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GENERAL ORDER #15.04 1 POLITICAL ACTIVITY GENERAL ORDER #15.04 Adopted: 07/07/2010 Updated: 02/22/2010 Replaces: G.O. #15.04 dated 1/10/02 Reviewed: 02/22/2010 ****************************************************************************** POLICY Sheriff’s Office personnel are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and not to act in a way that tends to discredit the County or County service. While the Sheriff’s Office supports the rights of employees to support the candidates of their choice, employees must recognize the importance of conducting themselves according to the requirements of the policies and procedures of this agency, County rules, and state law. PROCEDURE All Sheriff’s Office personnel shall abide by state law and Coun ty rules governing political activity by public employees. A. Government Code section 3205 makes it a misdemeanor for a public employee to directly or indirectly solicit a political contribution from another public employee (or from a person on a public a gency employment list) with knowledge that the person from whom the contribution is solicited is a public employee. This section does not apply “if the solicitation is part of a solicitation made to a significant segment of the public” which may include p ublic employees. This section also does not apply to solicitation of funds to promote or oppose ballot measures affecting working conditions (per Government Code section 3209). B. Government Code section 3206 prohibits public employees from participati ng “in political activities of any kind while in uniform", including being photographed in uniform for a political ad or flyer. GENERAL ORDER #15.04 2 C. The Santa Clara County Code of Ethical Conduct (Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Policy Manual Section 3.32 ) provides, ”Professional and personal affairs must be conducted in a manner that demonstrates that one could not be improperly influenced in the performance of official duties or that one seeks personal gain through their position, regardless of the level of re sponsibility of the individual employee.” LAURIE SMITH SHERIFF