Edhat Staff
(Pictured from left to right) Lt. Juan Camarena, Lt. Jason Grossini, Custody Lt. Anthony Espinoza, Chief Sol Linver, Sheriff Bill Brown, Commander Rob Plastino, Custody Sgt. Tom Liston, Custody Sgt. Cassandra Marking, Custody Sgt. Guillermo Ramirez and Sgt. Neil Gowing.
Source: Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce the promotions of nine Sheriff’s Deputies and Custody Deputies. The select group was honored this morning, July 31, 2017, at a promotional ceremony held at Earl’s Place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. Before a packed room of colleagues, family, and friends, Sheriff Bill Brown promoted one Chief, one Commander, two Sheriff’s Lieutenants, one Custody Lieutenant, three Custody Sergeants and a Sheriff’s Sergeant. He also recognized two dispatchers and a deputy for outstanding work.
The nine Sheriff’s deputies who were promoted were chosen after a challenging and competitive testing process. Sheriff Brown, who presided over the ceremony, congratulated the deputies for advancing in their careers and expressed confidence in their abilities to help lead the organization. He said, “The caliber and quality of our people is such that the competition for promotion is always very tough. Those who emerge successfully from this rigorous process are to be congratulated and that is what today is all about.”
Solomon “Sol” Linver, a 33-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was sworn in as Chief of Law Enforcement Operations. Chief Linver has worked a wide variety of assignments during his expansive career including four years as the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Lieutenant where he helped design the current Isla Vista Sheriff’s station. He was also the agency’s first high tech crimes investigator. He has led the Criminal Investigations Division and Special Investigations Bureau and most recently oversaw the Operations Support Division.
Rob Plastino, a 19-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was sworn in as a Commander and will now oversee North County Operations. Commander Plastino has also held a variety of assignments during his law enforcement career including working as the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Lieutenant. He most recently served as the Sheriff’s Adjutant.
Jason Grossini, a 19-year-veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was promoted to Lieutenant and is the new Chief of Police Services for the City of Goleta. Lt. Grossini was most recently assigned to the Coroner’s Bureau and serves on the Hostage Negotiations Team.
Juan Camarena, a 19-year veteran of the agency, was promoted to Lieutenant and will continue with his assignment overseeing the Human Resources Division. Lt. Camarena was a decorated Marine veteran prior to coming to the Sheriff’s Office and has served on the Special Enforcement Team now for more than 15 years.
Anthony Espinoza, an 18-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was promoted to Custody Lieutenant and is currently assigned to the Main Jail. He has won numerous awards during his custody career including the Deputy Sheriff’s Association Rookie of the Year Award during his first year and Supervisor of the Year in 2012. He served as a training officer and is a member of the Sheriff’s Special Operations Response Team.
Tom Liston, a five-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was promoted to Custody Sergeant. He spent more than 30 years in construction before starting his career in corrections. He was previously awarded the Deputy’s Sheriff’s Association Rookie of the Year award and has been recognized at Custody Deputy of the Quarter. He worked as a Custody Training Officer and is a current member of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT).
Cassandra Marking, a ten-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was also promoted to Custody Sergeant. She most recently worked as the Senior Custody Deputy Supervisor at the Santa Maria Branch Jail prior to its recent closure and is now assigned to the Main Jail.
Guillermo Ramirez, a ten-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was also promoted to Custody Sergeant. Ramirez grew up in Ventura County and worked for the Ventura County Probat ion Agency prior to beginning his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Custody Deputy.
Neil Gowing, a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was promoted to Sheriff’s Sergeant and is currently assigned to the Santa Maria station. Sgt. Gowing was one of the deputies from the Isla Vista Foot Patrol who was on duty during the Mass Murders in 2014 and was awarded a Unit Citation as well as the Incident Commendation Bar. Most recently, he received an H. Thomas Guerry Award for Valor for his response during an incident involving a suicidal subject in Buellton.
Sheriff Brown and H. Thomas Guerry Medal of Valor award and Sheriff’s Medal of Valor recipient Deputy Michael Hollon
At the promotions ceremony, Sheriff Brown also presented Deputy Michael Hollon with two prestigious awards he received when he was out of state. Hollon received the H. Thomas Guerry Award for Valor and the Sheriff’s Medal of Valor for his response to an extremely combative axe-wielding camper who was under the influence of LSD and who attacked campers and first responders.
The Sheriff also took the opportunity to present awards to two dispatchers who were honored by the County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) for their actions during two recent critical 911 calls. Julia Cardenas received a CPR Save Pin for providing life-saving medical instructions to help a man in Lompoc who collapsed after playing basketball and stopped breathing. Julia used her Emergency Medical Training and provided the reporting party with instructions in a calm and professional manner, which helped save his life.
Dispatch Supervisor Shannon Hoogenbosch received a blue Stork Pin from the County’s EMSA for helping a woman in January who had just given birth to a child in her home. The umbilical cord was still connected between the mother and child. Shannon’s calm and clear Emergency Medical Training directions advised the mother on what to do until help could arrive and care for this newborn baby boy.
Stork Pin recipient, Dispatch Supervisor Shannon Hoogenbosch and Sheriff Bill Brown (not pictured Dispatcher Julia Cardenas, CPR Save Pin recipient
The Sheriff’s Office wants to congratulate all of those promoted today and those recognized for their exemplary service.
The Sheriff’s Office is always looking for outstanding people who are looking to make a difference in their community. If you are interested in a rewarding career with the Sheriff’s Office, go to our website at www.sbsheriff.org and click on our employment section to find out more about job opportunities. We currently have openings for Dispatchers, Deputy Sheriffs and Custody Deputies.
