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Sheriff's Office Newsletter July-September 2025
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Words from Sheriff Scardina
As summer settles in, it brings with it warmer, drier weather and an increased risk of wildfires. The safety of our residents and first responders is our highest priority. It is essential to stay alert, be prepared, and work together to reduce fire hazards across Marin County. Inside this newsletter, you will find a link to AlertMarin, our emergency notification system. Signing up is a quick and easy way to stay informed during significant incidents or emergencies.
This newsletter also highlights several upcoming community events where you will have the chance to connect with our Deputies, including the Marin County Fair, Coffee with a Cop, and National Night Out. We look forward to seeing you there and continuing to strengthen the partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities we serve.
As always, we hope you share this newsletter with friends and family.
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Sign Up For Alert Marin!
Please follow the link below to sign up. This messaging system will be used in the event of a critical incident within the County. This database is different than other alert messaging systems and is used for high priority events only.
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Detectives Arrest Prolific Elementary School Burglar
In February 2025, the Marin County Sheriff's Office received a report of a suspicious male loitering on an elementary school campus during a school-wide assembly. Following the assembly, several teachers discovered bank cards were missing from their wallets/purses stored inside their classrooms. The teachers soon received thousands of dollars of fraudulent charges on their stolen bank cards. Through investigation, the suspect was identified as 34-year-old Christopher Britton, of Fairfield.
Read Full Story Below
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Employee Spotlight
Coroner Division
Jessica Cantwell, Coroner Forensic Technician
Jessica joined the Coroner Division as a full-time Coroner Forensic Technician in September 2022, following a period as a volunteer intern beginning in May 2022. She graduated from Windsor High School in 2012. She went on to earn an Associate’s Degree in Anthropology from Santa Rosa Junior College, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Sonoma University.
Jessica plays a critical and multifaceted role within the division. Her primary responsibility is to assist our Forensic Pathologists during autopsy examinations, working directly alongside them to conduct invasive procedures that help determine the true and accurate cause of death for individuals under our jurisdiction.
In addition to her forensic duties, Jessica serves as the division’s administrative assistant. She is often the first point of contact for the public—whether answering calls, greeting visitors, managing property releases, or fulfilling records and report requests. She also supports a range of ongoing projects, including follow-up on cold case John and Jane Doe investigations.
Most recently, Jessica has taken on a key role in the transition planning for our forensic pathology services provider—an effort requiring precision, collaboration, and adaptability.
Jessica’s dedication, positivity, and team-first attitude embody the core values of the Sheriff’s Office: partnership, leadership, and excellence. She is an invaluable asset to the Coroner Division and a shining example of public service at its finest.
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How the Marin County Sheriff’s Office is using ballistic evidence to solve crimes.
Whenever a person shoots a firearm, other than a revolver (handgun, rifle, shotgun, etc.), a metal cartridge case or expended shotgun shell is ejected from the firearm. The mechanisms of the firearm leave microscopic marks on the fired cartridge cases (FCCs) as well as the bullet. These marks are like a ballistic fingerprint which forensic examiners can use to determine whether FCCs and/or bullets came from the same firearm.
In 1997, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) established the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). The purpose of NIBIN is to provide law enforcement entities with an automated ballistic imaging network. NIBIN compares images of submitted ballistic evidence, such as FCCs and fired bullets. Through comparison NIBIN matches ballistic evidence and identifies connections between crimes involving firearms across the nation. There are 6.5 million pieces of ballistic evidence stored in NIBIN. During NIBIN’s 26-year history, 912,000 leads were generated with 151,000 hits confirmed. In 2023, 666,000 pieces of evidence were added to NIBIN, generating 221,000 leads.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office routinely submits ballistic evidence to NIBIN to further our investigations and assist our law enforcement partners. The evidence we submit consists of FCCs and bullets collected from crime scenes, and test-fired FCCs from firearms seized as evidence. To date, we have sent more than forty submissions to NIBIN.
