NORTH STATION

THE SHERIFF’S NORTH STATION

is staffed by roughly 30 personnel comprised of one commander, two sergeants, four senior deputies, 15 deputies, two deputy/K-9 teams, three school resource deputies, one rural crime deputy, two area resident deputies, one Community Action Team (CAT) liaison deputy, and two legal clerks. The North Station also has an active group of Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteer Patrol members who are an asset and support North Station patrol operations on non-law enforcement activities. Together, the North Station patrols over 1,900 square miles to keep the community safe, investigate criminal and suspicious activity, complete documentation, and submit cases to the District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.

The North Station received over 20,000 calls for service in 2021, resulting in approximately 2,800 reports. Calls for service stabilized in 2021 and were similar in volume to the previous year, but the number of reports generated from the calls for service increased. Regardless of the increased workload, North Station personnel continued to provide the highest level of professional service with honor and distinction. In the last couple of years, North Station deputies have received numerous awards and commendations, including Medal of Valor and Lifesaving Awards.

North Station deputies investigated a wide range of crimes ranging from violent felonies to misdemeanors and infractions. They investigated crimes against persons, such as robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, threats, and domestic violence, as well as property crimes, such as burglary, theft, and vandalism. The rural area in San Luis Obispo County leaves residents susceptible to mail thefts, theft of property from unlocked vehicles, and the national plague of catalytic converter thefts from vehicles. The North Station has had many successes in prosecuting suspects for these crimes, but there is one unusual case that stands out. This case started as a vandalism and theft report. Numerous items were reported stolen, including extremely rare parts of a steam locomotive made of solid bronze. Through the dedicated work of North Station deputies who assembled information from several different sources, they were able to identify and arrest a suspect and recover over $10,000 in train parts at a recycling center. Unfortunately, other train parts had been taken out-of-state and were melted as scrap metal before the deputies could identify their location.

The community, by and large, continues to support the Sheriff’s Office and their personnel at the North Station. The North Station continues to receive letters of appreciation, cards, drawings, and positive comments at community meetings and events. While out in public, people will frequently come up to North Station deputies to personally thank them and express their appreciation for the work they do.

Community support also comes from the North Station’s community partners. This includes strong working relationships with local law enforcement agencies, including Atascadero Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and Paso Robles Police Department. The North Station provides mutual support for high-risk calls for service, investigations, special events, or when an agency may be shorthanded due to unforeseen circumstances. This past year, the North Station also received support from Shandon Joint Unified School District. The school district provided office space to set up a report writing room for deputies in Shandon. This workspace allowed North Station deputies the opportunity to conduct work in Shandon they previously would have had to leave town to complete. Similarly, San Miguel Community Service District has allowed North Station deputies to use workspace in the San Miguel Fire and Rescue building for years. The San Miguel Community Service District even included the Sheriff’s Office in their temporary building plan while the main building undergoes a remodel.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS PROFESSION IN THE BEST OF TIMES AND WOULD BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT, AND FOR THAT, THE NORTH STATION DEPUTIES ARE THANKFUL.