CountyofSB.org 
Proud and Honored to be Your Sheriff
“I am humbled to have been elected by – and to serve – the people of Santa Barbara County. It is my honor and privilege to lead the men and women of our Sheriff’s Office, some of the finest law enforcement and corrections professionals on the planet.”
Bill Brown has served as Santa Barbara County’s Sheriff-Coroner since January 9, 2007. He was first elected to that constitutional office on November 7, 2006, and re-elected to a second term in June, 2010, to a third term in June, 2014, to a fourth term in June, 2018, and to his present fifth term in June, 2022.
Beginning his law enforcement career in 1977 with the Pacifica Police Department in the San Francisco Bay area, Bill Brown transferred to the Inglewood Police Department in 1980. He served that Los Angeles County community as a police officer, sergeant, lieutenant and acting-captain until 1992, when he was selected as chief of police for the City of Moscow, Idaho. In that position he was responsible for overseeing police operations for both the City of Moscow and the University of Idaho. In 1995, Brown was selected as chief of police for the City of Lompoc, being only the eighth person to hold the title of police chief in that community since it incorporated in 1899. He led the Lompoc Police Department for the next 11 years until being elected to his present office.
Sheriff Brown received his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California in 1995. He was president of the 91st Class of the Delinquency Control Institute, and is a graduate of the Northwest Command College, the 169th Session of the FBI National Academy, and the 33rd Session of the FBI National Executive Institute.
Sheriff Brown was elected by his peers as President of the Major County Sheriffs of America and began his two-year term on February 9, 2024. Sheriff Brown is also a past president of both the California State Sheriffs’ Association and the California Police Chiefs’ Association, the only person to have ever held both positions. Since 2010 he has served as a Commissioner on the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for the State of California, and he leads Santa Barbara County’s version of “Stepping Up,” a National Initiative to Reduce the Number of Mentally Ill People in Jails. In 2022 Sheriff Brown started “Project Opioid” in Santa Barbara County, an initiative that regularly convenes a diverse group of high-level, county-wide leaders committed to raising awareness about, and reducing the number of overdose deaths from fentanyl and other illicit drugs. He is also Chairman of the Santa Barbara County Law Enforcement Chiefs (C.L.E.C.).
In 2016, Sheriff Brown was selected by the California Peace Officers’ Association for their highest honor, the Sherman Block Law Enforcement Professional of the Year award. He has also received the Westmont Medal from Westmont College, and the Goleta Elks Outstanding Service Award, both for his leadership during the twin disasters of the Thomas Fire and the Montecito 1/9 Debris Flow. Some of his other accolades include the Santa Barbara County Rescue Mission’s Léni Fé Bland Award, the Santa Barbara County Community Action Commission’s Community Champion Award, the California Forensic Mental Health Association’s Words to Deeds Paradigm Award, and their Christine M. West award for significant contributions to the field of forensic mental health.
Active in his community, Sheriff Brown serves as an honorary board member for the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center and Santa Barbara Domestic Violence Solutions, as an advisory board member of the Anti-Defamation League and the United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, and as a Red Cross Ambassador for the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is also a steering committee member for Santa Barbara’s “Fighting Back” (Against Alcohol & Drug Abuse), sits on the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Pierre Claeyssens’ Veterans Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Sheriff Brown is deeply committed to the philosophy of community policing and corrections, wherein peace officers and citizens work together to identify and seek long-term solutions to problems relating to crime, fear of crime, neighborhood decay and quality of life. Sheriff Brown and his wife, Donna, have been happily married for more than 45 years and have three grown children.
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🌟 This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Our public safety dispatchers and call takers are an extraordinary group of women and men who answer emergency calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Answering calls for help from members of the public, and dispatching cops, paramedics and firefighters to law enforcement, medical and fire emergencies - many of which are inter-connected - requires great levels of technical skill, coolness under extreme conditions, an outstanding ability to communicate, dedication to duty, and large doses of tact, patience, common sense, and empathy for the plight of others.
