Mission Statement

The mission of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is to provide professional and responsive law enforcement services to all of the people of our county, residents and visitors alike.

 

HISTORY

The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county. The office of Sheriff is established by the California Constitution (Article XI, §1(b)) and by statute (Government Code §24000). The jurisdiction of the Sheriff extends throughout the county, including incorporated cities and state owned property.

The Sheriff is generally charged with preserving the peace, enforcing criminal statutes, and investigating known or suspected criminal activity. The Sheriff is specifically charged by statute with the duty to attend all superior courts within the county, the duty to operate the county jail, and the duty to serve various forms of civil process. The Sheriff is the coordinator for law enforcement mutual aid and is responsible for search and rescue. In Mendocino County, the offices of Sheriff and Coroner are combined. Coroner's duties are defined in the California Government Code, commencing with §27400.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is directly responsible for providing general law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the county, approximately 69% of county residents. The Sheriff’s Office also provides contract law enforcement services to the City of Point Arena, the Bureau of Land Management (Cow Mountain Recreation Area), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Lake Mendocino) and contract police dispatching services for the City of Fort Bragg. Jurisdiction for coroner’s investigations and the service of civil process extends countywide, including within the four incorporated cities.

The Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Sheriff’s Office dispatchers answer every 9-1-1 call from the cities of Fort Bragg and Point Arena, and all the unincorporated parts of Mendocino County. Depending on the type of call, it may be handled by the Sheriff’s Office or transferred to another emergency services agency. The Sheriff’s Office is also the county control point for local agency access to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, DMV automated systems, National Crime Information Center and Interpol.