for the team is through vehicle registration fees. In 2019, detectives made
182 arrests, recovered 739 stolen vehicles and seized 36 firearms.
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MULTI-AGENCY GANG ENFORCEMENT
CONSORTIUM (M.A.G.E.C.)
Multi Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (M.A.G.E.C.) is part of a cohesive team of
law enforcement agencies that specifically target gangs and gang members with the
mission of eradicating gang activity in Fresno County. There are two teams, a rural
team and a metro team. The Rural Operations Team is overseen by the Sheriff’s Office
and has members from Fresno Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Clovis
Police Department, Kingsburg Police Department and the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The investigators from these agencies work closely with the various city, county, state
and federal law enforcement agencies to proactively contact and arrest gang violators for
a variety of gang offenses. The Rural Operations Team also works in partnership with five
deputy district attorneys that are assigned to M.A.G.E.C. This allows for a more efficient
administration of cases from investigation through court filing, prosecution and
sentencing. In 2019, the rural unit served 53 search warrants, made 173 arrests and
seized 38 firearms.
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ADULT COMPLIANCE TEAM (ACT)
The Fresno County Adult Compliance Team (ACT) has been in operation since the
implementation of the Public Safety Realignment Act, under Assembly Bill (AB) 109, in
October of 2011. The primary responsibility of the ACT team, as envisioned by the
designers of the AB 109 implementation plan, has been to assist Fresno County
Probation Officers with offenders released to their supervision under AB 109.
The ACT team consists of members from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno
County Probation, Fresno Police Department, Clovis Police Department, Reedley Police
Department, Selma Police Department, Kingsburg Police Department, Kerman Police
Department and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
ACT members assist the supervising deputy probation officers with requests that
include notifications, transports, address verifications, compliance checks, attempt pick-
ups, attempt warrant service and arrests.
The team also focuses on specific defendants who are out of compliance and on warrant
status. They also put attention to specific geographical areas where large numbers of AB
109 offenders reside. The ACT team has also received and acted upon specific requests
from Fresno County Superior Court judges.
In 2019, ACT made 2,785 probation contacts, made 465 arrests, recovered 77 firearms
and assisted on or served 117 search warrants.
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SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION
Lieutenant Kevin Lolkus is the commander of the Special Investigations Task Force
(SITF). The SITF consists of the Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Vice/Intelligence
Team. In 2019, the unit was supplemented by members of the California National Guard,
Criminology 108 reserve deputies and a special agent from Homeland Security
Investigations who is now housed out of the SITF office.
MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT TEAM
The Marijuana Enforcement Team is responsible for the detection, eradication and
prosecution of illegal marijuana operations in Fresno County. In February of 2014, the
County of Fresno passed an ordinance that banned marijuana cultivation in Fresno
County. This ordinance still applies despite the passage of Proposition 64, legalization
of marijuana for recreational use. This state law only allows a person to legally grow six
mature marijuana plants.
For 2019, there were 66 marijuana grows eradicated in Fresno County. These included
a total of 190,620 marijuana plants, which were all destroyed. 1,126 lbs. of processed
marijuana was also seized and destroyed. The Marijuana Enforcement Team served
eight marijuana related search warrants, made 30 arrests and seized 21 firearms from
marijuana growers. The SITF was assisted by members of the Army National Guard and
the Air Support Unit.
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DOMESTIC HIGHWAY ENFORCEMENT &
PARCELS
The Domestic Highway Enforcement team spent their time
split between highway operations, assisting with marijuana
eradication and other narcotics investigations. In 2019, the
team spent 128 days working interdiction and were assisted
by a SID K-9 handler each week. They had nine seizures
resulting in 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 28 pounds of
heroin and nine pounds of cocaine. They made eight
arrests, issued 62 citations, seized 20 firearms and $40,020
in U.S. currency.
The narcotic detection canine team is utilized by all teams falling
under the SITF command. They are trained in scents and are
not utilized in the specific apprehension of suspects.
VICE INTELLIGENCE UNIT
The Vice Unit has one sergeant and four detectives. Their primary responsibility is to
investigate a variety of crimes and activities involving but not limited to: Gambling,
bookmaking, raffles, prostitution, pimping and human trafficking, animal fights, alcohol
beverage control, intellectual property rights, threats to judicial and public officials,
organized crime and public corruption.
JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE
SITF has one detective assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force. The detective has
the responsibility to investigate cases related to domestic terrorism. The investigations
originate from one of six counties (Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tulare and Kings),
which are part of our Area of Responsibility (AOR). The detective attends several training
sessions and meetings sponsored by the Sacramento Regional Threat Assessment
Center (SRTAC) where they network with other Terrorism Liaisons Officers (TLO’s)
regarding international and domestic terrorism matters.
