Press Releases
DSA votes to endorse Sheriff Doyle for Sheriff
April 2010
President Hugh Baker declares a personal endorsement for Marin County Sheriff
April 2010
Marin IJ Reader's Forum,
Saving taxpayers money - President Baker responds
January 2010
Oakland Shooting - The President of the Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association responds
March 2009
Oakland Shooting - President of PORAC and the California Peace Officer's Memorial responds
March 2009
Oakland Shooting - LAPD Press Release
March 2009
Federal Economic Stimulus Bill - Side by side analysis by PORAC
February 2009
1st Annual C.P.O.A. Memorial Run & Family BBQ
February 2009
New Recruitment Video!
January 2009
An open letter to Sheriff Doyle and the Marin Board of Supervisors: Tasers
October 2008
The Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
Donates $2500 to the Marin County Sheriffs' Mounted Posse
Sept 2008
The Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
Donates $300 to the Drake High School Pirates
Sept 2008
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Public Safety Bill AB 2754
Sept 2008
President Hugh Baker endorses Sheriff Doyle for Marin County Sheriff
Hugh J. Baker, President, Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
Many of our members have asked me if the Executive Board will be taking a position on endorsing a candidate for sheriff. I will not ask the board to take a position, however, as your president, I have decided to take a public position on the matter.
First, let me say that it is you, the working men and women of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, who make our organization what it is. I am fully committed to serving you and I will work diligently with whoever holds the Office of the Sheriff on January 1, 2011 to further the objectives of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association.
Both candidates, Sheriff Robert Doyle and Coroner Kenneth Holmes, have served the county honorably for many years. Both candidates have extensive experience as county department heads. I have been acquainted with both for more than twenty years and have known them both to be honorable men, dedicated to their professions and committed to providing the highest standard of service to the community.
That said, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office is a complex organization of more than 300 employees; 217 of those are fully sworn peace officers. We patrol 535 square miles of territory from four sub-stations. We manage the Office of Emergency Services, dispatch for seven of Marin’s thirteen law enforcement agencies and all but three of its fire departments. We handle complex criminal investigations and assist many of our sister agencies with investigative resources and expertise whenever requested. We operate the Major Crimes Task Force and provide coordinated drug enforcement throughout the county and beyond. We maintain the continuous custody of more than 300 inmates in the county jail and provide security for the Superior Courts of Marin County. In addition to the core functions I have mentioned above, we provide a multitude of additional programs and services that protect the public and enrich the lives of the people of Marin.
Leading and managing a multi-dimensional organization like ours requires specific experience, skills, expertise and knowledge. Sheriff Robert Doyle possesses these traits and has demonstrated his ability to use them to the benefit of our organization. While Coroner Kenneth Homes manages a county department, it is a very small department with a single objective.
We are living in challenging times. Our economy continues to remain stagnant and public budgets continue to shrink. The legislature and local courts are releasing convicted criminals at alarming rates. Our salaries, benefits and pensions are under attack by those who ungratefully insist that we are paid too much.
Sheriff Doyle has made a commitment to the Marin public and to the DSA not to cut core services; services we provide at a level unparalleled to other agencies in our region and in the state. He has supported our compensation and benefits remaining at a competitive level. Three years ago, when we had fallen well below the median salary of our comparable agencies, Sheriff Doyle initiated an effort to get us a pay raise. Although we were in a closed contract, we received a non-negotiated pay raise as a result. Later, he succeeded in getting a similar raise for our communications dispatchers. Sheriff Doyle has established and maintained relationships and influence with county policy makers upon whom we rely to keep our budget up and our positions staffed.
Sheriff Doyle has acknowledged that times are tough and that they will stay that way for the next few years and he has committed his energy and political capital to fighting off future cuts. Coroner Holmes’ outlook is considerably bleaker and he has told the DSA that he has already accepted the idea of a much smaller and less dynamic organization.
Sheriff Doyle has committed himself to never entertaining the concept of correctional officers staffing our county jail. Coroner Holmes, while not an advocate of correctional officers, told us he would consider it as a means of enduring future budget cuts.
