San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs are highly trained individuals who play a crucial role in maintaining law and order within the city. As 830.1 Peace officers, they have the same level of training and qualifications as a SFPD Police Officer.
The training process for a recruit deputy begins with a 6.5-month Post Certified Academy, which is currently held at the South Bay Regional Academy in San Mateo or Santa Rosa Junior College. Once the recruit graduates from the POST Academy, they must pass a four-week Board of State & Community Corrections Certified Jail Corrections Course.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office places a strong emphasis on ongoing training for their sworn staff. In addition to the 24 Hrs. of Certified POST training that must be completed biennially, all SFSO sworn staff attend an additional 24 Hrs. of certified Board of State and Community Corrections BSCC training annually. This means that San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs receive more mandated training than a police agency.
In addition to standard training, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office has trained their sworn staff on a 16 Hr. mandatory Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) which emphasizes de-escalation and situational awareness when dealing with individuals with mental disorders, developmental disabilities, and altered mental status. This training was conducted FY 2019-2020 and was again offered FY 2021-2022. Deputies also receive 4 Hrs. of Force Option Simulator Training which emphasizes situational awareness, de-escalation, and Use of Force decision making. All sworn personnel attended in FY 2019-2020 and recently attended 4 hrs. during the recent 2021-2022 cycle.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office also has a POST certified Field Training Program (Like the SFPD) and was one of the first agencies to develop their manual to meet the new POST requirements.
In terms of investigations, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office has their own Criminal Investigations Unit staffed with trained investigators who receive the same POST Training as SFPD Investigators. All investigators have attended the 76 Hr. Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation Training and 40 Hr. Behavioral Awareness Training Institute. They are trained and equipped to investigate all crimes that fall under the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, including non-custody felony crimes in the field.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office also has an Emergency Services Unit (ESU) with 150 Sheriff’s Deputies assigned to it. All ESU staff are chosen after passing a written and physical exam and receive a 40-hour course that covers advanced firearms training, crowd control, building search, active shooter training, and medical rescue. ESU members receive an additional 40 Hrs. of training minimum.
The Special Response Team (SRT) is a highly trained unit within the ESU. To qualify, members must first be part of the ESU and pass a physical challenge, firearms proficiency exam, simulation exercise, written exam, and oral interview panel. Chosen members are then required to attend an 80 Hour SWAT school and receive additional monthly training.
Finally, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office has a K-9 Unit, where a K-9 Team must attend a 40 hour dog handler course. A K-9 handler must partake in 16 Hrs. of monthly training minimum to meet POST standards to maintain basic patrol and/or detection proficiency.
In conclusion, San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs are well-trained and highly qualified individuals who play a vital role in maintaining law and order within the city. They undergo rigorous training and ongoing education to ensure they are equipped to handle any situation that arises.
