Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Recently, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the long-awaited Employee Fitness Center at the Main Jail. This project was led by the Quality Work-Life Committee in the Custody Branch, which was formed to explore opportunities to positively impact the health and well-being of our workforce.
The Quality Work-Life Committee worked with Paul Wright, CEO of Savvy Health Solutions who provided design guidance for the center as well as help in finding no-cost equipment. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Posse provided a significant portion of the funds for this project along with donations from the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
Working in Law Enforcement, whether it be in the jail, on patrol, or in a clerical capacity is stressful. Sheriff Brown thanked Senior Custody Deputy Tariq Falfal for his dedication to this project and his donated time to bring the Fitness Center to reality and added “This Center provides a positive way to relieve stress and increase overall health, resulting in employees who are better suited to withstand the mental and physical rigors of working in Law Enforcement.”
He added “This Fitness Center is conveniently located at our Main Jail facility, allowing access to all employees, around the clock.”
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse is a 501(c)(3) organization which was formed by local citizens to find ways to help the Sheriff’s Office improve efficiency, performance, morale and effectiveness by helping to fill the gap between the communities increased law enforcement needs and the county budget.
In the recent past the Sheriff’s Posse has helped the Sheriff’s Office obtain much needed emergency equipment including COVID-19 personal protection equipment, protective vests, night vision goggles, specialized weapons, computer equipment, Narcotics and Explosive detection canines for patrol and custody operations, a headquarters barn for its Mounted Enforcement Unit; specialized equipment for the dive team, and annually supports the highly effective DARE program in north county Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office elementary schools. For more information about the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, visit their website at sbsheriffsposse.org.
That’s what Sheriff Bill gets paid the big bucks for. Cutting ribbons and pretending while running an unprofessional and sloppy mess of a sheriff’s department.
I’m all for the sheriff’s having a fitness center. But a ribbon cutting ceremony? Is that really necessary for moving a bunch of old Stairmasters into an empty room? What’s next, the mayor ceremonially blessing the new coffee machine in the break room? Did someone call John Palminteri to document this momentous occasion?
And how many employees will really use this? Doesn’t look like many work out now as it is.
None of your inferences match my inferences, which are based on actual facts and logic. I have many criticisms about police and about the sheriff’s office specifically, but this isn’t one of them. “I don’t think building contractors expect to pay their workers to carry loads and lift beams for example. If they can’t do it they don’t have a job.” — Um, that’s it’s their job implies that they are paid to do it. Perhaps you meant to say that building contractors don’t pay their workers to go to the gym while they’re on the clock in order to be able to carry loads and lift beams, or something like that … but there is as yet no evidence that sheriffs will be using this equipment while on the clock–having worked at tech companies that provide gyms on site myself, all usage was before and after work hours or during lunch breaks.
Doughnut jokes and all aside, this is a good thing for out law enforcement officers. I hope that peer counseling services are also offered with this program.
After seeing so much anti-law enforcement rhetoric here and elsewhere, those folks need all the help they can get, be it for physical or mental well being.
They already get enough of a workout, not only having to lug all their gear around, but dealing with the lies, deceit, threats, violence and just general bad behavior from the “ftp” and “acab” crowd.