Spotlight on Sheriffs: Spotlight on the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office

By The Police Executive Research Forum
 

  The Santa Cruz County, CA Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) is a full-service law enforcement agency that is embracing technology and training to meet the challenges of 21st century policing. The SCSO was an early adopter of the Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) training program developed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The agency initially trained all its patrol deputies in ICAT. In 2022, the SCSO was one of the first agencies to certify all its correctional officers in ICAT. The SCSO is also expanding its use of drones in law enforcement operations, adding a state of-the-art DNA laboratory, and embracing civilianization in the agency. Like many other law enforcement and first-responder agencies across the country, the SCSO has faced many challenges in recent years. In 2020, a rising leader in the agency was ambushed and killed in the line of duty. The agency has also had to respond to multiple catastrophic weather emergencies, and, because the sheriff is also the county coroner, an increase in fentanyl-related deaths. Since 2011, the agency has been required to house felons in its jail in addition to those charged with misdemeanor crimes, causing housing and supervision challenges. 

Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum, 2024. 12p.