Correction: The Daily Post has been attempting to learn more about the qualifications of Victor Aenlle, who has become part of the command staff of new San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus.
The Post made requests for information under the California Public Records Act and contacted Aenlle. Aenlle declined to be interviewed and instead told the reporter to “do more research.”
The Post published an article about Aenlle on March 1, 2023 (online March 3), and a news column on March 6, 2023.
Aenlle, through his representative, contacted the Post to protest both articles, saying they convey an “unmistakable but baseless message … that Mr. Aenlle is not qualified for his new job.”
In order to be sure the public has Aenlle’s views and the additional information he has provided, the Post here augments and corrects its articles by adding the information they provided. They state:
“Mr. Aenlle has an extensive law enforcement background. He served as a reserve police officer for over 15 years and has well over 10,000 hours of on-duty experience patrolling San Mateo County. Mr. Aenlle has completed every training protocol required of full-time deputy sheriffs, including training for situations involving workplace violence, high-tech crimes, terrorism, gang violence, vehicle pursuits and crisis intervention. He has received training in the use of electronic weapons such as electronic control devices and tasers. He is a licensed firearms instructor. He is fully trained in first aid, CPR and AED.”
Aenlle also stated that he believes he “is exceptionally well-qualified for his position on the Sheriffs Command Staff,” adding that he “also received training in ‘constitutional policing,’ i.e.,police practices that advance the Constitutional goal of upholding individual civil rights and affording citizens (sic) equal protection under law.”
Because Aenlle had not provided any specific information to the Post before publication, other than that he was a “California sworn police officer,” once the Post received his demand for a correction and the additional information, we decided to publish the information he provided.
The Post did not intend to misrepresent the scope of his qualifications.
BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
The new sheriff of San Mateo County, Christina Corpus, has been assembling a command staff that includes a former Realtor who has little law enforcement experience, though he has volunteered with the Woodside Mounted Patrol.
The other three members of her command staff — including former Mountain View Police Chief Chris Hsiung — have long careers in law enforcement.
The Patrol Foundation is a nonprofit made up of volunteers that works with other agencies in the county to perform search and rescue operations by riding horses to try to find a missing person or respond to another type of emergency.
Corpus, who campaigned promising an “open door” and transparency, has declined to return phone calls and messages from the Daily Post.
Victor Aenlle, an agent with Coldwell Banker for 27 years, worked for the sheriff’s office in 2013 and 2014 he is listed as a “deputy sheriff” by Transparent California, a nonprofit that tracks public salaries. He received $30,825 in 2013 and $16,479.65 in 2014.
Now he has a contract that lasts until the end of the year that pays $192,275. His duties include serving as a liaison for the department with various officials, redeveloping the process for obtaining concealed weapons permits and helping with creating the sheriff’s “CARE” or Community Advisors for Responsible Engagement program, which consists of three advisory bodies with 15 people each, one for North County, South County and the coastside.
The Post tried to interview Aenlle about his role in Corpus’ team, but he instead told a reporter via email to do more research.
He was also part of Corpus’ transition team, which advised her as she took over the sheriff’s office from Carlos Bolanos.
Trip to Dallas
Aenlle traveled with Corpus to Dallas for a law enforcement convention in August, three months before Corpus was sworn in. The county reimbursed Aenlle for $2,710.32 for airfare, hotel and meals, according to emails obtained by the Post
The rest of Corpus’ transition team was retired Capt. Paul Kunkel and Max Szabo, who was George Gascon’s spokesman while Gascon was District Attorney in San Francisco.
The other members of her new command team include:
• Kunkel, who was Corpus’ predecessor as chief of police in Millbrae, before retiring in 2021, was in charge of the deputies who worked on Caltrain and was commander of the county jails, has a year and a half contract for up to $193,007 to assist Corpus with the corrections division and recruitment. Kunkel’s 12 tasks primarily relate to the county jails and to help with the transition of the future assistant sheriff of the corrections division. Kunkel is the only person in Corpus’ inner circle who also worked under Bolanos. Corpus ran on a platform of shaking things up within the department.
• Ryan Monaghan, who worked in San Mateo for 26 years, will serve as the assistant sheriff of operations. Monaghan was chief of Tiburon in the north bay since April 2021 and had to deal with the aftermath of a racial profiling lawsuit that drew national attention. Before he became Tiburon chief, Monaghan was a lieutenant with the San Mateo Police Department, most recently serving as a watch commander for patrol officers. He also has experience in investigations, SWAT and the counter-terrorism assault team.
• Chris Hsiung as undersheriff, which is second in command. He will act as sheriff if Corpus is out of office. Hsiung worked his way up the ranks in Mountain View during his 28-year career there. Hsiung started his career at Foster City Police, where Hsiung grew up. Hsiung was chief for two years in Mountain View, previously telling the Post that the job in San Mateo County is a “tremendous opportunity to work with a leader with very similar values and vision.” Hsiung also previously said that as chief, he is proud that he looked outside of a military culture that police departments typically have, and he led the department through “tumultuous times.”
Both Hsiung and Monaghan were sworn in Feb. 28 by Corpus, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
The people of San Mateo County get what they deserved. Who was it that said elections have consequences?
“Sheriff” Corpus can now do for the entire County what she did for the people of Millbrae.
Make sure the County performs forensic audits of the Sheriff’s Office command staff every year, the results might be interesting.
Thank GOODNESS that elections have consequences! SMC now has a Sheriff we can trust and be proud of, and YES – the people of San Mateo County deserve that. The work that Sheriff Corpus did for us here in Millbrae was meaningful, positive-results-oriented, and inspiring – so much so that my wife and I hosted her ‘campaign launch’ event at our home, based on what she did as Chief of Police in Millbrae.
