blackvoicenews.com

Sheriff Stan Sniff has promoted Lieutenant Shelley A. Kennedy-Smith to the rank of Captain. She becomes the first Black woman in that position. Captain Kennedy- Smith will assume the command of Court Services West, Central, and East. These courts include the Historic Court House in Riverside, the Hall of Justice, the Family Law building, the Corona Court, Moreno Valley Court, Juvenile Court, Southwest Justice Center, the Hemet Court, the Banning Court, the Indio Court, the Civil Bureau, and the County Administrative Center.

Sheriff Stan Sniff said, “Shelley brings the experience that will benefit the Courts and the people of Riverside County it serves. Her hard work ethic is an example to all members of our department.” Captain Kennedy-Smith has over 23 years of law enforcement experience having joined the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1986. Upon completion of the academy, she was assigned to the Riverside Jail and later the Lake Elsinore Station, Court Services and the Southwest Detention Center. She promoted to the rank of Investigator in 1999 and was assigned to the Lake Elsinore Station, where she handled all types of investigations and was designated as the station Elder Abuse Detective. In 2000 Captain Kennedy-Smith was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to the Southwest Detention Center. As a Sergeant, Captain Kennedy-Smith also served as the Department’s Public Information Officer from 2001 to 2004.

Captain Kennedy-Smith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2004 and placed in charge of the Sheriff’s Personnel Bureau. In 2008, Captain Kennedy-Smith returned to the Lake Elsinore Station, where she served as the Administrative Lieutenant responsible for the station budget along with the contract cities of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar. She was also responsible for management of the Detective Bureau, the Special Teams Unit, and Lake Operations. Captain Kennedy-Smith and her husband Melvin have two sons and reside in Murrieta.