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HIGH IMPACT INVESTIGATION TEAM (HIIT)
SITF has three detectives and one sergeant assigned to the High Impact Investigation Team
(HIIT), a HIDTA initiative housed at the California Department of Justice. The task force
investigates drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) via a variety of investigative methods.
We also assign one detective to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Group 2 Task
Force. The detective is cross-sworn as a federal agent and is assigned a narcotic detection
canine to assist in their investigations.
2019 Statistics
Search warrants 33
Arrests 91
THC Extraction Labs 16
Methamphetamine Conversion Labs 1
Methamphetamine 462 lbs.
THC Extract 373 lbs.
Cocaine 37 lbs.
Heroin 94 lbs.
Fentanyl 2,978 grams
Fentanyl pills 71,455
Firearms 11
U.S. currency $780,251
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OPERATIONAL
SUPPORT BUREAU
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COMMUNICATIONS
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Communications Center consist of one lieutenant and seven
dispatch supervisors who manage 40 dispatchers. The Communications Center is the
critical link between the community and patrol units in the field and is staffed 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year.
The Sheriff’s Office provides dispatch services for the unincorporated areas of Fresno
County as well as the cities of Sanger, Kerman, Parlier, Kingsburg, Orange Cove, and
Fowler. The Communications Center handles in excess of 1,000 emergency and non-
emergency calls every day. These calls range from in-progress robberies to assaults to
non-emergencies. In 2019, the dispatch center handled 233,069 non-emergency calls.
911 phone calls totaled 82,104.
The dispatcher and dispatch center play a vital role in communication between our county
partners during their normal work day and critical events. The dispatch center transfers
medical and fire 911 calls to EMS and fire dispatchers when necessary. They dispatch
for Environmental Health, District Attorney Investigators, Probation Officers and often link
channels with Fresno Police and Clovis Police Department officers when necessary. Our
dispatchers work tireless hours and also give back to the community we serve. Some of
them are Ready Fox volunteers and teach children about the 911 system. This resource
is only done through their dedicated volunteerism to the community. For additional
information on Ready Fox, please visit: http://www.readyoc.org/programs/ready-fox.html.
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CIVIL UNIT
In 2019, the Civil Unit was very active with civil cases and civil services. A majority of
these cases can be challenging and dangerous.
The Civil Unit continues to pay attention to
current events and information that can keep the
unit efficient with safety in mind.
2019 Statistics
• Evictions – Completed 1,787 evictions,
and 59 foreclosures.
• Levies – Completed 2,591
• Civil Process Services – Completed
4,208
RECORDS UNIT
The Records Unit is responsible for maintaining and processing reports written by
deputies, scan police related documents, teletype services and maintaining and
processing warrants.
The unit processes repossessed and stored vehicles, performs background and records
checks, maintains and processes custody and restraining orders, maintains subpoena
and Public Records Act requests. They provide counter and telephone services to law
enforcement and the public.
2019 Statistics
• 16,297 Reports were processed
• 35,529 Warrants were processed
• 9,847 Restraining orders were processed
• 81 Subpoenas were processed
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INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
The Internal Affairs Unit is responsible for coordinating the investigation of citizen
complaints and personnel matters for the Sheriff’s Office. The unit ensures
the integrity of the Sheriff’s Office by conducting complete, objective and independent
investigations of alleged employee misconduct in a timely manner. All investigations are
conducted to ensure fairness and justice.
The unit investigates all officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, allegations of
misconduct of employees and other investigations as determined by the Sheriff.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Lieutenant Robert Salazar is the unit commander of the Sheriff’s Human Resource Unit.
The unit is responsible for the Sheriff’s oversight of hiring, promotions and movement of
personnel within the agency. They process and manage claims with the county and
affiliated entities to ensure job injury claims and requirements are followed while
processing employee requests for medical and protected leaves.
The Sheriff’s Office has a rigorous pre-employment screening process. All department
positions are required to undergo an interview, polygraph and background investigation.
Some positions also require a medical and psychological evaluation.
2019 HUMAN RESOURCE HIRING STATS:
Professional Staff 45
Extra Help Employees 31
Deputy Sheriffs 30
Correctional Officers 77
Total backgrounds completed 396
Total Hired 183
CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMITS (CCW)
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Concealed Weapons Permit (CCW) Unit is staffed with extra-
help special investigators who are former law enforcement officers with prior investigative
experience. The unit is responsible for conducting backgrounds on all concealed
weapons permit applicants as well as maintaining the records of all active permits.
In 2019, the Sheriff’s Office processed 1,569 new CCW applications.
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FORENSIC LABORATORY
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Forensic Laboratory
provides forensic science services to the Sheriff’s
Office and other law enforcement agencies. There
are three sections within the Forensic Laboratory:
Narcotics Analysis, DNA/Serology and Firearms /
Evidence sections. The Forensic Laboratory has
been accredited since 2008 to the ISO 17025
International Standard.
