Latest News

  • Members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, donors and Sheriff Bill Brown, second from right, with a fake check representing the donation to the scholarship endowment.

    Donation boosts total Explorer Program scholarship award to minimum $10K annually

    Published On: March 18, 2025

    Source: Santa Maria Times

    The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse is doubling the number of scholarships given each year to Sheriff’s Explorer Program graduates.

    The Posse’s Explorer graduate endowment has awarded two $2,500 scholarships each of the past two years and now will award a minimum of four scholarships totaling $10,000 annually.

    The scholarships have been made possible primarily by the extraordinary generosity of long time Santa Barbara resident and past Posse board member Richard Berti.

    With the recent addition by the Posse of $115,000 to the scholarship endowment its total has reached nearly $250,000, allowing the annual grants from the endowment interest only in perpetuity.

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  • 2 SB Sheriffs with 2 SB Sheriff K-9 units

    New K-9s join the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department

    Published On: January 8, 2025

    Source: John Palminteri - KEYT News

    SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Thanks to community contributions, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department now has two new K-9s.

    The German Shepherd dogs were introduced to the Board of Supervisors this week.

    K-9s Obi and Draco have special skill sets.

    Obi can track narcotics including fentanyl and Draco can locate explosive materials. The dogs and their handlers go through 200 hours of training and live together off duty.

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  • Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse Gives Scholarships to 2 High School Grads

    Published On: January 4, 2025

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

    The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse (SBCSBP) has awarded two college scholarships, each worth $2,500, to recent local high school graduates supporting their higher education goals of post-secondary education.

    Scholarships are awarded yearly to members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Explorers Program.

     

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  • Benevolent Posse donates 26 defibrillators for Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles

    Published On: October 14, 2024

    Source: Santa Maria Times Staff Report

    The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office received community support in their effort to update and replace the automated external defibrillator devices in their patrol vehicles, with the donation of 26 AED devices from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse.

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  • AED

    Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse Donates Lifesaving AEDs

    Published On: October 13, 2024

    Source: Edhat

    New lifesaving AEDs (automated external defibrillator) for immediate installation into the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles for use in the field have been donated by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse (SBCSBP)

    The initial donation of these 26 AEDs will replace the current inventory of these vital lifesaving devices as they are cycled out of service.

     

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  • Santa Barbara sheriff and donors of aed

    Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse Donates Lifesaving AEDs

    Published On: October 10, 2024

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

    Santa Barbara, CA (October 09, 2024) - New lifesaving AEDs (automated external defibrillator) for immediate installation into the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles for use in the field have been donated by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse (SBCSBP)

    The initial donation of these 26 AEDs will replace the current inventory of these vital lifesaving devices as they are cycled out of service.

    Read more...
  • xplorer Sgt. Ronan Valadez and Explorer Cpl. Maya Panizzon

    County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse Presents Two $2,500 Scholarships

    Published On: September 17, 2023

    The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse has awarded two college scholarships, each valued at $2,500, to outstanding members of the Sheriff’s Office Explorer Program, Post 31.

    Explorer Sgt. Ronan Valadez and Explorer Cpl. Maya Panizzon were recipients of the awards after a rigorous selection process.

    Valdez and Panizzon demonstrated their unwavering commitment to academic excellence and a future in law enforcement by competing in a highly competitive application process, Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse said. Their dedication and passion set them apart, making them deserving recipients of this esteemed recognition.

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  • Sean Koffel

    Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse Elects Sean Koffel of Montecito as New President

    Published On: July 31, 2023

    Santa Barbara, CA (May 30, 2023) – Sean Koffel of Montecito has been elected President of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse Board of Directors.

    The Posse Board also re-elected Richard Kline of Los Alamos as Board Chairman and elected David Baskett of Santa Maria as Treasurer; Marianne Freeman of Santa Barbara as Secretary; and Dana Mazzetti of Montecito, Jay Gerlach of Santa Barbara, and Suzanne Kramer-Morton of Sant Ynez as Vice Presidents.

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  • Boots and Badges invitation

    Sheriff’s Boots ‘n Badges event set for May 13

    Published On: April 22, 2023

    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.

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  • Explorer Sergeant Ronan Valadez was awarded one of two college scholarships from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Benevolent Posse. In this photo, Valadez accepts the award from Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Benevolent Posse President Sean Koffel.

    Two Sheriff’s Explorers receive recognition, scholarships from Benevolent Posse

    Published On: September 16, 2022

    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.

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