Seven people have applied to become San Mateo County’s next sheriff, following the ousting of former Sheriff Christina Corpus after a nearly year-long effort to remove her from office due to allegations of retaliation and nepotism.
Here are the applicants:
• Former Santa Clara County Undersheriff Ken Binder. He retired last year after a career in the sheriff’s office that has seen its fair share of controversy over the years with the resignation of former Sheriff Laurie Smith while a jury was deliberating whether she ought to be removed for taking bribes in exchange for concealed carry weapons permits. Binder was undersheriff at the time and served as acting sheriff for two months before current sheriff Bob Jonsen was elected. Binder is currently the acting chief in Gilroy. He is also the brother of Palo Alto police chief Andrew Binder. Binder has lived in the county since Nov. 1.
• Hillsborough City Manager Doug Davis, he spent his career in the Hillsborough Police Department, working his way up the ranks over 36 years before becoming chief. Three years ago, he was tapped to become the town’s city manager. He has lived in San Mateo County for 36 years.
• Former San Francisco Police Assistant Chief David Lazar, who worked his way up the ranks in SFPD before retiring in March. He’s lived in the county since Nov. 1.
• San Francisco Capt. Kevin Lee currently leads the Richmond Station in San Francisco. He’s worked for SFPD for 26 years and has lived in the county for over 20 years.
• Brian Wynn Huynh Travis is the chief of police for the Solano Community College District, where he oversees 1,100 employees. He had also worked for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office. Travis grew up in San Mateo and is a retired Army Major who was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq. He lived in the county for over 20 years and moved back this year.
• Sgt. David Weidner is the only internal candidate from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. He has worked for the office for over 25 years and is currently the range master at Coyote Point. Weidner was the first person to publicly express interest in the role and has said he will only serve as sheriff until the end of Corpus’ term in 2028. Weidner has lived in the county for over 50 years.
• Robert Yick is the second in command for the San Francisco State University Police Department and before that worked for SFPD for almost 30 years, working his way up the ranks. He has lived in the county since Nov. 1.
None of fired Sheriff Corpus’ former or current command staff applied to be the county’s next sheriff, including neither former Undersheriff Chris Hsuing nor former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, whose names have been floated throughout the county as possible applicants. Monaghan told the Post last week that he was considering applying. Hsuing ducked the Post’s questions, only saying he would possibly release a statement later this week.
Pick up the Post tomorrow for more information on these candidates.
On paper, Binder appears to be the most qualified candidate. He did everything the job requires while at the Santa Clara County SO, and escaped being stigmatized by Laurie Smith. But he is still an outsider, and would have to work fast to win trust.
Davis is at least a familiar face to many SO personnel, but he still lacks critical experience in custody operations.
Travis has many of the skills and experiences required, but is a total outsider, so gaining the trust of the rank and file might be tough.
Weidner is the only homegrown San Mateo SO candidate and knows the Agency intimately. He has a tough “no BS” reputation, but admittedly has less high-level leadership than Binder.
Those are the only candidates even worth considering. We need to get rid of Perea ASAP, and we don’t need more San Francisco cops with no jail experience replacing him.
For the love of god no more SFPD! Dan Perea falsely arrested the Sheriff’s Office union president and then committed perjury on the witness stand in an attempt to cover his tracks. Perea worked closely at SFPD with Lazar, Lee and Yick. None of the SFPD applicants have any jail experience. Yick has been a resident of San Mateo County since November 1st? Give me a break!, that’s a money grab! San Francisco is the fentanyl capitol of the world! That’s not a resume builder or what we want in San Mateo County! Hard pass SFPD!
Moving back to the county a day ago and another candidate “recently” is a no go for so many reasons… NO connection to anyone!!!
A N Y O N E!!! not remotely good for a sheriff it would take them a year just to meet everyone and meet community members and learn about local crime stats, what businesses there are etc etc so many questions about this and why let someone with no leadership experience apply and then a Sergeant? Skipping ranks is EXACTLY what Corpus did and got in wayyy over her head then turned the department over to an UN qualified “friend” realtor.
