The Deputy Sheriff's Association and Organization of Sheriff's Sergeants is planning to hold a vote of no confidence in San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus' chief of staff.
According to a letter sent to union members, the organizations claim that Corpus’ Chief of Staff Victor Aenlle “‘attempts to undermine union leadership by encouraging members to vote union leaders out.”
“We have heard of him repeatedly overstepping his role as civilian chief of staff and have also been made aware of numerous HR complaints,” the letter read. “As a result of these issues, the DSA and OSS Boards have determined that a no-confidence vote of the general membership is the next step.”
The letter also states that the unions have filed complaints with the Public Employment Relations Board. As an agency, PERB works to rule over disputes between public employees and their management.
The complaint filed with the PERB claims that Aenlle’s comments are part of a campaign to create distrust between union members and the boars, which the union claims violates state law.
Aenlle is a former reserve deputy and Coldwell Banker real estate agent.
In March 2023, the Palo Alto Daily Post published a story that brought into question Aenlle's qualifications.
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In a letter to the news outlet, Aenlle's lawyer said, “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 sheriff…”
The unions are also objecting to Corpus' new policy that would increase the mandatory overtime for deputies. Corpus implemented the police to compensate for what the department is citing as an acute labor shortage.
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“We believe that our Administration has committed several unfair labor practices, including failure to negotiate in good faith, interference with protected union activities, and failure to properly meet and confer with the unions, as well as implementing changes to all of our hours and working conditions without negotiating over the changes,” read the letter. “We all want a successful Sheriff’s Office where employees are valued and where internal issues can be resolved in a prompt and respectful manner. However, after extensive conversations, meetings, and negotiations with our Administration, we no longer believe that the issues in the Sheriff’s Office can be resolved through the usual, non-adversarial processes.”
Gretchen Spiker, director of communications for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, said the department has been working "aggressively" to recruit the best candidates to make up for staffing challenges.
"Since assuming office, Sheriff Corpus has made it her priority to address the challenges associated with vacancies by launching an aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at attracting the most qualified candidates," Spiker said in a statement to NBC Bay Area. "Since January 2023, the Sheriff’s Office has successfully recruited 110 new employees. When Sheriff Corpus took office, the vacancy rate for sworn personnel stood at 25%. Today, that rate has been reduced to 15%, with hundreds of additional candidates currently in the hiring process—demonstrating significant progress."
Spiker added that the department relies on current employees to work overtime as it takes 18 to 24 months for a recruit to assume full duties.
"Above all, Sheriff Corpus’ primary focus is on the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, the safety of the communities we serve and the incarcerated population who we are responsible for," Spiker said. "She will not compromise on safety. She remains committed to making decisions that ensure safe staffing levels and uphold the integrity of the Office’s mission."
David Canepa, the county supervisor, said he is monitoring the situation and hopes the parties involved can resolve the issue.
“At the end of the day, people expect a ‘united’ public safety,” said David Canepa, the county supervisor. “We'll continue to monitor it, but if they can’t figure it out, maybe the Board Of Supervisors has to figure it out for them.”
Corpus was sworn in at the start of 2023 after she defeated incumbent Carlos Bolanos in a 2022 vote. Before taking the role, she was most recently the captain assigned to head the Millbrae substation.
In April, Sheriff’s Deputy David Wozniak sued Corpus and Aenlle, alleging the pair willingly demoted and disparaged him because the union didn’t endorse Corpus’ campaign. According to the suit, the political campaign managed by Wozniak instead voted to endorse Bolanos.
According to the unions, there is no set time yet for a no-confidence vote.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of the story read that the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to NBC Bay Area's request for comment. The story has since been updated to reflect its response.
