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MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF
Welcome to the inaugural San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Community Newsletter where we are spotlighting some of the exceptional work being done by our office in service of you, our community.
As Sheriff, my top priority is making sure the community is safe. I believe that maintaining lines of communication between the community and our office will help us build greater trust, inclusion and collaboration as we work harder and smarter to fight crime.
In this quarterly newsletter, you will hear directly from us as we highlight the people behind the badge, share details about new programs on wellness and training, and update the community on our efforts to make this office more accountable and efficient.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Stay tuned for more stories each quarter. If you have any questions regarding these items, or suggestions for future editions, please contact our Communications Team at pio@smcgov.org. For daily news and updates, visit our Newsroom or follow us on social media.
Your Sheriff, Christina Corpus
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A Safer Community – Crime is Down Across Key Categories
Recent crime stats released in August show a significant reduction in both violent crime and property crime throughout the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction when comparing data from 2023 to this year.
We attribute this noticeable reduction in crime to our proactive policing strategies combined with strong community partnerships. A few key highlights include:
- No homicides have been reported so far this year;
- Residential and Commercial Burglary incidents are down 23%, offering greater peace of mind to homeowners and business owners across San Mateo County;
- Stolen Property cases are down 38% with 37 fewer cases reported, underscoring the impact of the office’s collaboration with local businesses and residents;
- Aggravated Assaults have decreased by over 40% with 49 fewer cases reported.
These statistics show us that San Mateo County is becoming a safer place to live, work and raise a family. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building upon this success by implementing innovative strategies and engaging with our community to help ensure a sense of safety and well-being.
For a more in-depth look at the recent crime stats, click here. We are committed to sharing the latest public safety information with you and we look forward to sharing the latest crime stats in our next edition of this newsletter.
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Keep An Eye Out For Online Scams
Over the last several months, the Sheriff’s Office has taken multiple reports of online scams that appear to target elderly residents via their computers. One scam resulted in thousands of dollars of losses to the victim. The recent scams involve an elaborate scheme that begins with a notification on the victim’s computer stating that they have been hacked. The scammers then instruct the victim to purchase gift cards to pay to remedy the issue, before meeting with them in-person to collect payment.
Residents should keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Never allow a stranger remote access to your computer;
- If someone directs you to withdraw money from your account or purchase gift cards, stop immediately and call law enforcement.
Read more
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Recent Jewelry Theft Scam
The Sheriff’s Office recently issued a warning to community members following at least one report of a recent jewelry theft scam that targeted an elderly resident who was walking in West Menlo Park. The scam, which is known to law enforcement, often targets unsuspecting or elderly residents in public places such as parking lots, parks, or even outside of the person’s home. Thieves use deceptive tactics to steal valuable items such as jewelry from their victims.
Residents should observe the following safety tips:
- Remain vigilant and use caution when approached by strangers, especially in situations that seem overly friendly or invasive;
- If you encounter such a scenario, maintain a safe distance and avoid physical contact;
- If you feel unsafe, leave the area immediately and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Read more
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Pioneering Programs Rehabilitate Incarcerated Persons
Inside of our correctional facilities, we have been instituting new programs that address our changing population of incarcerated persons. So many of them struggle with addiction and mental illness and our facilities are being revamped to face those problems head on, including dedicating a place to detox called the medical observation unit.
We are building paths forward, such as our culinary program that exposes incarcerated people to a professional culinary environment within the Maple Street Correctional Center.
Recently, we started a new pilot program that empowers incarcerated women to make positive changes in their lives with the help of a distinguished leadership coach.
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Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent in San Mateo County
Recruiting and retaining top talent continues to be a huge focus of ours.
When I took office in January 2023, we were facing a dire situation with 90 sworn positions being vacant. This resulted in employees having to work extensive overtime to fill the need. We have pushed forward several key initiatives as it relates to recruiting the best and brightest to serve San Mateo County, as well as focusing on retaining the amazing employees we have. I’m proud to share that we continue to make significant strides. There are now just over 40 vacancies, with many great candidates in the hiring process.
This success is not by accident. It’s the result of many great initiatives including our expanded recruitment team, competitive hiring incentives, steps we’ve taken to streamline the hiring process, as well as programs like our Boot Camps which provided free physical fitness preparation and career readiness for aspiring law enforcement professionals. This year, from our Boot Camps alone, we’ve hired 13 employees and we currently have 12 others in the hiring process.