NARCOTICS ANALYSIS – This section
provides continuous and routine controlled
substances
analysis for
every law enforcement agency in Fresno County,
with the exception of the Fresno Police
Department.
The controlled substance analysis program is
unique within the State of California. The Fresno
County Sheriff’s Office has been able to analyze
and provide a report for 99% of the drug samples
within 24 hours of being submitted. This is unheard of in the Forensic community as most
labs have a backlog of drug cases submitted.
DNA/SEROLOGY –DNA has become much more instrumental in recent years for
solving crimes. The ability to test new samples against a historical database is a
tremendous resource for making arrests in cases both new and old.
FIREARMS/EVIDENCE – This section is
one of the mainstays of the Forensic
Laboratory and a unique area of expertise.
This section handles the examination of
firearms and toolmark evidence associated
with various crimes within the county. It also
involves scene response with officer-involved
shootings and other shooting scenes upon
request. Fireams related examination requests
have been steadily increasing over the last
several years.
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TRAINING UNIT
The Sheriff’s Training Unit is responsible for planning, scheduling, preparing, conducting,
maintaining and coordinating initial and continual training for all sworn deputy sheriffs and
correctional officers. The training staff is the primary liaison with California Commission
on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) and the California Standards and
Training (STC).
In a continuing effort to improve the skills of our employees, the Training Unit offers a
variety of training topics, which are both state and agency mandated. This training
includes firearms, defensive tactics, First-aid / CPR and vehicle operations. The Training
Unit also provides a variety of specialized training tailored to both deputy sheriffs and
correctional officers. The unit coordinates with guest instructors and speakers who are
experts in their fields to offer training and seminars to better enhance the skills and
knowledge base of our staff.
The Training Unit is dedicated to assist the Sheriff in providing the citizens of Fresno
County with the highest qualified deputies, correctional officers and professional staff.
Fresno Sheriff-Coroner’s office during range training
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ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES BUREAU
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CORONER’S OFFICE
Dr. Venu Gopal Dr. Michael Chamblis Lieutenant Brian Taylor
Chief Forensic Forensic Pathologist Robert Woodrum Forensic Tech. Pathologist Assistant
Kelly Matlock Loretta Andrews Sarah Davis Leticia Funderburk Jeff Gentry Imron Ramos
Lead Deputy Deputy Coroner Deputy Coroner Deputy Coroner Deputy Coroner Deputy Coroner
Coroner
The Coroner's Office investigates deaths falling under the guidelines of the California
Government Code §27491. The staff strives to serve and protect the interests of the
community by determining the cause, circumstances and manner of sudden or
unexplained deaths that occur within our jurisdiction. We accomplish our mission by
using pathologists, consultants, and other methods of investigation.
Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner 2019 Statistics:
• 7,469 total deaths occurred in Fresno County
• 3,793 deaths were reported to the Coroner’s Office Dr. Michael Chamblis
• 991 Coroner cases - Any death investigation,
which results in the deputy coroner certifying
the death certificate and a final Sheriff-Coroner
report written and filed with the County Clerk.
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• 446 Full Forensic
autopsies - This number of full
autopsies has steadily increased
in the last five years. A full forensic
autopsy is an examination of a
body of a decedent to generate
medical evidence for which the
cause of death is determined.
Chief Pathologist Dr. Gopal
• 413 External Body Examinations - A visual /
physical examination including all necessary
toxicology screens where sufficient investigation
determines a full autopsy is not needed to
determine manner and cause of death.
• Types of deaths
Natural: 991
Suicide: 109
Homicide: 80
Motor Vehicle Collision: 196
Drug Overdose: 164
Other Accidents: 118
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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE
In January 2019, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office began running the Public Administrator’s
Office. The role of this office is to take control, protect and manage a decedent’s estate that is
subject to loss, injury, waste or misappropriation. This is done when either no other person or
family is willing or appropriate or when ordered to do so by the Superior Court. Public
Administrator services include searching for family, making burial arrangements, identifying
assets, paying creditors of the estate, paying expenses of administration and distribution of the
balance of the estate to the decedent’s heirs or beneficiaries.
Public Administrator Staff Members (From left to right)
Margaret Mims - Sheriff
Nina Acosta – Special Investigator
Erin Rodriguez – Program Technician
Philip Peralejo – Estate Property Assistant
Robert Woodrum - Lieutenant
James Dockweiler - Sergeant
Sara Davis – Deputy Public Administrator
Helen Chu – Account Clerk
Scott Stacey - Deputy Public Administrator
Matthew Cisneros Navarro - Deputy Public Administrator
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GARDEN OF INNOCENCE PROJECT:
In 2012, Fresno County Deputy Coroner Kelly Matlock helped establish this national
burial program in our local area. Two times a year, Garden of Innocence holds these
ceremonies at Mt. View Cemetery in Fresno to ensure that children found abandoned or
left unidentified are given a loving goodbye. Local leaders and members of the general
public are invited to attend this emotional service. Donors to the program will send
prayers and dedicate poems to each child who is buried.
