Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Goes Above and Beyond

CALICO was pleased to find that the admiration is mutual. In reflecting on their favorite thing about CALICO, all five team members singled out the people and the relationships that make for an easier and more effective investigation. Detective Hawks commented, “Without CALICO, we could not do our job. In the 2½ years in my current assignment, I have never had a child who has had a negative impression after their CALICO interview.”

What CALICO sees is a team that never loses its drive to make things right. Sergeant Gemmell sums up our sentiments exactly: “Each investigator takes on a new case with the same energy and desire to find the facts, as if it were their first week in the unit.” CALICO is fortunate to work with the ACSO team in making our community a safer place.

“The opportunity to make a difference in the life of a fellow citizen, especially a child,” “helping people,” and even simply “catching bad guys.” Those are what motivate Sergeant Kenneth Gemmell and Detectives Dan Baer, Jason Hawks, Sean McMillan and Lauren Tucker of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO). CALICO is delighted to honor this dedicated team in our first Hero Spotlight for their exemplary work investigating child abuse.

Their faces are familiar ones at CALICO, as the ACSO team typically requests one or two interviews a week, and its members are regular contributors at our monthly case review and program advisory committee meetings. While what brings the detectives to CALICO are, in their words, “the worst imaginable crimes,” the difficult work has never diminished the compassion they show to every child, nor their tenacity and skill in attaining the best outcome in each case. CALICO values the team members’ hard work, as well as their kindness, camaraderie and humor.