Tip-A-Cop on Administrative Professionals Day

Join us for Lunch at Paradise Cafe this Wednesday and Raise Money for Special Olympics!

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office encourages you to honor your Administrative Professional this Wednesday, April 25, 2018, with the gift of lunch at Paradise Cafe, which will also raise money for a great cause. From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the public is invited to come to Paradise Café located at 702 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, order lunch and be served by volunteer waiters and waitresses from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Barbara Police Department and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. All the tips earned by the volunteer servers will go directly to benefit Santa Barbara County Special Olympics.

We appreciate Paradise Café for hosting us for this special event. We appreciate in advance your attendance and support of Special Olympics in Santa Barbara County.

Alleged Montecito Heroin Dealer Arrested

On April 19, 2018, Sheriff’s detectives assigned to the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB) concluded an investigation into an alleged heroin dealer operating out of Montecito. SIB Detectives with the assistance of the Compliance Response Team (CRT), a Sheriff’s K-9 team and Tulare Police Officers, executed search warrants in the 800 block of Picacho Lane in Montecito as well as the 300 block of North West Street in Tulare.

During the warrant service in Montecito, 54-year-old Pedro Barajas, a construction foreman who was living on the property in a trailer, was detained. Detectives utilized K-9 Aco to conduct a search of Barajas’ trailer. During the search, K-9 Aco alerted in two locations inside the trailer. SIB Detectives then conducted a physical search of the trailer. During the search, SIB Detectives located a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, including two additional loaded magazines, approximately 1.1 lbs. of heroin packaged for sale and more than $10,000 in cash. The search warrant in Tulare yielded a small amount of methamphetamine.

Barajas was arrested and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on the violations 11351(a) H&S- Possession of a controlled substance for sale, 11370.1 H&S- Possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm. A records check revealed Barajas is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and or ammunition. Barajas is also charged with 29800(a) PC- Felon in possession of a firearm and 30305(a) PC- Felon in Possession of ammunition.

Allan Hancock Law Enforcement Academy classes 114 and 115 joined our Deputy Sheriff’s Association for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge this morning!! 🌊👮🏼‍♂️👮🏻‍♀️☀️

#2018polarplunge #specialolympics #sbsheriff #recruits #policeacademy #freezinforareason #lawenforcement #police #santabarbara #firstresponders #thinblueline

Custody and Patrol Deputies spent some time reading with Roosevelt Elementary School students today, in an event coordinated by www.vow4mal.org. This organization focuses on educating our youth on the prevention and elimination of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ⭐️📚👮🏻‍♂️
#teamsheriff #rooseveltelementary #santabarbara #arrivealive #dontdrinkanddrive #dui #sbsheriff

Congratulations to Dispatch Supervisor, Joe Ayala, for being awarded the Military Order of the World Wars, Law and Order Individual Award!

Jose “Joe” Ayala began his dispatching career in August 1998. He developed an interest in the technology used in the dispatch center very early in his career. He became the Reverse 9-1-1 expert for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, conducting numerous trainings and demonstrations for the public, dispatch personnel and our partner agencies. In 2006, Ayala was promoted to Dispatch Supervisor, and tasked with leading a team of dispatchers. In 2008, Ayala was assigned to the position of Dispatch Projects Supervisor and his duties transitioned into coordinating the implementation and operation of the newly acquired TriTech Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD). The CAD system is a critical tool that ensures accurate and timely responses to all incidents handled by the dispatch center. Over the past several years, Ayala has become an expert in diagnosing issues with the CAD system and works closely with vendors to remedy problems and challenges encountered by our dispatch team. In early 2017, it was necessary to launch a major upgrade to the CAD system in order for the system to better handle current technologies and provide enhanced mapping capabilities. Ayala coordinated the upgrade with all users of the system, the vendor and the County Information Technology Division.

Beyond just the CAD system, Ayala regularly troubleshoots radio consoles and coordinates with our maintenance provider to resolve problems. He is also the resident expert on the Everbridge Public Safety Notification System, having mastered the system so well that he can wake up in the middle of the night and remotely launch a community notification within minutes! Ayala always makes sure our Public Safety Dispatchers have the tools they need to perform to the best of their ability to provide uninterrupted service to the community members we serve.

Beyond his exemplary work within the Sheriff’s Office over the past 19 years, Ayala is also a military veteran. He proudly served within the United States Army between 1985 and 1994. At the time of his discharge, Ayala was a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Ayala is very proud of his military experience and the opportunity he was given to serve our country!

Ayala’s dedication to the Santa Barbara County communities, the overall mission of the Sheriff’s Office and to our Public Safety Dispatch Center is commended. 🏅👨🏻‍💻📞🎙🎛

#sbsheriff #dispatch #911 #emergency #firstresponders #dispatcher #supervisor #lawenforcement #emergencyservices #radio #communication #thingoldline

Sheriff’s Office and Autism Society Provide Awareness Training to Santa Barbara County First Responders

First Responders from public safety agencies across Santa Barbara County know more about how to communicate with people who have autism after attending an important training yesterday, April 18, 2018, at CenCal Health in Santa Barbara. The Autism Society in collaboration with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office hosted two training sessions taught by Officer Brian Herritt, a private consultant and retired police officer, who provided important skills on how to identify, interact and confront members of our community on the autism spectrum.

Officer Herritt said, "I am very blessed to have the insight of both a police officer and a parent of a child with autism. My goal and the goal of the Autism Society was to provide our First Responders with the awareness and training they so desperately need.”

Marcia Eichelberger of the Autism Society agreed the training is critical for law enforcement who come into contact with people who have autism. She said, "It’s vital that our First Responders have a clear understanding of some of the overarching characteristics of autism so that our loved ones’ needs are understood and their safety is protected. It’s very easy to misinterpret things you aren’t familiar with. Knowledge is power. Behavior that might be overlooked or shrugged off in a young child may elicit a different reaction coming from an adolescent or an adult. The safety of the people we serve and their families is our number one priority in offering these free trainings.”

Sheriff Bill Brown, who has a son with autism, said he understands the nuances and challenges that autism brings, especially during interactions with law enforcement. He said, “I want to thank the Autism Society for sponsoring this valuable training. My hope is that the first responders who attended now have a better understanding of this bewildering disability, and that they are better equipped to recognize it, and to interact with those who have it.”

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). According to a 2014 California Department of Developmental Services survey, more than 73,000 individuals in the State of California had been diagnosed with autism (California Department of Developmental Services, 2014), and nearly 90 percent of them were under age 21 (California Department of Developmental Services, 2015). Based on population growth and rate of diagnoses per year, it’s estimated that this number has grown to more than 120,000 individuals.

The overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, but is nearly five times more prevalent in boys than girls. Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries; family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the possibility of an autism occurrence.

Education, awareness, advocacy and support form the cornerstones of the Autism Society’s mission. The group offers an informational foundation for family support, current medical practices and clinical recommendations. For questions or more information on the Autism Society call Marcia Eichelberger at 805-722-7473 and info@asasb.org.
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