San Mateo County is one of the safest counties in the entire state of California, with a low crime rate and a general feeling that crime is under control in the community. This does not occur by accident but is the result of hard work and forward thinking efforts by law enforcement leaders throughout the county. San Mateo County Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, who heads up the largest law enforcement agency in San Mateo County, personifies this leadership by combining strong measures to hold people accountable when they violate the law. At the same time, he has enormous compassion for criminal offenders who do not need to be locked away from society but instead, need a helping hand to get back on their feet. This balance of accountability and compassion is what makes Sheriff Bolanos an outstanding law enforcement leader warranting another four years as our Sheriff.
During his tenure with the Sheriff’s Office, Carlos Bolanos has created numerous innovative programs in the community and our jail facilities. One of the most significant issues in our county is dealing with our citizens who suffer from mental illness. Sheriff Bolanos has taken giant strides in changing the dynamic of how the mentally ill are dealt with in the criminal justice system. In the community, he has created teams of trained mental health deputies with psychiatric workers who respond to persons in crisis in an effort to avoid the violent confrontations of the past. Sheriff Bolanos has created an enhanced crisis intervention program for his deputies to provide training on how to interact with the mentally ill and avoid a crisis. In our jail facilities, he has created mental health pods in order to provide specialized assistance to our seriously mentally ill inmates.
Sheriff Bolanos has developed training and education programs throughout our jail facilities to help men and women obtain the skills to be able to find jobs and become productive citizens upon their release. I have heard the Sheriff say many times that almost all of the people in his jails will, at some time, be coming back into our community, and for the good of all of our citizens, we need to do everything we can to help them get back on their feet.
The Sheriff continues to serve our youth with the work of the Sheriff’s Activities League. He serves our community with the CARON program and he serves everyone with the work of his Community Policing Division. Sheriff Bolanos continues to provide excellent law enforcement services to provide safety for all of us throughout the county. The list of public safety divisions within the Sheriff’s Office is extensive and crucial to keeping this county among the best in the state.
I have worked with every Sheriff in San Mateo County for the last 45 years, and not one can match the success Carlos Bolanos has brought to this county. For that reason, Sheriff Carlos Bolanos has my support for re-election as San Mateo County Sheriff.
Stephen M. Wagstaffe, Menlo Park