How large is Hillsborough PD vs San Mateo Sheriff department – no jail experience and some interesting vacation stories floating around – so again NO
That leaves an obvious choice of those options. Why the complicated process ?
Would have liked to see Monaghan part of the mix and hope he runs in 2028!
No go on Perea. I talked to several SFPD members, hard working street cops and I asked them about Perea. Only one word came up, “Weasel.” I think his past history in SF and with the county speaks volume. Time to start fresh. Stepping on others to get ahead is NOT a good management trait.
Binder is the obvious choice. Has leadership experience and knows how an SO should run. SFPD people have no jail experience. Davis has issues. Weidner is in over his head as a sergeant. [Portion removed — if you have his IA file, send it to the Daily Post newsroom and we’ll review it.]
More than just a last minute retirement… sounds like a liability for San Mateo to take this guy Lazar … read up on his shady year and more Top SFPD official was in crash during NBA All-Star Weekend, admits he used lights in apparent violation
Then the shady move to San Mateo County November 1 to double dip on his high retirement salary.
No jail experience and all five supervisors endorse him? WOW?
So Lazar doesn’t make sense- says he would promote within but then would run for Sheriff and tie up the seat for the next 7-8 years hmmm. There is also this gem on Lazar – just scratching the surface seems like there are some circumstances where ethical choices went out the door for Lazar… “Cmdr. David Lazar may have helped colleagues prepare for an exam, if he did so, it apparently occurred before he signed on as a so-called “subject matter expert” who graded and possibly prepared a recent exam for would-be police captains. Questions about the test were first raised by police Lt. Cornelius “Con” Johnson, who took the exam at the same time as other applicants and later filed complaints about the way the tests were graded…”
Next, the Travis sounds inexperienced for a large agency and would be in wayyyy over his head he hasn’t even worked in the peninsula and doesn’t know anyone- how is that helpful to blindly learn the job as he goes? Then spend how long learning about the jails and actually introducing himself to everyone for the first time? So maybe in 2027 he could know enough to make changes? I dunno man.
My vote is leaning towards Binder- he has SO experience and after asking around he is solid. Also transparent with his answers. He should be talking to people and finding out what the unions want and who the unions want on the executive team. Also, along the way, internal people should be developed.
Also side note… wonder why Canepa is so hell bent on his choices lately for the “special election” and then making a spectacle during the board meeting with Mueller – I wonder, could his reelection sponsorships be swaying him to get Bolanos back in or make certain people look bad in the interview process? In any event something seems off with this guy Canepa lately. Not a great look to the public and he sounds “bought”.
Sgt. David Weidner is BEST for the position of Sheriff. Has been with the SMC Sheriff’s Office through all the drama. Not just the recent ones. Has experience with operations and corrections. How many other applicants can claim that? Already have history of being a trusted officer with the SMC Sheriff’s Office. Again, no other applicants can claim this.
Sgt. David Weidner should be appointed and go on to run in the next election.
Absolutely, no one from San Francisco PD. No one from Daly City PD will apply because the position requires too much work.
I am not sure I would use the word trusted when speaking about Weidner.
It’s clear that the fix is in for Binder. But before the supervisors make a choice, they should find out whether Binder has done ANYTHING to clean up the well-known brutality in the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. The usual pattern is that the deputies pull somebody over, they decide they don’t like them, off go the cameras and they beat the hell out of the guy, then they visit him in the hospital to warn that they’ll find him and kill him if he complains. If there’s a lawsuit, it’s quietly settled out of court. No mention in the Mercury. Is Binder going to allow this on his watch? He won’t be able to say that it’s out of his hands because Sheriff Jonsen learned all these tricks in LA. My guess is that Binder will pretend nothing bad ever happens. So, at the very least, the SMC supervisors should ask him about the cases his department has settled in the past year. Should be interesting.