San Francisco voters have elected 34 sheriffs over 167 years. Thirty-three have been men until voters elected our August 22 speaker, Vicki Hennessy, in November of 2015.
Since assuming office on January 8, 2016, Hennessy oversees four sheriff divisions including 850 sworn members. Among her duties, Hennessy is responsible for operations at six county jails as well as law enforcement and security at San Francisco public hospitals, medical facilities and high-profile government buildings including City Hall; and ensuring safe delivery and storage of voter ballots on election day.
With this level of public responsibility comes intense scrutiny, especially from the press. Sheriff Hennessy’s office fields weekly media requests on law enforcement issues ranging from immigrant inmate deportation policies to housing for transgender inmates and San Francisco jail health services.
Having spent most of her career in the sheriff’s department since 1975, including 25 years on the Sheriff’s executive management team,Sheriff Hennessy is well-equipped to answer these questions and run her department with efficiency, compassion and transparency.