Montecito Sheriff’s Substation Grand Opening

Rick Caruso – along with First District SB County Supervisor Roy Lee and SBC Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown –held a grand opening of the long-awaited Montecito Sheriff’s Office Substation, located at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, Montecito, on Wednesday, June 17, at 3:30 pm. The new substation serves the community of Montecito, an unincorporated town in Santa Barbara County  

The event began outside with remarks by Caruso, Lee, and Brown, and an official ribbon-cutting at the entrance to the Sheriff’s substation. Tours of the substation and one on one interviews were held after with the media.

Caruso opened the ceremony by stating, “As a company our culture has always been to support the first responders. We are very grateful to those who protect us, keep us safe, keep us healthy, and take care of our property and our guests. We are grateful to you Sheriff Brown and the great men and women of the Sheriff’s department who have been here for us over the past seven years we’ve been up here during our construction. From what we understand from your department, the substation here is going to increase the ability for public safety in this part of the community. We are proud to be able to support our neighbors and our friends in the Montecito community.”  Caruso also thanked Lee for his support in having a Sheriff’s post at Rosewood Miramar Beach. With that he introduced Lee, who thanked Rick Caruso and his entire team, Sheriff Brown and his deputies, and the Montecito Association for its vision in making it happen. Lee introduced Sheriff Bill Brown.

Sheriff Brown spoke at length. Highlights of his speech are, “This is an exciting moment for the Montecito community and the Sheriff’s office. I am proud to be here as we officially open the new Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Montecito office at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. Today’s celebration is not just about opening up a new facility, it’s about opening doors to stronger partnerships, greater accessibility and a deeper connection between the Sheriff’s office and the community we serve in Montecito. It represents something truly meaningful; a public-private partnership that is innovative, and that works. By bringing together the resources, vision and goodwill of the Rosewood Miramar Beach and the desire of SB County Sheriff’s office to better serve our constituents, we’ve created a space that enhances safety while also strengthening community trust. The Caruso team has generously provided this space at no charge to the County of Santa Barbara.” He then thanked Caruso, Lee, and all involved in the project, with a special recognition to Lt. Rich Brittingham who began the project. [Scroll below to see video for full remarks of all speakers.]

Tour of the substation shows it is equipped with two working desks that each have a computer with two monitors, phones, and on the facing wall a large screen monitor. There is a basic kitchenette with half fridge and microwave, and a bathroom. The walls have four large scale canvas prints of vintage Sheriff’s department photographs that were selected and installed by Lieutenant Daniel Nelson Jr. When I talked with Lt. Nelson about it, he said there will be more current photos soon, to be displayed for the team who will utilize the new office. 

The concept of a Sheriff’s station in Montecito primarily came about late 2024 due to the delayed response time for law enforcement personnel to arrive for calls in the area due to the ongoing Highway 101 construction between Carpinteria and Montecito; and secondarily to the increase in burglaries in the area. The response time concern came to a head with a vagrancy intrusion incident at Montecito Union School in November 2024. In that episode it that took law enforcement 30 minutes to arrive on scene due to highway and side road construction. MUS Superintendent Anthony Ranii, who was able to abate the incident with the vagrant prior to the arrival of law enforcement, brought the matter to the Montecito Association’s December 2024 meeting for a solution. It was decided that a local Montecito substation would greatly assist law enforcement in the area on many levels, and a MA Safety Subcommittee was set up to work with SBC Sheriff’s Department’s South County Operations Division lead Lt. Rich Brittingham whose station serves Montecito, Summerland, and Carpinteria. Brittingham worked withthe Montecito Association’s Safety subcommittee to establish the technical and logistical aspects of constructing a law enforcement substation in Montecito. 

The MA Safety subcommittee reached a roadblock regarding both long-term financing for a substation and securing a long-term lease at a centralized Montecito location – one that would accommodate all the substation’s requirements, including  permits, although they had a lead for a place in the Upper Village and some initial funding. At that time Caruso announced that he would step in to provide the Sheriff’s Substation on his property at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. Caruso and his team worked with Lt. Brittingham, Sheriff Brown, and Supervisor Lee to its completion.

The Rosewood Miramar Beach location is ideal for law enforcement’s expedient access to both the town of Montecito and to the 101 Highway. It further provides a proper location for law enforcement to use the office’s computers for their reporting, correspondence, research, and related business, and to utilize the kitchenette for their shift meal breaks and downtime.

Attending the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting from the SB County Sheriff’s Department were South County Operations Division Commander John Maxwell, Undersheriff Brad Welch, Sheriff’s Lieutenant Daniel Nelson Jr., Senior Deputy Ben Sandu, and Lieutenant Ugo “Butch” Arnoldi. Also noted were Montecito Association President Bill MacFayden with his board – Leslie Lundgren, Trish Davis, Joseph Pennino, and Mindy Denson – Caruso’s Bryce Ross, and from Supervisor Lee’s office Wade Cowper and Aida Thau.