Full Notification

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, City of Adelanto, and 
Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (ret.) Announce Changes to Law Enforcement Services in Adelanto 

 

Date:  June 01, 2023

Contact:   San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Public Affairs            [email protected] 

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has been the primary law enforcement service provider for the City of Adelanto for over 20 years and takes great pride in serving the community.

The Department's history with the City of Adelanto began in 2001 when city officials requested assistance from the Sheriff's Department following the sudden vacancy of the Adelanto Police Chief.  At no cost to the city, the Sheriff’s Department provided a Captain to temporarily fill the vacancy while city officials worked to determine the future of the Adelanto Police Department. 

In 2002, Adelanto City officials determined the best course of action was to contract law enforcement services with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. This contract was approved by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and the Adelanto City Council. The contract consisted of one captain, one lieutenant, four sergeants, two detectives, 11 deputies and four support staff.  In the traditional model of law enforcement service, these personnel provided services solely to the City of Adelanto. By 2009, the city had added one sergeant and four deputies to the contract.   

Amid the 2009 recession, the City of Adelanto experienced financial difficulties and inquired with the Sheriff's Department about reducing the cost of the contract. The Sheriff's Department agreed to merge the Victor Valley Station with the Adelanto Station.  This revised contract eliminated the captain, two sergeants and half of the lieutenant positions, providing an annual savings of over $400,000 to the city.

The City of Adelanto and the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved the new contract in 2010. With this new law enforcement model of service, personnel assigned to the station serve the City of Adelanto as well as the surrounding unincorporated communities.   

In June 2010, the City of Adelanto sold its correctional facility to the GEO Group, Inc. (GEO) to secure additional revenue opportunities for the city.  As per an agreement between GEO and the City of Adelanto, GEO reimbursed Adelanto for the cost of two deputy sheriff positions dedicated to handling law enforcement calls for service at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. These positions also assisted with targeted patrol and crime-reduction operations within the City of Adelanto.  

Recently, Adelanto City officials were notified by GEO that, due to a reduction in occupied beds within the processing facility, the revenue received by the City of Adelanto would be significantly reduced. As a result of this revenue reduction, the City will no longer be able to sustain the cost of the two deputy sheriff positions. The City of Adelanto contacted the Sheriff's Department regarding this revenue shortfall and has requested to delete these positions from the upcoming contract renewal between the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and the City of Adelanto, effective July 2023. 

Amid concern about reduced public safety resources in Adelanto, conversations took place between the City of Adelanto, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (ret.).  Historically, from 2002 to 2020, the population of Adelanto increased by nearly 90% while law enforcement staffing failed to increase proportionally. In an effort to temporarily mitigate the effects of a reduction in public safety resources, Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (ret.) has offered to fund the two deputy positions for one year while the City of Adelanto works to determine the best path to reduce crime and increase the number of law enforcement officers patrolling neighborhoods. 

As part of the agreement in 2010 to merge the patrol stations, Adelanto City officials and the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors entered into a lease agreement for the previous Adelanto Police Department building. The Sheriff’s Department is currently in the planning phase for a new Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station and will eventually end the lease agreement with the City of Adelanto.  This will allow the City to determine the best use of this asset as they move forward with their goal of building a new police station.  The new Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station is estimated to be operational within 18 months and will serve the City of Adelanto and the High Desert’s unincorporated areas.  

The City of Adelanto has San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus' full support knowing the City is working toward maintaining a high level of law enforcement service with a more sustainable contract for the community's residents. 

"The cornerstone to a strong community is public safety, and I'm proud to have secured this funding for my constituents," said Col. Paul Cook (ret.). "The two deputy sheriff positions will provide increased opportunities for community policing and engagement throughout Adelanto. Our deputy sheriffs serve San Bernardino County residents with the utmost dedication and professionalism. I will continue to fight to ensure they have the resources and workforce necessary to keep our communities safe." 

"I am grateful to work with our stakeholders in Adelanto and Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (ret.) to continue to provide quality law enforcement services to the community of Adelanto. The Adelanto City Manager, Mayor and Councilmembers have a clearly defined plan to increase revenue in the future.  I am committed to working with the city so they can increase much needed law enforcement services consistent with the community’s growth," said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. 

“The interruption in funding from GEO so close to the start of a new fiscal year was unexpected, and everyone in Adelanto is grateful to Col. Cook and Sheriff Dicus for partnering with us on a short-term solution,” said Adelanto Mayor Gabriel Reyes. “Beginning in 2024, our City Council and City staff are committed to including these two positions within the City’s budget, to ensure that these positions are kept well into the future. I strongly believe that a safe community is a vibrant community and will ensure that our law enforcement capabilities continue to grow with our city.” 

“I want to express my appreciation for the support of Sheriff Shannon Dicus and Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (ret.) for working with Adelanto as our City continues to bolster our law enforcement presence and promote safer neighborhoods. I look forward to the continued partnership with San Bernardino County,” said Adelanto City Manager Jessie Flores.