How absolutely refreshing to move away from the multiple scandals, abuse-of-power, and disgrace that the last Sheriff left as his legacy. Couldn’t be prouder that San Mateo County has the first Latina Sheriff in California history!
The resident of SM County voted overwhelmingly for the Sheriff to bring about change to the Office. She has appointed top notch law enforcement leaders of the highest quality in the Undersheriff and Assistant Sheriff. She is on her way to giving SM County residents what they deserve…a premier and professional department caring for both the officers or employees and the community it serves: Guardianship!
Jose, I hope you aren’t using the word “guardianship” in the way that it’s used in the law. We don’t need a sheriff, or anybody else, taking over our personal affairs and running our lives as if we were incompetent. I saw this same word misused in Corpus’ campaign materials and thought a sheriff’s captain would know better. A better word might be “public servant.”
Does Aenlle get a takehome sheriff’s SUV’s? Does he go to emergencies and tell the deputies what to do?
There’s got to be more to this story. Why did she pick Aenlle of all people?
For personal reasons, I suspect. It’s not the best kept secret, judging from other comments that have since been removed…
Sheriff Corpus is already keeping her campaign promises of reform, which is why we elected her – she has increased mental health treatment in the jail, she has launched the CARE program to hear from the community, started an innovative program through SAL to provide early intervention to kids who need it, and hired command staff who share her vision to restore integrity, engage with the community, and support the deputies in their job to protect and serve. Kudos to our new Sheriff!
Nancy, aren’t you the least bit curious about how somebody with almost no law enforcement experience became part of Corpus’ command staff?
@Nancy, if Sheriff Corpus has “hired command staff who share her vision to restore integrity”, why isn’t she willing to talk about the credentials and experience of one of them, Victor Aenlle?
San Mateo County badly needs an organization to provide oversight of the sheriff’s department. A group that, for instance, is asking questions about Aenlle … and that trip Corpus and Aenlle took to Dallas together.
[Portion removed, see above.] It is a shame. I thought we were getting a Sheriff we could trust.
Yes there is more to this story. Hopefully the right people will continue to dig until all the truth comes out. I formerly worked with the new Sheriff and I really thought she had more integrity than that.
[Portions deleted because of violations of our Terms of Use. If you have proof of the allegations that you’re making, please present that proof to the Daily Post. The Post has been asking questions about these allegations but hasn’t gotten anywhere. County officials are refusing to release public records and the sheriff and Mr. Aenlle have refused our requests for an interview.]
Sheriff Corpus is no better than the last. [Portion removed, see above.]
He has absolutely no business being any part of any law enforcement command staff. [Portion removed, see above.]
Our tax dollars are going to pay nearly $200,000 a year for [Aenlle] to stay close to her. Does the Board of Supervisors or the County Administrator not have any say in this matter? I’m thinking they should. If not, maybe “Fixin San Mateo” could look further into this matter, it is a County wide matter, is it not?
He has no law enforcement experience, but is making decisions for the Sheriff’s Office. He has no training in patrol operations, courts division, civil division, custody division, and emergency services, yet our trained Law Enforcement Officers have to answer to him.
[Portion removed, see above.]
Victor Aenlle was originally Sheriff Bolonos’ friend. [Portion removed, see above.]
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This is a shameful abuse of power on her part, and a tragedy for the Sheriff’s Office. Again, ask any Deputy Sheriff you see, they will tell you about the Sheriff and [Aenlle].
This is not the change we asked for. I was happy to see Carlos Bolanos leave, and I was fooled by Sheriff Corpus.
Unfortunately, nobody currently in the office is willing to be public about it. Are they afraid of retribution? Maybe there is a retired person that would be willing to tell the truth and provide the necessary documents to support all of the allegations? It might just be a matter of time. We shall see!
I see that you have heavily edited my posting. Even though every single thing I said is true. You say in your response that Sheriff Corpus and Victor Aenlle will not answer your questions. Did you remind the Sheriff that she ran on the platform of “transparency?”
If, as you say, she refuses to address the truth, wouldn’t that bolster my post, and others, because they won’t address it?
I would hope you, as a journalist, do a complete investigation.
We count on our government leaders being held accountable.
I respectfully request that you, being a journalist, do a thorough and complete investigation into this matter. I believe that’s the calling you answered when you became a journalist, am I right?
If Sheriff Corpus and Victor Aenlle continue to stonewall you, publish the information you have been given. Then maybe they will speak to you.
Shameful! She is putting her “close friend” in a paid position that he is not qualified for at all. Taxpayers are footing the bill for her to have her “friend” by her side. There are so many people counting on her to do the right with their tax dollars.
Under normal circumstances, it takes years of law enforcement experience to become part of the Command Staff of any agency, but especially one as large as the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Being a Reserve Deputy for a period of time, Captain of the Woodside Mounted Patrol and a realtor hardly provides such experience that would qualify Victor Aenlle to be appointed as Command Staff alongside an Undersheriff and Assistant Sheriff, both of whom came from long histories with other Bay Area agencies where they ultimately were promoted to their positions as police chiefs prior to being hired by the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Corpus and Victor Aenlle dodging interviews about his qualifications, as well as his new purview over various Sheriff’s Office operations without the necessary experience or expertise to do so, certainly do not foster a climate of trust, confidence and transparency that was promised to the citizens of this county during her election campaign.
DO NOT POST LONG PREVIOUS COMMENT FROM RAVEN