The month of August is generally when students return to campus, but this August signified a graduation of sorts as a cadre of Santa Cruz County residents completed their year of service on the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Advisory Team, emerging with an enhanced understanding of community policing.
About a dozen citizens from all walks of life (retirees, former sheriff’s office deputies, social services advocates, a student and one intrepid reporter) gathered together once per month to learn more about the inner workings of the sheriff’s department and to act as a bridge between the community and law enforcement.
Headed by Sheriff Chris Clark and administered by Executive Secretary Brianna Vaughn, the 12-month foray into all things law-related took members of the Sheriff’s Advisory Team (SAT) through a number of locations within the purview of the department: Administration and Operations; the Main, Rountree and Blaine Street Jails; the NetCom dispatch center and a tour of the Forensics unit and Coroner’s lab.
Topics covered within the classroom at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters included 21st century policing, organizational structure and responsibilities, behavioral health, officer-involved shootings, a primer on local gangs, guns and drugs, and open discussions regarding these topics. In addition, SAT members participated in ride-alongs with members of the department, including a K-9 unit that was used to sniff out drugs from a known drug runner along Highway 9 in Boulder Creek. (No drugs were found during that search, but residue inside the car indicated that drugs had been present prior to the traffic stop.)
Each individual took away a lesson from the year-long assignment. Ginger Charles, Ph.D., department chair/faculty at Cabrillo College in the Criminal Justice Department, shared her thoughts on the experience.
“The Sheriff’s Advisory Team was an excellent experience,” Charles said. “I have 27-plus years of experience as a law enforcement officer. As a teacher, learning about the sheriff’s department provided me with valuable information I can share with my students interested in a career in law enforcement. The sheriff’s department is such a quality organization, with employees who are wonderful representatives of policing. Sheriff Chris Clark truly exemplifies the best qualities of leadership for our county.”
Participant Danielle Wormington said of the year-long assignment, “My experience on the Sheriff’s Advisory Team was informative, eye-opening and enlightening. The members of the team and Sheriff Clark truly care about the community as a whole and have great ideas for the future.”
Vaughn, who attended every SAT meeting, said, “There’s so much strategy, compassion and thought that goes into law enforcement that the public doesn’t always get to see. The Advisory Team gives people a chance to see the individuals behind the badge and the meaningful work they’re doing every day.”
Sheriff Clark had his own takeaway from the experience.
“My Sheriff’s Advisory Team has been incredibly impactful over my first year and a half as sheriff,” Clark said. “Their honest feedback, diverse perspectives and willingness to have thoughtful conversations have given me valuable insight into the communities we serve. They have helped me better understand what we are doing well, where we can improve, and how our decisions are viewed outside of our organization. I’m grateful for their time, candor and commitment to helping us build an even stronger Sheriff’s Office and a deeper level of trust with our community.”
Recruitment for the Sheriff’s Advisory Team is conducted each year with meetings beginning in September and 12-month appointments. For more information or to join the interest list, contact Brianna Vaughan at 831-454-7618 or email Br*************@***************ca.gov.
