About the Fresno County Sheriff's Department
The Fresno County Sheriff's Department is a full Service Law Enforcement Agency with a long proud history and tradition of providing professional law enforcement service to the people of Fresno County. The varied law enforcement services include both metropolitan and rural policing. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Deparrtment serves a total population of approximately 195,000 residents, which includes contracted police services for the cities of Mendota, Orange Cove, and San Joaquin. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Department patrols more than 6,000 square miles of central California with a diversity of terrain that varies from open farm lands of the western county to rugged mountain peaks of over 11,000 feet to the east in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Department’s 1000+ employees are dedicated to the investigation, prevention and suppression of criminal offenses. The Fresno County Sheriff Department provides Bailiffs and Court Security to 47 courtrooms in Fresno County. Court Services Personnel move approximately 67,500 inmates to and from the courts on an annual bases. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Department operates four detention facilities that house and care for an average daily population of 2150 inmates. The Sheriff’s Department delivers field services to county residents from four rural substations. Some of the field service programs that the department provides include Patrol, Air Support Unit (helicopters), Mounted Horse Unit, Canine Unit, Bike Unit, and Boating Enforcement Unit. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Department provides numerous community programs through Crime Prevention and Youth Services programs.

The Air Support Unit was created in October of 1996. The unit is located at the Fresno Airport.  The McDonnell Douglas 500E helicopter was selected as our preferred aircraft and two ships were purchased in Arizona to start the program.    The flight crews began patrol operations on May 1, 1997. The McDonnell Douglas 500E helicopter has a turbine engine that has a maximum speed of 175 mph with a maximum ceiling of 16,000 feet.  The helicopter has four seats and always carries a pilot and a flight officer who are both deputies.  Both of the MD500E ships are equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system, color video camera, 50 million candle power "Nightsun" search light, 350 channel radio, and computer system. The patrol helicopters, which are named Eagle-1 and Eagle-2, patrol 7 days a week 365 days a year.

In June 2003, the various units that provide forensic services to the Fresno County Sheriff's Department were consolidated into one unit, the Forensic Laboratory.  The Forensic Laboratory now consists of the following units: Property and Evidence; Crime Scene; Crime Scene Reconstruction ; DNA/Serology; Firearms/Toolmark; Narcotics Analysis

The Director of Forensic Services executes overall supervision of the Forensic Laboratory and reports directly to the Central Field Services Bureau Captain.  Two Senior Identification Technicians supervise the Crime Scene Unit and the Property and Evidence Unit.  The Supervising Criminalist supervises the DNA/Serology, Firearms/Toolmark, and Narcotic Analysis Units.  Crime Scene Reconstruction is a collaborative effort by all sections in the Laboratory, and supervision of these cases will be assigned according to the particular needs of the case.

Source:

fresnosheriff.org