Office of the Sheriff

OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF, William B. Kolender

The Office of the Sheriff for the County of San Diego has existed since 1850. The Sheriff holds an elected office, which is voted on by the citizens of the county. The Sheriff's is elected to a four year term and he or she may serve additional terms if re-elected by the citizens. The current Sheriff is William B. Kolender, who was originally elected to office in January of 1995. He has been re-elected three times; his current term continuing to January 2011. Sheriff Kolender was proceeded by 27 previous Sheriffs.

The Sheriff oversees the entire department. What once was a one man office has, since 1850, grown into a multi-million dollar operation. Currently, the Sheriff manages a budget of over 500 million dollars. The department has approximately 4,000 employees, approximately 800 vehicles (patrol cars to buses) and even a fleet of helicopters. A modern Sheriff's Department is quite different than the old one man operation.

To oversee this multi-million dollar department, the Sheriff has several appointed management positions. The first is his Undersheriff who helps the Sheriff manage the day-to-day operation of the department. Below the Undersheriff are four Assistant Sheriff's and an Executive Director. Assistant Sheriffs oversee the Law Enforcement, Detentions, Court Services and Human Resources Bureaus. The Executive Director oversees the Management Services Bureau. Together they work with a team approach to manage this very large department .

The Sheriff and his executive staff have their offices at the John F. Duffy Administrative Center. The center is located at 9621 Ridgehaven Court in the City of San Diego. (Thomas Brother's Map page 1249 E2.) The center is open Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The mailing address is P.O. BOX 939062 San Diego, CA 92193-9062. The Sheriff's FAX number is (858) 974-2059 and a receptionist can be reached at (858) 974-2222.

E-Mail can be sent to the Sheriff from here.

SOME HISTORY

The past San Diego County Sheriff's have been:

Agostin Haraszthy 1850-1851
George F. Hooper 1852-1853
William Conroy 1853-1854
M. M. Sexton 1854-1855
Joseph Reiner 1856-1857
D. A. Hollister 1857-1858
George Lyons 1858-1861
James McCoy 1862-1871
Samuel W. Craigue 1871-1874
Nicholas Hunsaker 1875-1876
Joseph Coyne 1876-1882
Edward W. Bushyhead 1883-1886
Samuel A. McDowell 1887-1890
John H. Folks 1891-1892
Ben P. Hill 1893-1894
Frank S. Jennings 1895-1902
Thomas W. Brodnax 1903-1906
Fred M. Jennings 1907-1914
Ralph Conklin 1915-1918
James C. Byers 1918-1929
Edgar F. Cooper 1929-1935
Ernest W. Dort 1936-1941
Bert Strand 1941-1962
A. Elmer Jansen 1962-1963
Joseph C. O'Connor 1963-1971
John F. Duffy 1971-1991
Jim Roache 1991-1994
William B. Kolender 1995-Present

Take a journey back in time and enjoy many historical items from the Office of the Sheriff housed in the Department’s museum. The building for the museum was made possible through the Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Many hours of volunteer labor and generous donations have made the museum a reality. The Sheriff’s Museum is located in Old Town State Historic Park at 2384 San Diego Avenue. The museum is located next to the site of the first jail in San Diego, which was constructed of cobblestone. The museum contains over 30 exhibits incorporating the many aspects of law enforcement. You will find historical items contrasted with modern day exhibits, including weapons, communications, fingerprinting, and bomb/arson. The detentions exhibit offers a realistic view of what it was like to be incarcerated then and now.

The California History exhibit depicts Old Town, where San Diego had its beginnings. You will have the opportunity to view an exhibit from the training academy, where recruits receive practical and classroom knowledge to accomplish their assignments in detentions and patrol. Other exhibits include the Special Enforcement Detail, K-9 detail, DARE, Juvenile Diversion, Gangs and Narcotics, Crime Prevention, Senior Volunteers, and Reserves, both law enforcement and Search and Rescue. You will also view an exhibit showing the nine contract cities that contract for police services from the Sheriff. A model courtroom provides a realistic backdrop of a day in court. The final display is the Gallery of Honor. In this special room, respect and gratitude are offered to those who gave their lives in the line of duty. For those interested in purchasing memorabilia, a gift shop is located on the premises. For additional information, visit the museum’s website at http://www.sheriffmuseum.org/.

Last updated 11/24/07