Alameda County Sheriff's Office
Encyclopedia
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) is a law enforcement agency serving Alameda County, California. The ACSO is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
(CALEA), the American Correctional Association
(ACA), National Commission on Correctional Health Care
(NCCHC) and the California Medical Association
(CMA).
As of 2008, the ACSO has approximately 1500 positions, over 1000 of which are sworn peace officers.
The ACSO is charged with
The sheriff and coroner is an elected position currently filled by Gregory J. Ahern.
is the primary facility that houses most people arrested or convicted of crimes in the county and is located in Dublin, CA. The Glenn Dyer Detention facility, also known as the North County Jail, houses a smaller number of inmates and is located in downtown Oakland, directly adjacent to the Wiley W. Manuel court building in which the majority of the county's criminal calendar is initially heard.
Hosted by the ACSO, Urban Shield is the largest urban "SWAT" exercise so far in the USA. Held in the fall, it provides an opportunity for police special teams from all over the nation to train in 20 scenarios over a continuous 50 hour exercise. These scenarios range from an active shooter on the UC Berkeley campus to airplane hijacking to maritime interdiction and a 20 mile hike.
, near John George Psychiatric Pavilion
and a juvenile detention center.
riots of the 1960s, Alameda County Sheriff deployed several squads of officers. Clad in light blue jumpsuits, they quickly became known by anti-government protesters as "The Blue Meanies".
and the Oakland Police Department. The municipal police departments provide routine law enforcement services for those cities, with the ACSO providing corresponding services for unincorporated regions of Alameda County.
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., is a credentialing authority , based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredited public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, training academies, communications centers, and campus public safety...
(CALEA), the American Correctional Association
American Correctional Association
The American Correctional Association , formerly known as the American Prison Association, is the oldest and largest international correctional association in the world. Approximately 80 percent of all state departments of corrections and youth services are active participants...
(ACA), National Commission on Correctional Health Care
National Commission on Correctional Health Care
The National Commission on Correctional Health Care [www.ncchc.org] is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the standard of care in the field of correctional health care in the United States...
(NCCHC) and the California Medical Association
California Medical Association
The California Medical Association is a professional organization representing more than 35,000 physicians in the state of California. The organization was founded in 1856 and is a member of the American Medical Association.-Audio-Digest Foundation:...
(CMA).
As of 2008, the ACSO has approximately 1500 positions, over 1000 of which are sworn peace officers.
The ACSO is charged with
- Providing security to the Consolidated Superior Courts
- Operating the Coroner's Bureau
- Operating a full service crime laboratory
- Operating a County Jail and Detention Center
- Conducting a basic academy pursuant to Police Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) requirements.
- Performing Civil Process
- Operating the County Office of Emergency Services
- Providing Fish and Game enforcement
- Operating a Marine Patrol Unit in the San Francisco Bay waters
- Providing patrol and investigative services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County
- Pursuant to contractual agreements, providing patrol and investigative services to the City of Dublin, Peralta Community College District, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex, Oakland International Airport, Highland County Hospital, Social Services, and to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
The sheriff and coroner is an elected position currently filled by Gregory J. Ahern.
Detention facilities
The ACSO operates two detention facilities (or jails). The Santa Rita JailSanta Rita Jail
Santa Rita Jail is a county jail located in Dublin, Alameda County, California adjacent to the Camp Parks Reserve Forces Training Area, and operated by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office...
is the primary facility that houses most people arrested or convicted of crimes in the county and is located in Dublin, CA. The Glenn Dyer Detention facility, also known as the North County Jail, houses a smaller number of inmates and is located in downtown Oakland, directly adjacent to the Wiley W. Manuel court building in which the majority of the county's criminal calendar is initially heard.
Training and exercises
The ACSO operates a police academy as well as training exercises for the greater law enforcement community in the Bay Area.Hosted by the ACSO, Urban Shield is the largest urban "SWAT" exercise so far in the USA. Held in the fall, it provides an opportunity for police special teams from all over the nation to train in 20 scenarios over a continuous 50 hour exercise. These scenarios range from an active shooter on the UC Berkeley campus to airplane hijacking to maritime interdiction and a 20 mile hike.
Eden Township substation
ACSO operates a police substation in San LeandroSan Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
, near John George Psychiatric Pavilion
John George Psychiatric Pavilion
John George Psychiatric Pavilion, also known as John George Hospital or John George, is a psychiatric hospital located in San Leandro, in Alameda County, California. It is operated by the Alameda County Medical Center, and is located near Fairmont Hospital and the county Juvenile Justice Center...
and a juvenile detention center.
Crime laboratory
The ACSO operates a crime laboratory that is accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. The Crime Lab, located at the Eden Township substation, receives and analyzes evidence from law enforcement agencies throughout the county. The Crime Lab has capabilities in controlled substance analysis, latent fingerprint recovery, ballistics, tool mark identification, and DNA extraction and analysis. The crime lab staff can also serve as crime scene investigators upon request by law enforcement agencies in the county.Coroner's bureau
The ACSO operates the Coroner's Bureau in downtown Oakland. Coroner's Pathologists, Deputy Sheriff's, Forensic Death Investigators, and Sheriff's technicians, assist all law enforcement agencies throughout the county in determining the type and manner of death of all persons in Alameda County. They also make contact of next of kin anywhere in the world, and seize and protect assets' of decedents whenever needed. When next of kin cannot be located they decide when to refer the case to the Public Administrator.History
During the Free Speech MovementFree Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
riots of the 1960s, Alameda County Sheriff deployed several squads of officers. Clad in light blue jumpsuits, they quickly became known by anti-government protesters as "The Blue Meanies".
Other law enforcement agencies
Most of the cities within the county have their own police forces, including the Berkeley Police DepartmentBerkeley Police Department
The Berkeley Police Department is the municipal police department for the city of Berkeley, California, USA.-History:Shortly after Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, a town marshal and constables were elected to provide law enforcement. In 1909, the town marshal was appointed to be the first...
and the Oakland Police Department. The municipal police departments provide routine law enforcement services for those cities, with the ACSO providing corresponding services for unincorporated regions of Alameda County.