Each year the number of peace officers formally charged with crimes arising out of the scope and course of their duties increases. PORAC LDF is currently defending 35 criminal cases; an all time high. Certain segments of the public have demanded direct involvement and oversight of department discipline on numerous occasions over the years. Each and every time, Sheriff Doyle has stood up and defended the disciplinary process and the constitutional office of the sheriff, refusing to allow an outside group to dictate or even recommend discipline. Coroner Holmes has no experience dealing with such groups or efforts.
Sheriff Doyle began his career 40 years ago as a court bailiff, then worked his way through the ranks. He drove a patrol car, arrested criminals, fought inmates into safety cells and took suspects into custody at gunpoint. He has direct experience doing our job and, to put it bluntly, he’s one of us.
I have no doubt that Ken Holmes is a sincere man, who cares deeply for the Marin community. I am convinced that he truly believes in his work as Coroner. But, to take on the complexities of our organization in a perfect world would be an insurmountable task for someone lacking the requisite experience, and this is certainly not a perfect world. There is simply too much at stake. The public’s safety, the stability of our organization and the security of our salary and benefits are all on the line.
I know there are many in the DSA who feel our department needs to improve and, I agree, there is always room for improvement. Considering all the facts, it is difficult for me to imagine Coroner Holmes being able to achieve the kind of progress we are looking for. If you are looking for a new sheriff to be the catalyst for change, I just don’t think that Ken Holmes is that new sheriff. Not because he doesn’t care or because he doesn’t agree with us, but rather because he just doesn’t have the experience and specific expertise to bring about that kind of change in our organization.
What we need most right now is stability, security and a proven ability to hold the ship on course during a very intense storm. Sheriff Doyle will maintain our stability, fight for our security and keep our organization on course through these trying times. That’s why I am supporting the endorsement of Sheriff Robert Doyle for Sheriff of Marin County.
Fraternally Yours,
Hugh J. Baker, President
Marin County DSA
Monday Readers' Forum
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Public safety the top priority
Hugh J. Baker, President,Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
Marin is arguably one of the best places in the country to live, work and recreate.
County leaders should be commended for doing their part over the years to establish and maintain such a high quality of life in our communities.
Despite the best efforts of our leaders we now find ourselves in the perfect fiscal storm. Dwindling revenue resources and a mounting state budget deficit have forced some difficult choices.
There are many quality of life services provided by county government that would be sorely missed if eliminated or cut back. But to cut or eliminate public safety services would impact the very core of our quality of life.
It would be like choosing to paint your house while ignoring the infestation of termites inside the walls.
The men and women of the sheriff's office work hard every day not just to keep the public safe, but to maintain the high quality of life in our communities.
Additional cuts would deeply impact our ability to perform those services.
I urge the Board of Supervisors to set their priorities on maintaining the foundation and framework of our quality of life by leaving public safety services intact and free from further cuts.
President of PORAC responds to Oakland shooting
RON COTTINGHAM,
PORAC President,
Office:916.928.3777,
Cell: 916.947.6722
Pasted below is the notice sent out by the CA Peace Officer Memorial Foundation. Please keep these officers, their surviving families and the Oakland PD/POA in your prayers.
At approximately 1:20 p.m., two Oakland PD motor officers were shot during a routine traffic stop at 74th Ave. and MacArthur Blvd.
The suspect fled the scene on foot into a nearby neighborhood, leading to an intense manhunt. At about 3:30 p.m., acting on an anonymous tip, officers found the suspect who had barricaded himself in a building at Hillside Street and 74th Ave. SWAT officers made entry and a shootout ensued. Two Oakland PD SWAT officers were shot. A suspect was also shot and killed.
All officers were transported to Highland Hospital. Tragically, all four have succumbed to their injuries.
This is the worst single peace officer LODD incident since Newhall in the 1970's when 4 CHP officers were killed.
Sgt. Mark Dunakin
Officer John Hege
Sgt. Irv Roman
Sgt. Dan Sakai
Oakland Police Dept.
End Of Watch: March 21, 2009
President of the LAPPL issued the following statement about the tragic shooting today in Oakland.
