Recently, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the long-awaited Employee Fitness Center at the Main Jail. This project was led by the Quality Work-Life Committee in the Custody Branch, which was formed to explore opportunities to positively impact the health and well-being of our workforce.

The Quality Work-Life Committee worked with Paul Wright, CEO of Savvy Health Solutions who provided design guidance for the center as well as help in finding no-cost equipment. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Posse provided a significant portion of the funds for this project along with donations from the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

Working in Law Enforcement, whether it be in the jail, on patrol, or in a clerical capacity is stressful. Sheriff Brown thanked Senior Custody Deputy Tariq Falfal for his dedication to this project and his donated time to bring the Fitness Center to reality and added “This Center provides a positive way to relieve stress and increase overall health, resulting in employees who are better suited to withstand the mental and physical rigors of working in Law Enforcement.” He added “This Fitness Center is conveniently located at our Main Jail facility, allowing access to all employees, around the clock.”

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse is a 501(c)(3) organization which was formed by local citizens to find ways to help the Sheriff’s Office improve efficiency, performance, morale and effectiveness by helping to fill the gap between the communities increased law enforcement needs and the county budget.

In the recent past the Sheriff’s Posse has helped the Sheriff’s Office obtain much needed emergency equipment including COVID-19 personal protection equipment, protective vests, night vision goggles, specialized weapons, computer equipment, Narcotics and Explosive detection canines for patrol and custody operations, a headquarters barn for its Mounted Enforcement Unit; specialized equipment for the dive team, and annually supports the highly effective DARE program in north county elementary schools. For more information about the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, visit their website at sbsheriffsposse.org.