Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office reports 70% of staff is now vaccinated

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday said at least 70% of its full-time workers are vaccinated, providing the first snapshot of how the county’s largest law enforcement agency is complying with a countywide health order that requires public safety workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing.

With seven out of 10 employees inoculated for the deadly virus, the Sheriff’s Office maintains a vaccination rate is in line with the county government overall and is not far from the 75% of all eligible county residents who have received the vaccine.

“I'm happy to learn that 70% of my employees have chosen to be vaccinated,” Sheriff Mark Essick said Tuesday. “I would hope that in the coming days and weeks, we'll continue to see that number creep upward.”

Essick’s announcement came seven days after the deadline for public safety agencies to show proof of vaccination for all employees.

Essick said the Sheriff’s Office is still “reeling” from the death of Corrections Lt. Bobby Travelstead, who died Sept. 1 of complications from COVID-19. Travelstead, a 14-year veteran, was the second local law enforcement officer to succumb to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Santa Rosa Police Detective Marylou Armer, 44, died of COVID-19 complications on March 31, 2020. She was the state’s first peace officer to die of COVID-19.

As of Sept. 1, police, fire and ambulance agencies countywide were to begin collecting proof of vaccination status from employees, in accordance with a county public health order aimed at protecting first responders against the highly contagious virus.

The order gives first responders the choice of being tested weekly for COVID-19 if they choose not to be vaccinated. The deadline for local agencies to establish their testing processes is Sept. 24.

The vaccination rate for the Sheriff’s Office matches the 70% rate for all county employees. As of Tuesday, the county’s 4,400 employees are required to submit proof of vaccination or undergo weekly testing. County supervisors approved that requirement on Aug. 17.

Essick said the 70% vaccination rate applies to 577 currently active employees. That includes full- and part-time employees, as well as volunteers. The Sheriff’s Office has about 634 full time and roughly 100 part time positions, though a number of these positions are currently vacant and others are on leave for such things as injuries.

Last week, some local agencies began reporting vaccination rates among their staff. In Sebastopol, 89% of police department employees had been vaccinated. The department has 21 employees, as well as five volunteers also governed by the county mandate.

Adriane Mertens, a Santa Rosa city spokeswoman, said that as of Tuesday, the number of Santa Rosa police and fire staff who have provided proof of vaccination documentation, in accordance with the county health order stands at 119 of 148 fire department employees, or 80%; and 152 of 245 police department employees, or 62%.

Mertens said the figures do not necessarily represent the full number of vaccinated first responders because some fully vaccinated employees have chosen not to submit forms at this time. Last week, the city reported only 53% of police staff had shown proof of vaccination.

Mertens said the city expects the numbers to continue to change as more employees submit their vaccination proof.

Sgt. Juan Valencia, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said Tuesday he thinks the share of vaccinated employees in the Sheriff’s Office is higher than 70%.

“We know for example some deputies are vaccinated but refusing to show proof of vaccination and submitting to weekly testing,” Valencia said.

Damian Evans, president of the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association, which represents correctional officers and sheriff’s dispatchers, said it’s unclear why some vaccinated sheriff’s deputies or other law enforcement officers would decide not to share their proof of vaccination. But he said in the end it’s “a positive.”

“Now you're being tested frequently, and that'll benefit the employee and their family,” Evans said. “If an employee chooses not to provide proof of vaccination, then they're automatically defaulted into the weekly testing, which is actually a benefit.”

Mike Vail, president of the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, said an individual’s health information, including their vaccination status, is a private matter and that people have their own reasons for being unwilling to share that information. “It's up to each individual as to whether or not they are willing to share it or not,” Vail said in an email.

Essick said he thinks the numbers of vaccinated staff who are choosing not to submit their proof of vaccination is “largely anecdotal” and are only a few cases of that.

Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer, applauded the vaccination rate being reported by the Sheriff’s Office. “I think they've really stepped up their vaccination efforts, kudos to their department,” Mase said, adding that she hopes some of the “soft mandates” for county staff and first responders is boosting vaccination rates.

On Friday, Mase issued the county’s latest health order, this one requiring that all jail inmates be tested for COVID-19 upon entry to local detention centers. The measure, which is aimed at curbing the spread of the virus and prevent outbreaks, takes effect Oct. 1.

It requires all inmates in Sonoma County, including those at juvenile hall, to be tested for COVID-19, regardless of the their vaccination status, upon entry into the facility. Testing at local detention centers was previously voluntary, a Sheriff’s spokesman said.

The order was drafted in collaboration with Essick, who called it an “effective tool” to ensure all inmates get tested.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.