Captain - Administration Division
Captain Jay Farmer
Captain Jay Farmer began his law enforcement career after graduating with an Associate Arts Degree in the Administration of Justice in 1978. His career with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office began in April of 1983. In his over 32 year career, Captain Farmer has worked in two jails, in Superior Court as a bailiff, and in numerous assignments in the Patrol Bureau. In 1989, Jay was selected to be the full time helicopter observer in the Sheriff’s Helicopter Unit, where he performed law enforcement, medical and search and rescue missions as well as coordinating the volunteer Search and Rescue Team.
After being promoted to Sergeant in July of 1991, Captain Farmer was assigned to the Patrol Bureau as a shift supervisor. During this time he was also the Field Training Program supervisor and one of the first sergeants to be assigned to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office’s first law enforcement contract in the Town of Windsor.
In November 1995, Captain Farmer was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the Patrol Bureau as a Watch Commander. During this time Captain Farmer managed the operations of the Helicopter Unit, the Field Training Program, the Marine Unit and other Patrol Bureau substations and collateral assignments. In October of 1999, he was transferred to the Personnel Bureau where he managed the recruitment and hiring efforts as well as the Training Unit for 6 years. Captain Farmer was promoted to his current rank on October 10, 2006 and is now assigned to the Administration Division.
Central Information Bureau:
This Bureau is the custodian of all criminal reports, warrants and property related to criminal investigations.
Civil Bureau:
Pursuant to law the Sheriff's Department is responsible for the service of court papers and enforcing civil court judgments.
Crime Analysis:
This unit is tasked with researching and reporting crime statistics for internal and public use.
Information Services Bureau:
This Bureau is responsible for the entire computer systems within the Sheriff's Department, including all hardware and software used inside both detention facilities, the mobile data computers installed in patrol cars as well as the hundreds of desktop and laptops used in all Sheriffs facilities.
Personnel Bureau:
The Personnel Bureau is primarily responsible for recruitment, background investigations and the custodian of over 700 employee and volunteer personnel files.
- Training Unit:
This unit is comprised of one Department Analyst and one Administrative Aide. They are responsible for the coordination of all training for the over 700 paid employees and the over 100 volunteers.
Internal Affairs Bureau:
- The role of the Sheriff's Department's Internal Affairs Bureau is to ensure employees are performing their varied duties and public service obligations as required by law and policy. We do this by thoroughly investigating allegations of misconduct and by reviewing our employee's conduct in identified incidents.