Los Angeles - March 21, 2009 - Paul M. Weber, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, issued the following statement about the tragic shooting today of four Oakland police officers.
We join our fellow police officers in praying for the families and friends whose hearts ache for their lost loved ones. We pray that God will continue to comfort and heal the residents of Oakland. The murder rampage today in Oakland should serve as a reminder that every day police officers bravely protect our families, friends, and neighbors from crime. Police officers in California and across the country work to improve the quality of life for all of us. For that, they deserve our sincere appreciation and respect.
The courageous officers in Oakland, like officers across the country, are an essential part of keeping our communities safe. We cannot forget that the safety of everyone is preserved and enhanced as a direct result of the vigilance and dedication of police officers. Across the county, nearly 900,000 law enforcement personnel keep our communities safe. Sadly, every year, a law enforcement officer is killed somewhere in the United States about every 53 hours, and there are nearly 60,000 assaults against police officers each year, resulting in over 18,000 injuries. We ask that community leaders continue to recognize the importance of the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers.
An open letter to Sheriff Doyle and the Marin Board of Supervisors
On behalf of Marin's Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, I want to thank Sheriff Doyle and the members of the Board of Supervisors for providing us with a safer means of using force to accomplish our law enforcement mission.
Sheriff Doyle and the Board of Supervisors are to be commended for focusing on the facts and applying sound logic and reason in making their decision. The decision to provide deputies with electronic control devices, commonly known as Tasers, was entirely based on the volume of scientific research that has proven the devices reduce injury to both law enforcement officers and suspects. In addition, there is substantial evidence that where the devices are used, use of force lawsuits are reduced both in total number and in the dollar amount of settlements and judgments, making the device a prudent choice to safeguard public funds.
Taser opponents are inaccurate. We can all agree that it is unfortunate that peace officers sometimes must use force to safeguard citizens, but as the data shows, Tasers will save lives and reduce injuries to both deputies and citizens.
As Sheriff Doyle told the Board of Supervisors on October 21, 2008, "We deal with people at their worst." From the men and women keeping the streets of Marin County safe- thank you for helping us to make things a bit safer for everyone.
Hugh J. Baker, President
Marin Deputy Sheriffs' Association
"The Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
Donates $2500 to the Marin County Sheriffs' Mounted Posse.
During the American Civil War, artillery and ammunition was hauled by four to six horses pulling a military caisson. Horses were harnessed in pairs on either side of the limber pole.
 
Caisson (left) and limber, ca. 1863.
In modern times Caissons are used for burials at Arlington National Cemetery and for State Funerals for United States government dignitaries including the President of the United States for the remains to be carried by members of the The Old Guard's Caisson Platoon. When the equipage is used in this way for a state funeral in Britain, the coffin is usually placed on a platform mounted on top of the gun and referred to as being carried on a gun carriage. For the funerals of British kings, there is a tradition that the horses be replaced by a detail from the Royal Navy.
The Caisson is also used to haul the casket of a fallen member of law enforcement. The Marin County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse currently has possession of a Caisson that has been beautifully refurbished. The San Francisco Police Department’s Mounted Patrol has donated four used parade saddles for use in the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard and Mounted Posse duties. These special saddles need to have the padding and strings replaced, and new matching stirrups, chest straps and breast plates. The cost of this refurbishment is $2500. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association has chosen to show their support of this all volunteer organization by donating the money needed to refurbish these beautiful saddles.
The Marin County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
Donates $300 to the Drake High School Pirates
$300 was donated to Drake High School to help support school academics and athletics. The Marin County Deputy Sheriff’s Association is happy to join with other Ross Valley businesses in supporting our local schools.
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Public Safety Bill AB 2754
The Governor signed AB 2754, a bill by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass which involves public safetypersonnel and MRSA skin infections. The bill protects state certain safety members, firefighters, county probation officers, or members in active law enforcement who may develop MRSA and requires those who are permanently incapacitated for the performance of duty as a result of a blood-borne infectious disease to receive a service-connected disability retirement.
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