Years of sexual harassment allegations have swirled around a correctional officer-turned-leader of one of Silicon Valley’s biggest civil rights groups. He’s suing the Santa Clara County officials who found them credible. A county personnel board last August unanimously found NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley President Sean Allen engaged in a pattern of sexually harassing, intimidating and...
Santa Clara County sheriff touts minimal Taser use but wants more
Deputies with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office are reporting minimal Taser usage in jails — arguing they’ve helped curb violent incidents. But watchdogs aren’t convinced amid a push to arm the whole custody bureau. Deputies used Tasers just nine times out of 252 incidents where correctional officers needed to use weapons or brute force...
Santa Clara County sheriff advisor hired to oversee jail conditions
A record high in jail deaths, lagging deputy misconduct probes and in-custody violence have tested federal monitors’ patience with Santa Clara County’s slow progress improving jail conditions. This is where the work begins for police oversight specialist Alexa Daniels-Shpall. Shpall started as the Santa Clara County Sheriff Office’s first-ever policy and compliance advisor on July...
Santa Clara County sheriff’s office struggles to probe misconduct
A new report from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s oversight office said the county is lagging on internal affairs investigations into deputy misconduct. Over the course of 2024, the Sheriff’s Office of deputy misconduct investigations were routinely completed just days or weeks before the one-year statute of limitations had expired, according to the June 17...