The Sheriff’s Office understands the importance of the special training and operations for persons with mental health and substance use disorders who are in crisis. Over the last 40 years, changes in mental health laws, closing of mental health facilities and law enforcement policies have brought law enforcement officers into ever increasing contacts with people who suffer from mental illness and substance use disorders. Local Santa Barbara County Law Enforcement officials have estimated that anywhere from 15- 60% of all calls for service involve some type of contact with a mentally ill subject.
The Sheriff’s Behavioral Sciences Unit (BSU) was formed to oversee cases involving mental illness and substance use, develop a Crisis Intervention Team and to build community partnerships to help adopt restorative justice principles to divert individuals from the criminal justice system and into treatment.
Our BSU developed an 8-hour and 40-hour P.O.S.T. certified Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) course where law enforcement learn about various mental illnesses, de-escalation techniques and local resources. a 36 hour course has also been created specifically for our custody staff. To date, the BSU has trained over 1,300 local law enforcement in CIT including; custody deputies, patrol deputies; dispatchers, University of California Santa Barbara Police Department, Santa Maria Police Department, Santa Barbara Police Department, Probation, District Attorneys office, Public Defenders office, and staff within Behavioral Wellness. We continue to offer the training to all local law enforcement agencies within Santa Barbara County and are proud to work with our partners at the National Alliance of Mental Illness and the Department of Behavioral Wellness.
The BSU is proud to have launched Santa Barbara Counties first county Co-Response program with our partners at Behavioral Wellness. We have three such teams operating in all parts of the county. Co-response is where CIT trained deputy and a mental health clinician or case worker from county Behavioral Wellness are partnered up and paired together to respond to mental health crises. Our three teams are currently grant funded through the end of 2022. If you would like to learn more about the BSU initiatives and programming you may contact Dr. Cherylynn Lee at (805) 681 4231, crl5034@sbsheriff.org
If you or your loved one are expecting a mental health crisis and need to call 911
USE THIS CHECKLIST!
Avoid. Deny. Defend.— Surviving an Active Shooter Event
SBSO Twitter Feed
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will host a National Night Out event in Carpinteria on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. This block-party event will be in the 800-block of Linden Avenue from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Read more here: https://www.sbsheriff.org/sheriffs-office-to-host-night-out-event-in-carpinteria/
Todas las Órdenes y Advertencias de Evacuación que quedan para el área del Incendio Lake están CANCELADAS a partir del martes 23 de julio a las 4 PM.
Todas las carreteras, senderos y áreas recreativas permanecen cerradas dentro de Los Padres Bosque Nacional Área de Cierre de Incendios.
SBSO Instagram Feed
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will host a National Night Out event in Carpinteria on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. National Night Out is a nationwide, annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods a safer, more caring place to live and work.
This block-party event will be in the 800-block of Linden Avenue from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sheriff’s Office staff including a K9 Unit, Custody Deputies and members of the Forensics Services Bureau will be there to mingle with the community. The Forensics team will be offering child identification kits that include fingerprinting. Carpinteria Fire, Carpinteria Public Works, and California State Parks will be joining us along with more being added each week.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will host a National Night Out event in Carpinteria on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. National Night Out is a nationwide, annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods a safer, more caring place to live and work.
This block-party event will be in the 800-block of Linden Avenue from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sheriff’s Office staff including a K9 Unit, Custody Deputies and members of the Forensics Services Bureau will be there to mingle with the community. The Forensics team will be offering child identification kits that include fingerprinting. Carpinteria Fire, Carpinteria Public Works, and California State Parks will be joining us along with more being added each week.
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📢The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for the upcoming Citizen’s Academy. The Citizen’s Academy is an engaging and informational behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement in Santa Barbara, hosted by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Participants will engage in various topics including the history of law enforcement, criminal law, patrol tactics, and de-escalation communication. They will also participate in hands-on learning such as firearms instruction and active shooter scenarios. This is a great opportunity for people who are interested in law enforcement to learn more about our agency and this rewarding career.
Participants must be 18 years of age or older. Applications must be received no later than Friday, August 30, 2024. You can scan and email your application to citizensacademy@sbsheriff.org
The first class begins Thursday, September 12, from 6:00 to 8:30 P.M. at Sheriff’s Headquarters. There will be a session every Thursday at 6:00pm, except for October 31 (Halloween), with a final meeting on Saturday, November 16, 2024, which will include a graduation ceremony. Sessions will be at various locations including Sheriff’s Headquarters, the North Branch Jail, and County Air Support at the Santa Ynez Airport.