Organizers are always in need of Beanie Babies (small
stuffed animals) and baby blankets for the burial. The
public can donate them by bringing them to the
ceremony or by dropping them off at the cemetery
office ahead of time. For more information or to make
donations, search Facebook for: “Garden of Innocence
Fresno Co” or visit the website
http://www.gardenofinnocence.org/goi-fresno-is-
located-in-fresno-county-in-california
BUSINESS OFFICE
The Business Office is responsible for the coordination of all activities related to the
business and fiscal functions of the Sheriff’s Office. Major areas of responsibility include:
Budget preparation, general accounting, collection of office revenues, the fiscal control of
contracts, office payroll and the administration of accounts payable.
In 2019, the Business Office successfully managed the Sheriff’s Office budget of $257
million dollars. The Business Office supports the Sheriff’s Office staff of 1,271 in their
performance of a wide variety of assignments in service to the citizens of Fresno County.
The staff supports travel and training along with the acquisition of services and supplies.
The staff is responsible for the fiscal management of grants, revenue contracts and
inmate welfare accounting.
The accounts receivable section is responsible for the fiscal management of revenue from
contracted law enforcement services, fees and grants totaling $100 million dollars. This
requires coordination with agency staff, state, federal and local law enforcement
agencies, Fresno County school districts and other county departments.
The Business Office has the daily accountability for the balancing and depositing of all
inmate money at the time of booking and any money received by the jail mail staff. The
Inmate Welfare section processes all incoming revenue from Inmate Welfare revenue
agreements, purchase orders, supply orders and contracts for supplies and services for
inmates. The staff also is accountable for the Prisoner Trust Fund and the Inmate Welfare
Fund.
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FLEET SERVICES UNIT
Ford Explorer
The Fleet Services Unit is currently staffed with one
sergeant, one account clerk, two 108 reserve deputies
and three automotive technicians. The unit is responsible
for the management and maintenance of the existing
Sheriff’s Office fleet of 457 vehicles. Our fleet includes
not only our patrol vehicles, but other sedans, trucks and
utility vehicles.
These utility vehicles are used to support our
specialty units and other necessary functions of the
Sheriff’s Office.
The unit’s other responsibilities include product
testing, vehicle modifications, the salvaging of
decommissioned vehicles that have been wrecked
beyond repair or have been evaluated by our staff to
be unsafe to operate in our fleet due to age and
mileage or other associated factors.
COURT SERVICES UNIT
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Court Services Unit is one of the largest commands within
our Office. The Court Services Unit is comprised of approximately 119 sworn deputies
and support staff.
Deputies assigned to the unit have a variety of responsibilities in providing security,
maintaining order in the courtroom and informing people of the courtroom rules. Deputies
and community service officers work the screening areas in an effort to maintain a safe
and secure environment for everyone entering the building. As a matter of safety for all
court users, members of the public must enter through a security screening station before
entering any of the court facilities. Cooperation is the key to maintaining a safe and
secure atmosphere for everyone using court facilities.
The Fresno courthouses consist of the Main Courthouse, Traffic, B.F. Sisk, North Annex
and Juvenile Justice Center.
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Fresno Main Superior Courthouse, 1100 Van Ness Traffic Court, 2317 Tuolumne St.
North Annex Court, 1265 M St. B.F. Sisk Courthouse, 1130 O St.
Juvenile Justice Center, 3333 E. American Ave.
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SHERIFF’S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNIT
Kal Chakravarthy is the Unit Manager for the Sheriff’s Information Technology (I.T.) Unit.
Under his direction his talented team ensures that the Fresno Sheriff’s Office has timely,
accessible data which is critical to effective law enforcement. They are also in charge of
installing and maintaining equipment in our facilities to ensure everything is in working
order. The automated information systems used by the Sheriff’s Office are interdependent
and relied upon by all law enforcement staff. Some of those systems include:
• Mark 43 is our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system that allows 911 call-
takers and non-emergency call takers to send patrol deputies to calls for service.
• Automated Field Reporting software allows officers to enter incident information
into a database. The data is transferred to the Records Management and
Corrections Management Systems, whose function is to track criminal cases,
warrants and inmates once in custody.
• Geographical Information Systems make further use of the data to create visual
representations used for crime mapping, reporting and analysis.
Information Technology Professional Staff
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SPECIALTY UNITS
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AIR SUPPORT UNIT (ASU)
The Air Support Unit (ASU) currently operates three helicopters, two MD 500Es, one MD
530F and one Cessna 206H airplane. ASU is staffed with nine deputy sheriffs. One
serves as a sergeant / tactical flight officer (TFO), four deputy pilots, two full-time deputy
TFOs and two part-time deputy TFOs.
