Supervisor Simitian’s concern about the safety and effectiveness of the County jails began long before 2015, when serious and ongoing events in the County jails required the County Board’s action and intervention. In 2016, Supervisor Simitian called for the creation of an independent monitoring body to oversee jail procedures in practices. In 2018, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance establishing the Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring (OCLEM), which provides the County of Santa Clara both with auditing and oversight over law enforcement and jail operations, as well as supplying the Board with expert policy guidance on these and other related issues. In January of 2020, OCLEM began its work.
At its August 17, 2021 meeting, the Board of Supervisors, in response to a referral by Supervisors Simitian and Lee, unanimously voted to make public information relating to specific incidents in the County jail underlying a recent multi-million dollar settlement that involved the permanent injury of an inmate. Additionally, the Board referred a wide range of issues relating to improper behavior and possible corruption in the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office to the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Attorney General, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury, and the California Fair Political Practices Commission. At the following meeting on August 31, the Board unanimously approved a resolution of no confidence in Sheriff Laurie Smith initiated by Supervisors Simitian and Ellenberg.
In October 2022, in accordance with the County Ordinance Code, the Board appointed Undersheriff Ken Binder as Interim Sheriff when Sheriff Smith abruptly resigned during her Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury trial. In November 2022, Palo Alto Chief of Police Bob Jonsen was elected as the new Santa Clara County Sheriff. The Board voted to allow Sheriff Jonsen to begin his term as soon as the results of the election were finalized.
