Sheriff Ken Bender, who has served in law enforcement for 27 years, told Open Mic listeners he is focused on rebuilding trust with residents and within his department as he begins his tenure in San Mateo County.

"It’s an honor to be here, to connect with you and really all of the great people of San Mateo County," Bender said, adding that he is "committed for the long haul." He described a career that moved from court work to patrol and several years as a homicide detective, saying investigative work helped him focus on holding serious offenders accountable and supporting victims.

Bender said his immediate priorities include reestablishing community trust and strengthening internal leadership. "My goal for 2026 is to really continue to establish those connections within the community," he said. He added that restoring confidence in the sheriff’s office requires work both outward — meeting residents across Half Moon Bay, North Fair Oaks, Redwood City and Millbrae — and inward by rebuilding leadership and morale among deputies.

On staffing, Bender said Under Sheriff Chris Young has returned and that Ryan Monahan will fill one assistant sheriff role while internal testing will determine others. "It’s really important that we have the right people in the right positions," he said, adding leadership gaps in the jails need to be addressed.

The sheriff described jails as a high-liability area and said he is conducting an operational assessment to identify areas for improvement. "We want to make sure that there's programs so that people that come into our care for custody have an opportunity to better themselves," Bender said, emphasizing addiction treatment and reentry supports intended to reduce recidivism.

Bender highlighted community engagement, public safety and organizational excellence as his three main patrol priorities and framed youth outreach as central to that work. He said school resource officers are deployed to build relationships with students and provide safety training and mentoring: "Community engagement... is every contact that our deputies have with the public — it’s an opportunity to mentor youth."

The sheriff also confirmed recruitment is underway. "We are hiring," he said, inviting applicants to consider careers across the department’s many bureaus including patrol, jails, courts, civil services, detectives, SWAT, bomb and air units.

County Executive Mike Callagy, who hosted the program, called Bender "a wonderful representative of this office" and asked how the sheriff plans to reassure residents after recent challenging times in the department’s history. Bender replied that rebuilding trust and demonstrating consistent, ethical leadership are the path forward.

The interview concluded with the host thanking Bender and inviting public suggestions for future Open Mic topics. The program ended without any formal votes or policy directives; Bender’s stated next steps are internal assessments and personnel actions that the sheriff said will continue through 2026.