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Source: Santa Maria Times Staff Report

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Explorer Sergeant Ronan Valadez and Explorer Corporal Maya Panizzon were recently awarded college scholarships by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Benevolent Posse.

Valadez and Panizzon distinguished themselves through their unwavering commitment to academic excellence and a future in law enforcement by competing in a highly competitive application process. Both are members of the Sheriff's Office Explorer Program, Post 31.

The Sheriff's Benevolent Posse highlighted...

An afternoon fundraising event to benefit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, known as “Boots ‘n Badges,” will be held at the Red River Ranch in Los Olivos on Saturday, May 13.

The event is slated to run from 2 to 5:30 p.m. and will feature up-close, live demonstrations by several Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputies including its bomb squad and K-9 and mounted enforcement units.

Among the highlights planned for the event, the mounted unit will show how it trains its horses in crowd control techniques, the bomb squad will demonstrate its robot by...

Source: Raquel Zick for Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

New riding helmets will serve dual purposes

The Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse has donated new riding helmets to members of the Sheriff’s Mounted Enforcement Unit. The Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that raises funds for the benefit of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office,

The posse was formed by local residents to find ways to help the Sheriff’s Office improve efficiency, performance and morale by helping fill the gap between the county's...

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse provided the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department with a $10,000 anonymous donation last week, which will be used to purchase supplies and personal protective equipment for Sheriff’s personnel.

Board members for the Benevolent Posse, a nonprofit that raises money for the Sheriff’s Office, recently presented the donation to Sheriff Bill Brown at the Sheriff’s headquarters. The Sheriff’s Office will use the donation to purchase much-needed PPE for line level staff who work in patrol and custody settings. The funds will also be used for...

by Mike Hodgson

When an armed robbery went down early in the evening Nov. 2 in Santa Maria, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office’s newest K-9 team was among the units that responded to the area of West Orange and South Pine streets.

Although they’ve officially been on duty since Oct. 22, it marked the first real callout for Duke and handler Deputy Brian Scott, who were joined by the sheriff’s K-9 team of Deputy Mike McNeil and Magnum to search nearby yards for the suspect and weapon.

“I thought it was successful,” Scott said last Friday, taking a break with Duke...

by Naja Hill

LOS OLIVOS, Calif. - Mattei's Tavern hosted a dinner and auction Sunday night to benefit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse.

The Benevolent Posse is a nonprofit organization that helps provide funding to the Sheriff's office and supplements their financial needs due to a strained county budget. The Benevolent Posse help pay for things like equipment and the upkeep of the Sheriff's K-9 unit.

Guests were also greeted at the Tavern's historical post at Mattei's front entrance by the Sheriff’s Mounted Enforcement Unit. At the dinner, they got...

by Gina Kim for Santa Maria Times

Crime scene lab technicians now will be able to handle evidence more quickly and efficiently, thanks to the donation of two advanced air-drying cabinets to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse donated the $14,000 cabinets, which now are installed at the sheriff's Santa Maria substation and Santa Barbara headquarters. The purpose of the cabinets is to protect evidence from airborne pathogens and cross-contamination while protecting personnel from exposure to odors, harmful bacteria and...

By Paul Gonzalez, News-Press Staff Writer

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office's newest recruit will be tasked with sniffing out illegal drugs at the County Jail.

According to a Sheriff's Office News Release 14-month old Krypto, a high energy black Labrador, started his new assignment with the Jail K-9 Narcotics Team this week alongside his handler, four year veteran Custody Deputy Ian Ur.

The team was formed to reduce issues related to the sale, distribution and use of drugs in the jail....

Sheriff's Benevolent Posse donates $40,000

by Dave Alley

ORCUTT, Calif. - Elementary students in Northern Santa Barbara County are continuing to receive D.A.R.E. education in school thanks to a recent donation by the Sheriff's Benevolent Posse.

"What it means is the D.A.R.E. program continues on," said Leslie Avila, (Ret.) Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Deputy...