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Creating more robust checks and balances for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has been a top priority for many local residents for years, and Sheriff Ken Binder is trying a new approach: an ombudsperson.
An ombudsperson is generally a government official who works to resolve complaints about a system. The Sheriff’s Office is looking for an ombudsperson to improve communication between incarcerated people, their families, the office itself and the broader community. They will be tasked with processing complaints related to the county’s jail system and work with others in the office to improve conditions, officials say.
Spokesperson Gretchen Spiker said Binder suggested the role during his appointment last November, saying it will support the office’s efforts to improve transparency and regrow trust.
“The ombudsperson will help improve the responsiveness and effectiveness of the complaint process related to our correctional facilities, work collaboratively with the Sheriff’s Office to identify opportunities for improvement and serve as a neutral resource for community members,” Spiker said in an email.
The application opened on July 28 and closed on Aug. 11. During that window, Spiker said they received 50 applications, which the county is in the process of reviewing in hopes of hiring someone in the coming months.
The position is funded through the office’s annual budget, which was approved by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. According to the job listing, the role has a budgeted pay range of $121,264 to $151,611.
The addition of an ombudsperson is coming at a time when the county Sheriff’s Office has been trying to find stability after being rocked with scandals and calls for reformation. Binder was appointed by the Board of Supervisors after former Sheriff Christina Corpus was ousted amid allegations of misconduct and corruption. The board gained the temporary power to remove her after voters passed a charter amendment in March 2025 with about 84% of the vote.
Residents have been pushing for reform in the Sheriff’s Office across a range of topics unrelated to Corpus’ removal, many involving the jail system. Advocates have been protesting county policies that limit incarcerated people’s access to mail through a digital-only platform and demanding reform of how the jail delivers prescription medication after 25-year-old Kyle Harrison died at the Maple Street Correctional Facility. Deteriorating infrastructure is another concern, as in-person visits at Maguire Correctional Facility were completely stopped for six months in 2025 due to a broken elevator.
Nancy Goodban, executive director of the public safety advocacy group Fixin’ San Mateo County, said it will be good to have stronger oversight of the jail system but worries the ombudsperson won’t have enough power to enact broader policy changes.
“I don’t have any objections, and none of us do to having an ombudsperson in the county,” Goodban said. “There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s certainly not as strong.”
She also said the Sheriff’s Office needs more accountability mechanisms on other topics, such as use of force. Fixin’ San Mateo County has been advocating for an inspector general office to be established. Goodban said an inspector general would be more independent of the Sheriff’s Office and have more freedom to hold the office accountable by reporting directly to the Board of Supervisors and to the public.
The county’s Independent Civilian Advisory Commission to the Sheriff’s Office recommended the county create a permanent independent inspector general in April 2025. Commissioner Rob Silano was part of that vote, though he said he’s changed his mind because of his trust in Binder’s leadership and the office’s managerial team.
Silano said the jail is one of the office’s biggest “problem areas,” so he understands hiring someone to specifically provide oversight, handle complaints and propose improvements. However, “when the dust settles,” Silano said he thinks the position could be expanded to other areas of the office.
“Do we have to spend $4 million of taxpayer money to set up a different division?” Silano said. “It’s not out of control anymore. The reason I voted for an inspector general is because of what was in place then, but now I have ultimate confidence in the Sheriff’s Office.”