In 2019, ASU aircraft flew nearly 2,200 hours. Helicopters accounted for 1,769 hours and
the airplane 415 hours. These hours include routine patrol flights, training, Search and
Rescue operations, marijuana detection and eradication, surveillance missions,
transportation flights and requests for assistance from outside agencies and counties.
The flight crews make presentations to citizen academy classes and complete numerous
community events. These types of activities help promote community awareness and
support for the Fresno Sheriff’s Office.
EAGLE One & Three
EAGLE Three is a Cessna 206 fixed-wing aircraft. Like
EAGLE One equipped with an advanced Aero
Computer Mapping System and Forward Looking
Infrared (FLIR) 380HDc camera system. EAGLE
Three’s primary mission is assisting narcotics units with
surveillance operations throughout Fresno County and
the State of California. This airplane has supplemented
Eagle One with patrol flights, which included several vehicle pursuits.
.
EAGLE Three
EAGLE One
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BOATING
ENFORCEMENT
UNIT (BEU)
The Boating Enforcement Unit
has the primary responsibility
for the enforcement of laws
and regulations relating to the
operation of watercraft. The
BEU unit has one full-time
sergeant and two full-time
deputies.
During the summer season there are an additional four deputies and six reserve deputies
assigned to the unit and who patrol the areas of Shaver Lake, Pine Flat Lake, Huntington
Lake and the Kings River.
Grants from the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways primarily fund
the unit. Additionally, the United States Army Corp of Engineers at Pine Flat Lake funds
one deputy and one reserve deputy for the busy summer months.
The BEU has numerous vessels specifically
designed for the Fresno waterways. This
includes eight patrol vessels, two personal
watercrafts, one inflatable rescue boat and
one dive boat.
The primary goal is to educate the public on
water safety, while balancing the need to
enforce state and local boating laws. The
BEU utilizes "The Aqua Smart Program"
which is one of the most current and up to
date water safety programs in the state.
BEU patrolling the waterways in Fresno County
Due to winter storms in 2018 – 2019, water levels surged and created high flow rates
from the Pine Flat Dam. This resulted in safety concerns, causing Sheriff Mims to close
the lower Kings River for recreation use throughout Fresno County on June 4th. The river
was re-opened at the order of the Sheriff on July 5th.
The BEU spends considerable time educating the public on safety measures. Messages
include: Wear a life jacket, stay out of the water if you’re not an experienced swimmer,
do not mix alcohol and swimming and keep an eye on your children at all times. In mere
seconds, kids can slip into the water and be put at risk of injury or death.
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DIVE TEAM
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office Dive Team was first established in the 1960s. The
dive team is responsible for the recovery of evidence and victims in any waterway within
Fresno County. The Dive Team has 15 certified divers, all of which are full-time deputy
sheriffs. The team is trained to perform deep-water recovery, swift water recovery,
underwater retrieval, and underwater evidence recovery. In 2019, the unit recovered the
bodies of two drowning victims and assisted in the search for evidence in four
investigations.
Dive team searching a canal during a call for service
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K-9 UNIT
Since 1976, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office has recognized the usefulness of canines
as a vital tool to better serve and protect the citizens of Fresno County. Deputies, or
handlers in this case, primarily deploy canines to protect citizens, law enforcement
officers and to locate and apprehend criminals. Additionally, they are utilized to search
for lost / missing high-risk person(s) since their sense of smell is great.
There are nine patrol canine teams, one of which is cross-trained for explosive detection.
The unit currently deploys canines of the German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd and Belgian
Malinois breeds.
One of the goals of the canine unit is to promote positive community relations through
demonstrations at schools and various public / community events. These demonstrations
help clarify common misconceptions and dispel rumors. They help to educate the public
on the fact that canines are highly trained animals that undergo extensive control and
obedience work. They are the only use of force tool that can be recalled after being
deployed by a deputy sheriff.
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CHAPLAINCY UNIT
The Sheriff’s Chaplaincy Unit supports and complements the duties and services of the
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. While maintaining the high standards and ideals of the
office, chaplains perform their services in a professional and humble manner as they
express empathy, dignity and respect for all people and beliefs.
Sheriff’s chaplains come from a wide variety of faith groups and backgrounds. They
are clergy volunteers who are ordained, licensed or approved members of various
religious organizations. Although they serve in a secular setting, chaplains have the
ability to provide spiritual guidance and religious rites and practices when
requested. Sheriff’s chaplains are available to deputies, correctional officers, their
families, Coroner’s Office personnel, the community and schools for emergency or
on-scene calls on an around-the-clock basis.
