Sheriff Kelly Martinez expected to seek as much as $3 billion from county for critical jail upgrades

Even before she was sworn in as the 31st sheriff of San Diego County, the first woman to hold that job, Kelly A. Martinez knew the work ahead would be arduous.

Martinez stepped in three years ago next month to lead the department she has served since 1985, at a time when it was beset with challenges on many fronts.

At least five deputies had been arrested on accusations of sexual misconduct. Another was facing life in prison for shooting a fleeing mentally ill man in the back.

The Sheriff’s Office also was defending a class-action lawsuit challenging its practices in county jails, while dealing with the fallout of a 2022 state auditor’s report that found San Diego County had the highest rate of in-custody deaths among California’s large counties.

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