Photograph by Mark Kocina
Captain Dennis Bacon recently replaced Jeff Miles as head of the sheriff's Westside Substation.
Former West Valley student is named head of substation
By Rebecca Ray
The sheriff's Westside Substation, which serves Saratoga and several other West Valley communities, is getting a new captain.
Dennis Bacon, who previously worked in the transportation division of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, is replacing Jeff Miles.
Sheriff Laurie Smith promoted Miles to commander of the field enforcement bureau. Miles, a 29-year veteran of the department, now oversees the West Valley, headquarters, investigative and south county divisions. He will work out of the sheriff's headquarters in downtown San Jose.
As the new head of the Westside Substation, Bacon says he looks forward to participating more in children's programs, including student safety patrol. At a recent barbecue the substation held for Saratoga students who'd participated in safety patrol, Bacon used a radar gun to measure the children's running speed.
For the last couple of years, Bacon, who enjoys camping and snow-skiing with his family, has played the guitar during campfire songs at the department's annual sheriff's summer camp. The father of four has also participated in his children's activities, including coaching their baseball and soccer teams. The San Jose resident has also given safety presentations at local schools and helped with Books and Beyond, a children's reading program.
Bacon said he looked forward to serving the West Valley area, which the 26-year veteran of the sheriff's office patrolled for five years in the 1980s. According to Bacon, Saratoga, Cupertino and Los Altos Hills--the three incorporated areas the substation serves--are on the "cutting-edge" of community-oriented policing, which refers to how the department partners with community organizations in its programs.
"It's an exciting time because a lot of things are going to be changing as far as involvement with the community, and we want to find out what the sheriff's office can do for Saratoga," Bacon said. "I'm excited about being part of that."
When Bacon first started to work for the sheriff's office as a 22-year-old West Valley College student, he saw it as a temporary step toward doing more social-oriented work and helping children. But, he said, "I kind of got hooked, and I ended up staying 26 years." Part of the reason why he got hooked on law enforcement was because the career involved social work and helping children, he said.
Although Bacon was born in Washington state, he grew up in Santa Clara and has lived in the Silicon Valley since 1958. He began his law enforcement career in the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department of Correction, where he spent three years doing various jobs, including administrative work.
Later, Bacon spent four years as range master, where he taught other officers how to shoot better, how to use force more effectively, the legal aspects of fire arms and when to shoot and not to shoot.
After this, he received a limited teaching credential to teach police science courses, which he taught at the police academy for the next three and a half years.
Once Bacon was promoted to sergeant, he did administrative work in the department of correction again for five years, and then worked in the investigations division, where he headed sexual assault, homicide and robbery investigations. As a sergeant, he also spent at least nine years as part of the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team, the department's version of the SWAT team.
Following a promotion to lieutenant, Bacon worked in the transportation division, one of the largest in California. He supervised 43 officers who moved 218,000 prisoners a year throughout the state.
Bacon has also been in charge of the hostage negotiation team and has taught various classes at the department, including report writing and use of force.
Bacon's promotion from lieutenant is one of several promotions and transfers Sheriff Smith has made since former Undersheriff Bob Wilson retired in December 2000.
Steve Cushing, former commander of the field enforcement bureau, replaced Wilson as undersheriff.
Smith also promoted Robert Linderman and Luther Pugh, two former day shift sergeants at the substation, to lieutenant, and former substation deputy Patrick McGrady to sergeant, and moved all three officers to headquarters.
In addition, Smith transferred four sergeants to the substation: Keith Bayley, who was in reserves; Karen Burgess, who was in the investigative division; and Don Staats and Dale Unger, who were in the department of correction.
Smith also assigned Capt. Jerry Hall, formerly of the headquarters patrol, to serve as the liaison between the Sheriff's Department and the Stanford University Department of Public Safety.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