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EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL TEAM
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EOD)
consists of four bomb technicians: a lieutenant, two
sergeants and three deputies. Of these six, four are
Public Safety Bomb Technicians certified by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). EOD team
members are trained by the United States Army
Hazardous Devices Division in conjunction with the
FBI. The bomb technicians are responsible for
handling explosive related incidents within the
unincorporated areas of Fresno County, 13 cities that do not have explosive
remediation capabilities and to incidents in other counties via mutual aid.
The EOD team team responds to incidents involving explosives, military ordnance,
explosions, suspicious packages, bomb threats and known or suspected improvised
explosive devices. In 2019, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded to 24
incidents. Three of which were improvised explosive device (IED) incidents that
involved a total of 12 IEDs.
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HONOR GUARD
The Sheriff’s Honor Guard is a team of dedicated deputies and correctional officers who
strive to ensure the Sheriff’s Office is represented at ceremonies with pride, dignity and
professionalism. By wearing the honor guard uniform, each member accepts the
commitment to excellence.
The Honor Guard participates in many ceremonies throughout the year. The team
attends funerals and memorial services throughout the State of California. The
members of the team understand the significance of their role at tributes for fallen
officers. Professionalism, discipline, precision and empathy are without compromise at
memorial services, which often provide a lasting memory for the loved ones left behind.
Honor Guard in front of Sheriff-Coroner's headquarters
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MOBILE FIELD FORCE
The Mobile Field Force team is designed to be a ready, quick reaction team charged with
the responsibility of responding to a variety of incidents to assist in maintaining the peace
during large crowds and gatherings. The team is also available to assist other agencies
with by supplementing patrol staffing during large unplanned incidents and emergencies.
The Mobile Field Force consists of members from various units within the Sheriff’s Office.
The members of this team undergo special and advanced training to ensure they are
prepared and ready to deploy to any incident.
MOUNTED PATROL UNIT
The Sheriff's Office established the Mounted Patrol Unit
in March of 1997. The unit currently deploys with a
combination of horses owned by riders and horses
owned by Fresno County. Mounted Unit horses and
riders must complete extensive training and testing to
prepare them for patrol deployment. Riders maintain
proficiency in conducting law enforcement operations
from horseback, while the horses are specially trained
to accept sights and sounds they may encounter.
The Mounted Patrol Unit typically deploys into Fresno
County areas in which it is easier and faster to move a
horse than a patrol car. The high seat position also
proves to be advantageous to deputies when trying to
see in crowded environments. The Mounted Unit assists
during civil unrest incidents, searches for missing people, dignitary protection and honor
guard details.
The Mounted Patrol Unit serves as an ambassador of the Sheriff-Coroner's Office to the
citizens of Fresno County. Unit members and their horses visit schools, public functions
and neighborhood meetings to talk about public safety. In 2017 we assigned “Justice”
(the horse) his own Instagram account. Posts utilize social media to quickly connect with
the public through a service animal.
Veteran’s Parade Deputy Talent
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OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE (OHV)
The Sheriff's Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV)
team patrols off-highway recreation areas in
the rural areas of Fresno County. Through
the education and enforcement efforts of
OHV enthusiasts, the OHV Team helps
ensure safe and enjoyable OHV recreational
opportunities. Fresno County offers year-
round recreational riding opportunities off-
highway and through the snow.
OHV deploys a year-round off-road
enforcement team specializing in off-road law
enforcement, search and rescue missions, medical assistance, and public education
throughout Fresno County.
The OHV team has the ability to resolve many off-road related problems. Specialized
equipment allows deputies to rapidly move from on-road to off-road situations to locate,
contact and bring closure to many problems. The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner's Office
uses motorcycles, four-wheel drive trucks, ATVs and snowmobiles for the OHV Team
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PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER (PIO)
Tony Botti joined the Fresno County’s Office in 2014 to serve as its Public Information
Officer (PIO). He previously spent 10 years working as a general assignment reporter for
television news stations in Fresno and Redding, CA. His background in journalism allows
him to properly frame content and present critical information that is easy for the public to
understand.
Communication is a key component in building and maintaining a positive reputation for
our professional law enforcement agency. As PIO, Tony works each day toward
building trust in the Fresno Sheriff’s Office by balancing transparency with the integrity
of its investigations. He is the central point of contact for disseminating timely
information to the news media, citizens and county employees. Through videos,
interviews and written material, he makes them aware of current events, the office’s
position on issues and the achievements of its personnel.
Tony manages the content on the Fresno Sheriff’s Office website,
www.fresnosheriff.org, as well as all of the office’s social media accounts, which
includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Nextdoor. A primary goal is to
engage the community and provide a path of two-way communication, which allows
public safety information to be shared and problems to be solved.
