Projects Funded

It is the Foundation’s goal to raise funds for essential equipment, special projects and programs not fully funded by the County to support the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Because of our generous donors and Foundation members, in 2011 the Sheriff’s Foundation was able to support many programs and purchase urgently needed equipment for the men, women and canines in the Sheriff’s Office.

• A state-of-the-art simulator used to train officers in use-of-force situations was purchased for the new training center. (See the story below)
• We purchased two bulletproof vests for canines, Dano and Waro. These vests also serve as lifting harnesses when the dogs are working rescues with the air unit, repelling or being lowered in to a scene. Each dog needs a vest to fit their specific size and now all of the Departments canines are protected.
• Funds were granted to send two canines and their handlers to advance tracking training bringing the total invested in each canine’s training to approximately $12,000.
• Medical supplies were purchased for the Swat Team, including MET tourniquets used in the immediate treatment of extremity wounds.This device saves lives and stops bleeding within 10 seconds. In the case of a traumatic wound, a SWAT team member will be prepared to self-administer to their injury until a medic arrives to assist.
• Our Dive Team uses a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) in deep-water rescue and recovery missions. The ROV is sent down to record, with video and photo feeds, a target object to let the divers see the exact position, safety of the area and make-up of the object found using the underwater sonar. We purchased a manipulator arm that will allow the ROV to latch on to the object, move it as needed for documentation and then provide a safe and direct descent for the divers to begin their rescue or recovery mission. In water too deep for our divers, the arm has the ability to pull the object to a safer depth.
• Funds were granted to Explorer Post #2932 to be used for their programs and to support their participation in the 14th Annual Law Enforcement Explorer Tactical Competition in Chandler Arizona.
• Every year we honor the top cadet in each graduating class from the Department’s Regional Criminal Justice Training Center. Please see Candidates Awards page to read about our honored recruits.
• In keeping with the goal of maintaining support for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office into the future, the Foundation invests a percentage of non-restricted donations to our Endowment Fund to assure our continued support of Department programs.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Foundation Purchases a Vital Force Option Simulator (FOS) for the New Criminal Justice Training Center

When the new Regional Criminal Justice Training Center opens this year, Ventura County law enforcement officers will be trained on one of the most innovative and effective force option training tools available. This state-of-the-art program will provide our officers with realistic, simulated street-level situations they could encounter in their jobs.

The FOS interactive training environment allows officers to be immersed in real life scenarios and work through unexpected event enhancing their decision-making abilities. Certified Academy instructors review officers' options and provide collaborative feedback to help develop a comprehensive "best practice" solution.

Last year, nearly 700 officers from 16 agencies used the old FOS system which has become outdated and in need of replacement. With no funding available in the current budget, the Ventura County Sheriff's Foundation raised funds to purchase the new equipment.

Because of your support the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and all Ventura County law enforcement entities will receive the best possible training in use of force situations, keeping our officers and our communities safe.

Ventura County Sheriff's Foundation K9 Donation to Detention Services

In order to enhance the services provided by Ventura County Sheriff's Detention Unit, the Ventura County Sheriff's Foundation purchased a K9. This established the first Detention Services K9 Unit for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The donated black Labrador was named Ghera.

Deputy Charles MacDonald became the first deputy in the Ventura County Sheriff's Department history to be assigned to the newly formed Detention Services K9 Unit. Since their union, Deputy MacDonald and K9 Ghera have had over three-thousand training hours as a team, conducted over nine hundred searches and have had 96 Narcotic finds.