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Supervisor Sarmiento opposes Lexipol contract amendment, board approves 4–1
Summary
The board approved an amendment to the sheriff-coroner’s Lexipol contract for policy manuals and training, but Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento voiced a formal 'no' citing concerns about Lexipol's use-of-force and de-escalation language and the need for tailored, in-house policies; the motion carried 4–1.
The board voted to approve Amendment 1 to a contract with Lexipol LLC — a vendor that supplies policy manuals and training materials to law-enforcement agencies — but the vote was not unanimous.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento announced he would vote against the item, repeating objections he raised the last time the item came before the board. "I will be voting no on this item as I did last time it came before us," Sarmiento said. He cited concerns that Lexipol's standard materials "discourage police departments from requiring de-escalation," and that some Lexipol policies are vague about use of less‑than‑lethal equipment and crowd situations. Sarmiento urged exploring more in‑house tailoring and stronger community engagement in policy development.
The chair noted the ASR clarifies Lexipol is intended as a baseline resource and that the Sheriff retains authority to set local policy. After discussion the board approved the contract amendment; the clerk recorded the outcome as a 4–1 vote with Supervisor Sarmiento opposing.