🙏🏼 Thank you to our dispatchers and call takers for the amazing work you do every day! 📞
Join us on-line on Thursday, April 25, 2024 to discuss funding, acquisition, and use of SBSO’s equipment that is considered military equipment pursuant to Assembly Bill 481.
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Microsoft Teams
Meeting ID: 233 399 032 129
Passcode: 7JfiCQ
Or call in (audio only) +1 805-724-6760,,737039882#
Phone Conference ID: 737 039 882#
📊The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is sharing preliminary stats related to the 2024 Deltopia weekend. We issued 256 citations and made 32 arrests (all misdemeanors).
Rain and wind on Friday made for a calm and relatively uneventful first day of Deltopia. The crowds were largest on Saturday and significantly larger than last year’s event and concentrated at residences along the ocean side of Del Playa. Attendance spiked in the early afternoon along with an increase in emergency medical calls, most of which were for acute alcohol intoxication.
Most residents complied with the Outdoor Festival Ordinance, however 13 citations were issued for illegal parties, in accordance with the new Social Host Ordinance where deputies encountered rooftop partygoers and noise violations. One paid party was also shut down. Deputies noted compliance from the community on maintaining smaller, free parties. The Sheriff’s Office noted no incidents of cliff fall or fentanyl overdose fatalities.
Thank you to our community partners and first responders from @santabarbaracountyfire , @amr_social , Alcoholic Beverage Control, @ucsbpolice , @chp_santabarbara , @smpdhq , @sbcsar , and Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services.
As we approach the unsanctioned festival known as Deltopia, here are some quick tips for a safe weekend! 👍🏽
🌟 Our recent retirees were honored at the Board of Supervisors meeting today.
👏🏼 Join us in congratulating Sergeant Henebry, K9 Odin, and Administrative Office Professionals Marla Arnoldi and Karen Kozak.
🙏🏼 Thank you all for your service- you will be missed!
🌟 We are proud to introduce the newest member of the Sheriff’s Office team – Deputy Oliver. Earlier today, Sheriff Brown lead a swearing-in ceremony at Headquarters that was attended by Deputy Oliver’s family and Sheriff’s Office staff.
👮🏽♀️👨🏽💼The Sheriff’s Office is hiring for a variety of exciting and rewarding careers – learn more at SBSheriff.org!
☕️ Thank you to everyone who joined us for Coffee with a Cop today! This was a great opportunity to have conversations with our community members and connect over a cup of coffee.
🏆 Join us in congratulating Custody Deputy Soto, who was honored today at the Military Order of the World Wars, Colonel George C. Woolsey Chapter 113 awards luncheon with the National Law and Order Outstanding Performance Award. This recognition honors those who excel in local, and national security, homeland security, law enforcement and service to the community.
Santa Maria Valley Community of Prayer stopped by NBJ to learn more about the work of the Sheriff’s Office in serving our local communities and the challenges faced by our team members. Thanks for the visit and chance to connect @ndop_santamaria
☕ The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is excited to invite the community to a special edition of Coffee with a Cop, introducing the new Goleta Community Resource Deputy, Connor Worden. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Old Town Coffee, 5877 Hollister Avenue, Goleta.
Coffee with a Cop is a community outreach program designed to provide a relaxed environment for residents to engage with local law enforcement. This event offers an opportunity for open dialogue, building relationships, and addressing any concerns community members may have.
At this event, we are proud to showcase the newly selected Goleta Community Resource Deputy, Connor Worden. The goals of the Community Resource Deputy position are to help solve chronic problems by working collaboratively with citizens and other agencies and empowering residents with the knowledge of how to make their neighborhoods safer.
The event is open to all members of the community, and there is no cost to attend. We encourage residents to come and meet their local law enforcement officers and enjoy a cup of coffee with us.