As partners of the 30x30 initiative, we are making strides to have greater representation of women. Currently 28% of our office is made up of women. When looking at the number of sworn deputies and correctional officers at the Sheriff’s Office, nearly 14% of women hold those positions.
Additionally, I’ve brought forward greater family and work-life balance initiatives such as introducing two “Family Days” to celebrate our employees and honor the sacrifices their families make.
Annual retirements, on-duty injuries, retention incentives, competitive salaries and benefits, cost of living in San Mateo County and people leaving the law enforcement profession are all factors that contribute to our vacancy rate. While these challenges are not unique to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, we continue to seek innovative solutions to addressing them.
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New Programs Boost Employee Wellness and Community Safety
Our mission to bring innovative wellness programs to our employees continues.
Earlier this year, we made full body medical scans available to sworn members of the office who are assigned to corrections. The medical image scans check for a host of health concerns, potentially catching diseases before they become deadly.
Diet, exercise and mental health therapy programs are also being made available to staff members, including access to a therapist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
By building programs that improve both the mental and physical health of employees, their performance improves, making the team more resilient and the community safer. I look forward to bringing even more programs forward in the future.
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Town Halls Foster Engagement in Contract Cities
Recently, we hosted a series of Community Town Halls in Half Moon Bay, Millbrae and San Carlos. The Town Halls are part of my ongoing commitment to ensuring we maintain open dialogue with the residents we serve. Attendees learned about the latest crime stats for their community and had the opportunity to share thoughts on key issues.
While our Town Hall series has come to a close for 2024, we look forward to hosting future community meetings in the near future. We’ll be sure to advertise upcoming events here in our newsletter and on our social media pages.
In the meantime, if you are interested in engaging with the Sheriff’s Office more frequently, we would encourage you to learn more about our CARE program, which stands for Community Advocates for Responsible Engagement. The CARE program engages in two-way dialogues once per quarter, where we talk about community concerns and develop solutions. To learn more, please contact us at sheriffcorpuscare@gmail.com.
Project Guardian Brings Comfort to Families
In 2023, I brought Project Guardian to the Sheriff’s Office with the goal of leading to greater understanding and safer outcomes between law enforcement and those who may communicate differently.
Project Guardian is a voluntary program where individuals, families, or caregivers can register loved ones with the Sheriff's Office who might be vulnerable, at-risk, or have special needs. The program serves people of all ages with a variety of needs.
Through the program, Sheriff's Office personnel learn communication preferences, triggers, unique concerns, and calming strategies, along with a photograph and emergency contact information. This information can then be utilized by deputies prior to or during a call for service. This leads to greater understanding and safer outcomes for all involved.
To learn more about Project Guardian, visit: https://www.smcsheriff.com/project-guardian.
Additionally, earlier this year, 500 sworn and professional staff members completed comprehensive autism awareness training expertly led by Dr. Lauren Gardner from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The interactive training marked a significant advancement in our commitment to enhancing our overall services to the community.
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 Therapy K-9 Program Expansion
Our Therapy K-9 Program, which started in December of 2023 with our beloved Therapy K-9 Ben (pictured far left), continues to bring comfort to residents in crisis and helps foster positive interactions between the Sheriff’s Office and the community.
In August, we announced the expansion of the Therapy K-9 Program with the additions of Maverick and Teddy. Since that time, Maverick (pictured in the middle) has been serving our Coastside communities, while Teddy (pictured far right) has been serving the communities of Millbrae and San Carlos.
Ben, Maverick and Teddy attend community events, visit local schools and are utilized during the forensic interview process to bring comfort to victims of crimes.
Residents can stay up to date on the daily adventures of the Therapy K-9s by following them on their respective Instagram accounts @TherapyK9Ben, @TherapyK9Maverick and @TherapyK9Teddy.
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 “Shop with a Hero” Brings Holiday Joy to San Mateo County Youth
With the holiday season upon us, it's important that we reflect on our blessings and lend a helping hand to those who need us most.
Last year, I proudly hosted “Shop with a Hero” - a first of its kind event in San Mateo County.
Through this event, we were able to bring holiday joy and an unforgettable experience to 100 underserved San Mateo County youth. Heroes from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and partners in the fire service and military accompanied youth for a $200 shopping spree. The experience was truly heartwarming as many of the youth spent their money on gifts for their siblings and family members.
I’m thrilled to share that the event is back for a second year and will take place on Friday, December 13!
“Shop with a Hero” would not be possible without community support through financial and in-kind donations such as gift wrap, decorations and toys.
If you’re interested in supporting the “Shop with a Hero" event or learning more, please visit the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League website.
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