Tony Botti
Public Information Officer
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SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM (SAR)
Assignment to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
Search and Rescue (SAR) team is a collateral
duty for a lieutenant, four Sergeants and 14
deputies. Members of this team maintain
proficiency in technical rope rescue, swift water
rescue, man tracking and search management.
This team
operates in
a wide
variety of
environmental extremes that include high elevation
and inclement weather in some of the most remote
portions of Fresno County.
In addition to sworn deputy sheriffs, SAR is
supplemented by a strong volunteer component that
is essential to our mission. Approximately 200
volunteers
work on four different teams as a part of the SAR
function. All SAR volunteers are registered as
Disaster Service Workers with the State of California
and they respond to missions as requested by the
Sheriff’s Office. The teams include the Mounted
Posse, Mountaineer Unit, Jeep Rescue Unit and Air
Squadron.
During 2019, the Search and Rescue team handled
seven searches for missing people, 13 rescues of ill
or injured people, four recoveries of deceased
people and were deployed out of county four times
on mutual aid.
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SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS and CRISIS
NEGOTIATIONS
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team is utilized in
high-risk operations. Specifically, where there is an increased danger to public safety or
law enforcement personnel, which has been caused by sophisticated or violent
suspects.
The team commander holds the rank of lieutenant and there
are four team leaders who hold the rank of sergeant. The
rest of the team is composed of deputy sheriffs who serve
as entry team members and snipers.
SWAT is a collateral assignment for all team members who
must pass a rigorous testing process. The testing process
includes multiple types of physical fitness testing, weapon
manipulation, accuracy drills, simulated firearms scenarios
and an oral board with the team leaders and commander.
The team’s success
is derived from the
determination and
discipline of operators, detailed monthly training
and the assistance of the Crisis Negotiation
Team (CNT). SWAT trains in disciplines such as
land navigation, building search tactics, hostage
rescue, vehicle assaults and small unit urban
and rural searching. The team’s primary
missions are high-risk warrant services and
barricaded suspect resolutions.
In 2002, CNT began to integrate with SWAT. CNT is composed of eight highly trained
deputy negotiators and two sergeants, who through persuasion, communication and
rapport building, will minimize the need for force. CNT and SWAT complement one
another to bring any crisis to a successful resolution. The goal of the teams is to
resolve any incident with peaceful resolution and preservation
of life.
CNT is specifically trained and equipped to diffuse critical
incidents with verbal communication based on intelligence
gathering and their active listening skills. The teams are
unique to themselves, but complement one another toward
successful resolution of critical incidents that necessitate their
special skill sets beyond those of our first responders.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
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Local Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special
Olympics
Members of the California Highway Patrol, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County
Sheriff-Coroner’s Office and Clovis Police Department participated in the annual torch
run to bring awareness and raise money for the Special Olympics and local athletes.
The 9-mile Torch Run started at Chukchansi Stadium and ended at the Dog House Grill
restaurant on Shaw Avenue.
The public encouraged and rooted for the various law enforcement and athletes as they
ran along the route. Donations to the Torch Run help support the 16,000 special needs
athletes. The run is open to the public. The public and donors can go to
https://www.sonc.org/ to contribute and sign up for the run to support Special Olympics.
Sponsors include Fresno Coin Gallery, The Firing Line and Dog House Grill.
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Blood Drive
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with the Central California Blood Center
for the Battle of the Badges and Holiday Heroes Blood Drives. Thanks to law
enforcement and public safety agencies across the Central Valley, Battle of the Badges
generated nearly 1,700 units of donated blood in two weeks. The Holiday Heroes blood
drive, held at the Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis, generated nearly 134 units of donated
blood in five days.
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Motorcycle Runs
Clawson Motorsports and the Fresno County Public Safety Association teamed up for
two big motorcycle runs in 2019. The Line of Duty Law Enforcement Run on August
31st raised money to benefit the families of Correctional Officers Toamalama Scanlan
and Juanita Davila. Both were shot and injured while trying to stop a gunman in the
lobby of the jail in 2016. $2,500 was donated to Toamalama’s teenage daughter,
Melania, who used it cover travel expenses around the world while playing US Club
Soccer for the Clovis Crossfire.
In November, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Run took place. Hundreds of riders
participated to honor the men and woman who have served in our country’s military
forces. Proceeds from the event helped fund the Central Valley Honor Flight and
Wreaths Across America.
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OPERATION SANTA CLAUS
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims and her staff delivered some early Christmas
cheer to children affected by domestic violence at the Marjaree Mason Center and to
the children at Valley Children’s Hospital.
Sheriff Mims and her staff distributed dozens of toys to children who are facing difficult
personal and battling serious illness this holiday season. The toys were donated by the
Sheriff’s Foundation for Public Safety, Toys for Tots, Latino Officer’s Association and
Fresno Insurance Claims Association.
