Jonsen knows Morgan Hill through wellness training with the MHPD

Photo courtesy Santa Clara County Sheriff Department
Newly elected Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert Jonsen is sworn in Feb. 2. His wife, Amy Nett, pins on his badge.

By Calvin Nuttall

His gleaming badge freshly pinned to his tan and green uniform, incoming Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert “Bob” Jonsen promised to earn back the public’s trust for the department and lead its employees with respect and compassion.

His Feb. 2 swearing-in ceremony took place at the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors chamber in San Jose. It was attended by dozens of prominent lawmakers and regional law enforcement leaders. Dr. Amy Nett, Jonsen’s wife, pinned the badge on her husband.

During his campaign, Jonsen ran on a platform of bringing an outsider’s perspective to an organization that was beset by scandals during his predecessor Laurie Smith’s 20 years as sheriff. He won a tight election against his opponent, Kevin Jensen, with a vote share of 50.81 percent to Jensen’s 49.19 percent, a difference of slightly more than 7,000 votes.

He described the kind of sheriff he would strive to be by quoting the first paragraph of the law enforcement officer code of conduct.

“‘As a law enforcement officer, my primary and fundamental duty is to serve,” he said. “Simple. To serve. To protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidations, and the peaceful against violence or disorder. And most importantly, to respect the constitutional rights of all.”

Jonsen’s prior experience in law enforcement is extensive, and he has been decorated with multiple awards for his leadership. He began his career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 1986 where he worked for 27 years, during which time he received the James Q Wilson award for community policing as Captain of Lancaster Station. He later served as Chief of Police for the Menlo Park Police Department for five years, where he received the J.Q.W. award a second time, as well as the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in public safety. Prior to his campaign for Santa Clara County Sheriff, he served as Police Chief for the Palo Alto Police Department from 2018-2022.

“I am honored to be back in tan and green,” he said. “It’s been a while. And for our family, it has been more than 130 years since our great-great uncle was the sheriff of Santa Clara County, when he was elected in 1887. I am honored to be a part of that lineage.”

Jonsen was selected to serve as interim sheriff after his election, as Laurie Smith had abruptly resigned from the office on Halloween last year. He stepped into the position in December, taking over from Undersheriff Ken Binder who stood as acting sheriff for a number of weeks.

Smith had been embroiled in a civil corruption trial involving her mishandling of concealed weapon carry permits, awarding them preferentially to generous donors, as well as other charges. Shortly after, she was found guilty of six counts of corruption and willful misconduct. Had she not already resigned, she would have been expelled from office.

In spite of the difficult circumstances of his accession, Jonsen expressed optimism when looking to the future. He promised to bring more transparency and accountability to the office and make the community safer by improving responses to mental health crises. He also promised to bring greater access to care for those housed in county jails. He has also previously advocated for the expansion of remote telehealth services in county institutions.

“With just a few weeks of working with this organization, it’s very apparent to me it is filled with outstanding men and women,” he said. “I have been thoroughly impressed all the way across the board. Their commitment to excellence in public safety and public service is impressive and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of their team. They deserve leadership that is engaged in their futures, and I plan to deliver.”

He also tempered this optimism by reminding the audience that making institutional changes takes time, and that everybody must work together in order to bring these visions into reality.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” he said. “I know that there will be challenges. I’m not naive to that. And there are going to be times where you may not like what I have to say, you may not agree with what I have to say. And, if I’m being honest, we’re going to become frustrated at times regarding the rate at which progress is being made. But with that said, I can assure you that I’ll always be honest with you, and at all times my intentions will always be the best for our organization and the communities we serve.”

The 60-year-old Jonsen previously worked as the police chief in Menlo Park and Palo Alto. He got his law enforcement career started in 1986 in the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department.

Jonsen’s experiences in rural Los Angeles County have built a solid foundation for his understanding of the unique nature of South Valley compared with the more urban northern areas of Santa Clara County.

“As the Palo Alto police chief, Sheriff Jonsen has gotten to know Morgan Hill through his time providing officer wellness training for our police department,” said Morgan Hill Police Chief Shane Palsgrove. “We are fortunate to have built solid relationships with Jonsen and the Sheriff’s Department over the years and are confident these relationships will  only get stronger with time — benefiting us all going forward.”

Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill resident and freelance reporter.