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Sheriff reports Measure H hiring gains and technology purchases, says jail opening near
Summary
Sheriff Cory Hone briefed the board on Measure H-funded hiring and technology investments: recruitment campaigns boosted applicants and lateral hires, correctional staffing is improving and the sheriff expects the new jail to be ready for occupancy in the coming weeks.
Sheriff Cory Hone told the Board of Supervisors Oct. 14 that Measure H revenue has enabled a stepped-up recruitment campaign, more lateral hires and new technology purchases that he said are beginning to improve public-safety capacity.
"I think to say that Measure H was a game changer for the county is an understatement," Hone said, summarizing the office—s recent progress.
Hone described the office—s staffing position before and after Measure H: in November 2023 the department reported several open positions (six deputy sheriff positions, 13 correctional-deputy vacancies and three public-safety-dispatcher vacancies). After Measure H and active recruitment using a specialist firm (Epic), the agency briefly reported higher open-position counts reflecting restorations to budgeted positions; today the sheriff reported improved hiring and lower vacancy numbers as a result of targeted recruitment and lateral hiring.
The sheriff said recruitment improvements included a 27% increase in total applicants across deputy, correctional and dispatcher classifications, a 41% increase in correctional-deputy applicants and a 121% increase in dispatcher applicants since the campaign began; he also said the office has started hiring lateral candidates, including from neighboring agencies.
Officials described investments in operational technology paid for with Measure H: in-car computers for patrol deputies, automated license-plate readers (ALPRs), facial-recognition software tied to booking photos, and AI-assisted review and transcription tools for body-worn-camera footage. Sheriff Hone said those systems reduce investigation and reporting burdens so deputies can spend more time in the field.
Hone said the county expects the new jail facility to reach completion later this year and that planned staffing increases will support opening and sustained operations. He asked the board to continue to support recruitment and technology investments funded by Measure H.