Sheriff Mims with her staff at Valley Children's Hospital.
Sheriff Mims with a patient at Valley Children's hospital
Sheriff Mims with Santa Claus and Board Members of
the Sheriff’s Foundation for Public Safety
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2019 HIGHLIGHTS
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Sheriff Margaret Mims’ Swearing-In Ceremony
Assisteens of Fresno Makes a Donation as Part of Operation Bear Hug
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Cheerforce Central Valley Donated Snacks as Part of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
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Deputy Robert Pulkownik Reuniting with a Boy he Saved from a Car Crash
Deputy Jonathan Davis at Read Across America
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Coffee With a Cop at Starbucks (Herndon & 99)
Deputy Tim Jacobsen on a
Rescue of a Stranded Hiker and
his Dogs
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Explorers Enjoying a Retreat at Camp Sierra
National Night Out
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Kids Taking Part in the Sheriff’s Activity League (SAL)
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Correctional Officer Victor Prado Receives Big Brother of the Year
Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California
FLIR Awards the FSO Air Support Unit
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Rotary Club of Fresno Presented FSO Detective Skip Swain (second from left) with Heroes
Award
Deputies Jose Valencia and Jesus Ramirez Accepting Life Saving Medals
Deputy Roberty Mehling Honored with the MADD Award for Combating Drunk Driving
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Exchange Club of Fresno Named Detective Jesse Gloria its “Top Cop”
Reserve Deputy Bill Smith Honored for 28 Years of Service
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Sheriff’s Office Employees Supporting Movember
Explorers Winning First Place at Regional Tournament
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Deputy Patrick Hanson in the Holiday Spirit with Locals in Shaver Lake
Correctional Officers Working Out with Students of Lowell Elementary
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Sheriff Mims Accepts Tobacco Grant from CA Attorney General Xavier Becerra
Deputies Courtney Bush and Zachary Westbrook Met a Potential Future Deputy While at Lunch
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California Narcotic’s Officer Association Presents Sheriff Mims the President’s Award
Deputies Welcoming WWII Veterans Home from a Trip to Washington DC
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Pink Patch Campaign to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer
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Fresno County Office of Education Giving Deputy Randy Alvarez the William F. Noli
Outstanding Service Award
ACT Personnel Giving Christmas Gifts to Foster Children
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Polar Plunge for Special Olympics
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Deputy John Erickson Recovering from a Gunshot Wound
Deputy John Erickson with Award Winning Citizen Vince Sierras
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Deputies Jeff Shipman and Jonathan Davis with Students of Herndon Barstow Elementary
Deputies Visiting Children at Sun Empire Elementary in Kerman
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Baker to Vegas Run
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KEY ADDITIONS
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X-Ray Scanner
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of an X-ray scanner
for the Coroner’s Office. This particular piece of equipment, known as the LODOX
eXero-dr, is used in forensic pathology cases. It is capable of producing a full body X-
ray image in just 13 seconds. The results of these scans provide critical information for
investigators. The $600,000 machine was purchased utilizing the general fund.
Armored Vehicle
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a new armored
vehicle made by Lenco, which is commonly known as a BearCat. The SWAT team and
other units rely on this vehicle to protect its occupants from explosions and gunfire when
entering hostile and dangerous situations. The $350,000 BearCat has a breakdown of
the following funding sources: $250,000 from the general fund and $100,000 from
asset forfeiture.
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Jail Transportation Bus
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a new jail
transportation bus. The vehicle is used on a weekly basis to transport sentenced
inmates from the Fresno County Jail to state prisons. This vehicle replaces a 2001 bus
which required many expensive repairs and it no longer meets California’s emissions
standards. The $650,000 bus was purchased with money generated through a jail bed
contract with the U.S. Marshals Service.
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LOOKING AHEAD IN 2020
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Jail Expansion
Construction is continuing on the new West Annex Jail, which began in 2018. It is
located at 2208 Merced Street, directly west of the current North Annex Jail. The
County of Fresno has hired the architectural firm of DLR to design the facility with
coordination and design guidance from the Sheriff’s Office, the Department of
Behavioral Health and the Department of Public Health.
The County has hired Kitchell, a construction management firm, to manage the
construction project. The new West Annex Jail will encompass approximately
115,000 square feet and house 300 inmates. It will have an emphasis on the treatment
of mentally ill offenders as well as the effective reintegration of inmates back into the
community. Construction is expected to be complete in May 2021.
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Area 2 Substation
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved the construction of a new Area 2
substation. The 58,000 square foot facility will occupy close to 6 ½ acres at the corner
of E. Harvey and N. Armstrong Avenues in Fresno. The $18 million project has a
breakdown of the following funding sources: $12.5 million from the general fund, $4
million from the Tobacco Securitization Bond and $1.5 million from asset forfeiture. The
substation is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2021.
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