Firearms recovered by Marin County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputies, as well as FCCs collected at crime scenes, have been linked to violent crimes cases being investigated by nearby law enforcement agencies. This has allowed the Marin County Sheriff’s Office to provide investigative leads to our law enforcement partners. For example, a NIBIN "hit" on an FCC recovered from a homicide scene showed a link to a firearm recovered by an East Bay law enforcement agency. The firearm is believed to be the murder weapon and is a crucial piece of evidence.
As leaders in our law enforcement community, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office is committed to partnering with NIBIN, to continue our tradition of excellence in investigation, and provide the best service possible to the residents of Marin County.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Marin Farmers Market- Civic Center
Every Thursday 8am -1pm Marin Memorial Auditorium
Every Sunday 8am-1pm Civic Center Parking Lot
Marin County Fair
July 2-6, 2025 11am – 11pm daily
The Marin County Fair is back! For more information, check out the official website. https://marinfair.org/
Coffee With A Cop
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 8-9:30am
Our next event will be held at Peet's Coffee, located at 276 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, with Central Marin Police Authority!
National Night Out
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
National Night Out is a community wide series of events that are meant to bring members of the public together with law enforcement officers from the areas they work. The Marin County Sheriff's Office is honored to participate in different events throughout the unincorporated areas of Marin each year. Check out our social media for updates on location and timing for each event.
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From March to May 2025, the Marin County Sheriff's Office hosted its annual Youth Academy, a program designed for high school students with an interest in law enforcement. Led by School Resource Officer D. Gasparini, seventeen youth academy students were given a hands-on opportunity to explore various divisions within the Sheriff’s Office and gain a deeper understanding of the justice system.
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On May 27, 2025, David Mitchell, a member of our Air Patrol unit, was recognized as Volunteer of the Year—a well-deserved recognition of his dedication and selfless service to the Marin County Sheriff's Office! In 2024 alone, our Air Patrol unit contributed over 600 volunteer hours across 14 missions.
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On June 24, 2025, the Marin County Sheriff's Office participated in the annual Northern California Law Enforcement Torch Run to support the Special Olympics. This event unites law enforcement agencies across the region in raising awareness and funding for athletes with disabilities. We accepted the torch from Novato Police and ran a four-mile leg through San Rafael to pass the torch to San Rafael Police.
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Each summer, the Marin County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the San Rafael Police Department, hosts Camp Chance at Walker Creek Ranch in West Marin. Camp Chance is a week-long camp for youth, ages 11–13, that offers a structured camping experience with a wide variety of activities. This year, over sixty youth attended the camp and were able to participate in team-building exercises, first responder demonstrations, and a memorable, fun-filled day at the beach. This experience helps bridge the gap between the youth in our communities and local law enforcement.
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(Continued from above)
Case of the Quarter
As the investigation continued, Britton was discovered to have burglarized at least three other schools in Marin County, victimizing many more teachers. Britton was also found to have committed nearly identical burglaries of elementary schools in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, as well. At the time of the burglaries, Britton was out on bail in Solano County for a series of residential burglaries.
On April 25, 2025, a multi-agency search warrant and arrest warrant operation, led by the Vacaville Police Department, was conducted to apprehend Britton involving the Lafayette Police Department, Danville Police Department, Marin County Sheriff's Office, and the Dublin Police Services. Britton was located, arrested, and booked into the Marin County Jail on a no-bail Marin County arrest warrant and a $210,000 Contra Costa County Ramey Warrant for several counts of burglary and fraud-related charges.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend a thank you to the Vacaville Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, Danville Police Department, and Dublin Police Department for their collaboration and assistance in this investigation.
Sign up for Quarterly Newsletter
If you were forwarded this newsletter and want to sign up for future correspondence, please click the link below to ensure you receive our quarterly updates
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The Marin County Sheriff's Office is Hiring!
We currently have openings for sworn and non-sworn positions. Members of our Professional Standards Unit can help set up a ride-along or tour of the Jail, Communications Center and more for applicants. Click the link below for more details about current openings!
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Stay in contact with us
Facebook, Instagram, X, & Nextdoor
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Non-Emergency Line
415-479-2311
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In an emergency, call
911
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