Santa Barbara County, California
status
Board of Supervisors declined · 2026-04-24
On February 10, 2026, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors received an audit of Sheriff's Office overtime spending, which had risen from about $11 million in 2018 to more than $20 million in the most recent fiscal year, and voted 4-0, with one supervisor absent, to direct its internal audit staff to report monthly on that spending for six months. Supervisor Joan Hartmann's proposal to create an Office of the Inspector General under AB 1185 came to a vote in April 2026, when the Board rejected it 4-1 with Hartmann the sole vote in favor; staff had estimated an Inspector General's office at $536,500 a year against $180,734 for a dedicated role in the auditor's office. In June 2026 the county civil grand jury reported on Sheriff's Office overtime, recommending an end to counting leave as hours worked, restrictions on overtime, and closure of the Main Jail with consolidation in Santa Maria. An earlier December 2020 Board session on race, equity and sheriff accountability had surfaced civilian oversight as a concept, with Sheriff Bill Brown testifying against it.
Source: County Supervisors Keep Jail Oversight with Sheriff's Office — Noozhawk
What is AB 1185?
AB 1185 (2020) added California Government Code § 25303.7. It lets a California county establish civilian oversight of its sheriff (a sheriff oversight board, an Office of Inspector General, or both) either by action of the Board of Supervisors or by a vote of county residents.
The law is permissive, not a mandate: each county decides whether to create one. Where a county does, the Board of Supervisors may grant the body subpoena power.
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| Sworn officers | 244 | (29%) |
|---|---|---|
| Custody officers | 370 | (45%) |
| Civilian staff | 217 | (26%) |
| Total | 831 |
| Facility | Beds |
|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County Main Jail | 696 |
| Northern Branch Jail | 344 |
| Medium Security Facility | 160 |
Civil Grand Jury investigations (43)
The Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury is required by Penal Code §919(b) to inquire annually into the condition of county jails, which the sheriff operates. Reports below investigate the sheriff's office, jails, deaths in custody, deputy conduct, or related matters. Sourced from civilgrandjury.org/santa-barbara.
- A Look at the Overtime Issues in the Sheriff’s Office
- Female Inmates at Santa Barbara County Jails
- Preventable Death at the Northern Branch Jail
- Another Suicide in Santa Barbara County Jail
- Fatal Head Injury at the Northern Branch Jail
- Death in Custody Report Final
- Detention Facilities in Santa Barbara County
- Potential Perceived Conflict of Interest for Death in Custody Investigations
- Wellpath Contract Services Provided to Santa Barbara County and the Sheriff’s Office
- A Death In Custody – Lessons Learned
- Every Death In Custody Is a Failure
- Suicide in Santa Barbara County Main Jail
- Suicide in SB County Main Jail: A Challenge for Law Enforcement and Health Professionals
- Deaths in Custody 2019
- Detention Facilities in Santa Barbara
- Jail Diversion in Santa Barbara County: Criminal Justice Partners Are Finding Common Ground
- Deaths in Custody in 2019: Santa Barbara County
- Death in Custody / HJA
- Suicide in Custody / AB
- Death in Custody of HJA
- Suicide in Custody
- Contraband in the Main Jail
- Detention Facilities in Santa Barbara County
- Mandatory Overtime in the Sheriff’s Office
- Detention Facilities Report Request for Response
- Santa Barbara Main Jail — An Outdated and Inefficient Facility
- Detention Facilities
- Santa Barbara County Jail
- Detention Facilities Report
- Medical and Mental Health Care in the Main Jail: Corrections is Self-Correcting
- Santa Barbara County Jail – Intake Screening Process
- Detention Facilities
- Parking Citation Payment Problems With the Sheriff’s Office: Not an Easy Way to Pay
- Detention Facilities Report
- Detention Facilities Report
- Northern Branch Jail Operating Cost
- Idling Sheriff’s Vehicles
- Healthy Jail Food
- LAW Enforcement and Detention Facilities Report
- Sheriff-coroner’s Bureau: The Manner of Death-A Final Diagnosis
- Sheriff-Coroner’s Bureau: The Manner of Death – a Final Diagnosis
- Death in Custody
- Detention Facilities Report
Statewide oversight reports on the sheriff or jails (2)
Reports from California state-level oversight bodies (auditors, inspectors, boards, and commissions) that mention Santa Barbara County in the context of the sheriff's office, jails, custody, deputies, or use-of-force.