Sacramento County’s Inspector General Selected
Apr 02, 2024 09:43AM ● By Sacramento County News Release
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on March 26 to approve the selection of Kevin Gardner as the County’s new Inspector General and authorizes the County Executive to sign a contract with Gardner for that position, effective April 2, 2024.
The nationwide search commenced with two collaborative interview panels that were convened for the Inspector General search. One panel was comprised of members appointed by the Community Review Commission, as well as representatives from both the Law Enforcement Management Association (LEMA) and the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (SCDSA).
The second panel included the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff, and representatives from LEMA and SCDSA.
All panel representatives expressed their support of moving forward with recommending Gardner’s appointment.
Gardner has 31 years of sworn law enforcement experience, including service with the City of Vacaville and City of Sacramento police departments. During his time with the City of Sacramento, Gardner rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming an Acting Deputy Chief.
Beginning in 2017, Gardner served two years as the Chief of the Division of Law Enforcement for the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. Most recently, he served as the Interim Director for the City of Sacramento’s Office of Public Safety Accountability.
Gardner has a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Union Institute and University and a master’s degree in leadership from Saint Mary’s College.
The Office of the Inspector General was created to facilitate the Board of Supervisors’ responsibility to oversee without interfering with the Sheriff’s investigation of personnel deployment functions.
The Inspector General ensures the integrity of the citizen complaint process and the thoroughness and fairness of related Sheriff’s Office investigations, while fostering positive relations with the community. The Community Review Commission acts in a supporting role to the Office of Inspector General and acts as a conduit between the community and the Office of Inspector General.
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The Inspector General works independently on items detailed in the scope of services. The Inspector General will present recommendations relating to these examinations to the Board of Supervisors, County Executive, and the Sheriff.
The Office of the Inspector General is a contract position. The contract, once executed, will be effective beginning April 2, 2024, through March 31, 2026, with the option to renew the contract for one additional two-year term.
