WWW.LSSD.SAGOV.US Los Santos County Sheriff's Department News Release July 12th, 2024 "A TRADITION OF SERVICE" Sheriff Bobby Kirk |
A Legacy of Service: Five Years of the Los Santos County Sheriff's Department-
In the middle of July 2019, the Los Santos Sheriff's Department officially opened for service, creating safety and securing justice within the northern jurisdiction. In the beginning, the focus was placed on recruitment, team-building and development. Building something from the ground takes effort and dedication. A team of like-minded individuals sat down and created the foundation for the success we are seeing today.
Sheriff John Norman was the first appointed Sheriff within the State of San Andreas. Sheriff Norman was previously employed by the California Highway Patrol as an Assistant Chief, a Department which he served faithfully with for 20 years. Later the same year, Norman sadly passed away in a tragic hunting accident. When listening to collogues speaking of Norman, especially one tradition was remembered - Friday Night Fried-Chicken and Grape Juice! After a long week, this was highly looking forward to.
After the unforeseen death of Sheriff John Norman, Samuel Osborn, previous Chief of Police was reached out to and accepted the offer as the next Sheriff of the Sheriff's Department. Osborn held a lot of experience within law enforcement, especially as he assisted with building the Police Department from the ground. Today, Samuel Osborn is one of our three Governors and are serving the San Andreas Government.
John Wallace got involved with the Sheriff's Department shortly before the opening, assisting in the development and recruitment. He was promoted to Undersheriff on the 9th of October 2019, working in areas like operations and professional standards. On the 24th of November the same year, Sheriff Osborn stepped down from his position, appointing John Wallace to take over the reign. Wallace led the department for a long period of time, 2 years and 3 months before stepping down to Undersheriff on the 9th of April 2022. He still remains as Undersheriff - Head of Administration.
Harry Payne transferred to the Sheriff's Department shortly after its opening, being appointed as a member of the Command Team. When Sheriff Wallace took over the reign, Payne was appointed Undersheriff, assisting with the further development and day-to-day operations. Since then, he has remained in his position, contributing towards the mission. Today he remains as Undersheriff - Head of Operations.
Bobby Kirk transferred from the Las Venturas Metropolitan Police Department in end of March 2020, stepping is as Assistant Sheriff. In mid October 2020, Kirk was appointed Undersheriff - Head of Administration. On the 9th of April 2022, Kirk was appointed Sheriff when Undersheriff Wallace stepped down. Since then, Kirk has supported his staff and the department in the operations, further developing the department into what we see today.
The Los Santos Sheriff's Department prides itself on the long tradition, equality and creative freedom given in it's day-to-day operations. Field staff are given the chance and support to develop themselves, not only within the department, but also personally. We do also believe in pushing people outside their comfort zone for personal development and success. Many of our current employees in leadership positions were given these positions to further develop themselves and learn from their conduct.
We strive to continue the success that the founders of the department created when building the Sheriff's Department from the ground. With time, we have also seen long-serving employees retire. Recently, Ret. Assistant Sheriff Robert Jeys and then Assistant Sheriff Sean Hamilton stepped down from their positions, allowing others to take over and continue the work, but also to set their own mark on the department's history.
Undersheriff John Wallace
Ret. Pierce Hardy left his retirement and joined the Sheriff's Department and sat up the Detention and Parole Bureau. That is something I am very proud of and is something that is very near and dear to my heart. DPB was so unique and had never been done in the State of San Andreas before. It gave a lot of people opportunities and it attracted a lot of people to the department. The bureau always had great people in it, whether it was regular field deputies or bureau command staff and the people coming out of DPB often held high-ranking positions within the department.
I stepped down to Undersheriff as I did not have the time to lead a whole department, and it was great for Kirk to step up. Sheriff Kirk joined the Sheriff's Department close to it's opening, and left his mark. He put a lot of work, dedication and efforts into his duties and it was nice to see him progress into the Sheriff he is today.
Sheriff Bobby Kirk
I was appointed Sheriff on April 9th, 2022, just shy of two years after my transfer. Those initial years were incredibly eventful, marked by the creation and expansion of the Detention and Parole Bureau, alongside significant structural changes throughout the department.
After becoming Sheriff, we continued to work as a cohesive team, striving to enhance the department. Although the Detention and Parole Bureau closed under my leadership, we established the Sheriff's Investigations Bureau, both very memorable milestones. Additionally, we’ve seen the rise of new divisions, such as the K9 Division and the Legal Affairs Division.
For me, however, the most memorable aspect has always been the people, not just the developments within the department. Witnessing individuals progress from Deputy Sheriff Trainee to Command member, or even to Assistant Sheriff, has been incredibly rewarding. There have been countless hours of laughter, sadness, and all sorts of emotions along the way. We're one big family, and we keep expanding.
Our fundamental internal goals have always been, and will continue to be, creating a safe, supportive, and drama-free workplace environment that feels like a second home to our staff. As a Law Enforcement Agency, we also aim to maintain a low crime rate in our communities, ensuring that our residents and visitors feel safe. We achieve this by continually evolving our divisions and bureaus, increasing transparency, and advancing our department with modern practices. I believe we have met these goals and will continue striving to exceed them, acknowledging that nobody's perfect, and neither is our department.
I am still physically and mentally young, with much energy left to contribute. I am committed to ensuring that in the coming years, the Sheriff's Department continues to thrive, and that our dedicated personnel are recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
To those who have been here for these 5 years, I applaud your dedication, and I look forward to another 5 years with you.
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- For Information, Contact:
Captain Amelia Clark
Commanding Officer, Sheriff's Information Division
(909) 474-8130 — [email protected]
Sheriff's Information Division
Los Santos County Sheriff's Department
Procopio Promenade 1, Paleto Bay
Los Santos, SA, 909