You can read more about the Citizen’s Academy and find the application form on the Sheriff’s Office website- SBSheriff.org
📢The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for the upcoming Citizen’s Academy. The Citizen’s Academy is an engaging and informational behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement in Santa Barbara, hosted by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Participants will engage in various topics including the history of law enforcement, criminal law, patrol tactics, and de-escalation communication. They will also participate in hands-on learning such as firearms instruction and active shooter scenarios. This is a great opportunity for people who are interested in law enforcement to learn more about our agency and this rewarding career.
Participants must be 18 years of age or older. Applications must be received no later than Friday, August 30, 2024. You can scan and email your application to citizensacademy@sbsheriff.org
The first class begins Thursday, September 12, from 6:00 to 8:30 P.M. at Sheriff’s Headquarters. There will be a session every Thursday at 6:00pm, except for October 31 (Halloween), with a final meeting on Saturday, November 16, 2024, which will include a graduation ceremony. Sessions will be at various locations including Sheriff’s Headquarters, the North Branch Jail, and County Air Support at the Santa Ynez Airport.
You can read more about the Citizen’s Academy and find the application form on the Sheriff’s Office website- SBSheriff.org
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Thank you to @maddcalifornia for all their efforts to prevent drunk and drugged driving within our communities. Last Wednesday, MADD recognized deputies, officers and prosecutors throughout the tri-county areas who have gone above and beyond to save lives by addressing drunk driving and removing impaired drivers from our roads. 👏🏼
Thank you to @maddcalifornia for all their efforts to prevent drunk and drugged driving within our communities. Last Wednesday, MADD recognized deputies, officers and prosecutors throughout the tri-county areas who have gone above and beyond to save lives by addressing drunk driving and removing impaired drivers from our roads. 👏🏼 ...
PLEASE WATCH: Train Safety PSA 🛤️
↔️ Always look both ways. Trains can come from any direction, at any time.
🚧 Only cross railroad tracks at a designated crossing. Designated crossings are marked by a sign, lights or a gate.
🚦If lights are flashing or the gate is down at a railroad crossing, wait for the train to pass completely and the gate to go back up before crossing. It is never okay to try and beat the train.
🚶🏽♀️Don’t be tempted to walk on or along the tracks. Trains are at least three feet wider than the tracks on either side.
🚆A train can take up to a mile to stop. By the time the locomotive engineer sees someone or something on the tracks ahead; it is too late to stop.
PLEASE WATCH: Train Safety PSA 🛤️
↔️ Always look both ways. Trains can come from any direction, at any time.
🚧 Only cross railroad tracks at a designated crossing. Designated crossings are marked by a sign, lights or a gate.
🚦If lights are flashing or the gate is down at a railroad crossing, wait for the train to pass completely and the gate to go back up before crossing. It is never okay to try and beat the train.
🚶🏽♀️Don’t be tempted to walk on or along the tracks. Trains are at least three feet wider than the tracks on either side.
🚆A train can take up to a mile to stop. By the time the locomotive engineer sees someone or something on the tracks ahead; it is too late to stop.
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Deputies joined Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church for a Safety Town demonstration yesterday. We had a great time sharing safety info with all the kiddos! ☀️🏘️🚓
Deputies joined Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church for a Safety Town demonstration yesterday. We had a great time sharing safety info with all the kiddos! ☀️🏘️🚓 ...
It’s graduation season 👨🏼🎓 and we want to congratulate our recent Custody and Law Enforcement academy graduates. 🎉 They will go from graduation straight into the work they studied and trained for 🌟🚔
It’s graduation season 👨🏼🎓 and we want to congratulate our recent Custody and Law Enforcement academy graduates. 🎉 They will go from graduation straight into the work they studied and trained for 🌟🚔 ...
🏃🏻♀️Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 🚓 Thank you to everyone who cheered us on and to our runners who proudly carried the torch in support of @sosc_santabarbara 🌟
🏃🏻♀️Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 🚓 Thank you to everyone who cheered us on and to our runners who proudly carried the torch in support of @sosc_santabarbara 🌟 ...