DSA, CPOA Presidents Point Out Discrepancies in Sheriff Smith’s Media Statements on 49er Aldon Smith

Presidents of the two associations that represent deputy sheriffs and correctional deputies are puzzled by four-term incumbent Sheriff Laurie Smith’s contrasting comments to reporters from NBC Bay Area and the Palo Alto Daily Post on the topic of sheriff’s handling of the case of 49er all-pro linebacker Aldon Smith.


While the star athlete was under investigation for possession of illegal high-powered rifles, the sheriff invited him to the department’s shooting range to ride in the sheriff’s enforcement helicopter and shoot the department’s high-powered weapons.


When NBC investigative chief Tony Kovaleski asked her about the incident last November, she said that her actions were not inappropriate, but when the Post’s Breena Kerr requested a comment earlier this month, Sheriff Smith said “Should he have been at the shooting range? Probably not. It’s not the biggest felony I have committed, probably… I guess I would have to say, yeah, it was a big mistake, but it didn’t seem so at the time. I guess I should have thought ‘When is the next election coming?’”


“These two comments are so diametrically opposed that it’s hard to decide which one is the truth,” said Don Morrissey, president of Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Santa Clara County. 


“It’s especially ironic because she stated in an election video that she fires people who lie,” said Lance Scimeca, who heads the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers’ Association.


The two organizations support retired sheriff’s Capt. Kevin Jensen for sheriff in the Tuesday, June 3 election. They held membership votes that overwhelming favored Jensen, the first time in 35 years that the associations hadn’t supported the incumbent.

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