Sheriff Scott Jones is the sheriff of Sacramento County. He is currently involved in a debate regarding the scope of duties for the Inspector General and oversight on law enforcement with the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
Here's what you need to know about Sheriff Jones:
Name: Scott Jones
Role: Sacramento County Sheriff
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from CSU Sacramento; Juris Doctor (Law) degree from Lincoln Law School; Graduate of the West Point Leadership Program.
Affiliations: Vice President of the California Peace Officers Association; former Northeastern California and Northern Nevada Board member for the Make-a-Wish Foundation
Politics and Political party: Ran as a Republican in 2016
According to Ballotpedia, Jones has previously campaigned on the following themes:
- National Security
- Jobs and the Economy
- Immigration Reform
- Healthcare
- Energy
Sheriff Jones defeated Jim Cooper for the office of Sacramento County Sheriff in 2010 to serve his first term as sheriff. In 2014, he ran for re-election unopposed.
By 2016, Jones attempted to run for Congress against Representative Ami Bera (D), but he was unsuccessful. The final vote saw Congressman Bera receive 51.2 percent of the vote to Sheriff Jones' 48.3 percent.
In 2018, Sheriff Jones garnered more than 50 percent of the vote in the California Primary for Sacramento County Sheriff. This resulted in the general election being canceled and the sheriff being elected to his third term.
History at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department:
Sheriff Jones began his career at the department in 1989, starting as a security officer. As a deputy, he worked in corrections, patrol, and legal affairs, even serving seven years as a legal advisor.
Jones was promoted through the ranks at the department, ultimately reaching the rank of Captain at the department. He's provided command over Internal Affairs, legal affairs, the Main Jail, and the Centralized Investigations Division, and he has served as an assistant to the Chief of Corrections and former Sheriff John McGinness.
In 2012, Sheriff Jones parlayed a grant into a multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency gang violence reduction IMPACT Division that had success with youth outreach, reducing gang-related assaults and homicides, and getting weapons off the street.
Controversies:
Increase in concealed carry permits - Between August 2011 and January 2016, the number of concealed weapon permits skyrocketed from 887 to 7,478. For more information, click here.
Inspector General and oversight - The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones have been engaged in a debate over the authority of the Inspector General (IG). Recent conversations have been focused on the scope of services that the Inspector General provides and the Board of Supervisor's authority over regarding the IG's access to Sheriff's Department facilities and records and law enforcement oversight.
In contrast, Sheriff Jones has argued that the situation is not about the IG or oversight and claiming that the situation is about making sure investigations are fair, without interference from politics or agendas. He's claimed on social media that the IG went beyond his scope of duties, that information from the IG's report was leaked early to politicians and media, and that the breaches were meant to create "political buzz."