Paul Miyamoto

Paul Miyamoto is known for his resilience. He has held rank at every position in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office and faced his share of adversity, keeping people safe in the jails, in emergencies, and in the community.

Miyamoto comes by his resilience naturally, as a member of a family who survived and triumphed after being forcibly relocated to a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He strengthened his resilience on the job, joining the Sheriff’s Office in 1996, and rising through the ranks to Assistant Sheriff. Miyamoto commanded the two largest Sheriff’s Office divisions, Custody and Field Operations, and is a member of the Sheriff’s Special Response Team (SRT).

On November 5, 2019, San Francisco voters elected Paul Miyamoto as their 37th Sheriff since 1850.

When he was sworn in on January 8, 2020, Sheriff Miyamoto also became the first Asian American Sheriff in San Francisco history. Born and raised in the City, Sheriff Miyamoto now leads one of the nation’s most diverse and inclusive Sheriff’s Office workforces.

As Sheriff of the City and County of San Francisco, he manages more than 850 sworn staff, almost 200 non-sworn employees and a budget of over $250 million. This includes administering three custodial jails and an intake and release facility; providing safety for Superior Court operations and other high-profile public buildings; and performing civil court orders.

Sheriff Miyamoto’s priority is to keep people safe inside the jail and in the community. San Francisco has one of the nation’s lowest incarceration rates, with the majority of criminal justice-involved people awaiting resolution of their cases out of custody.

The Sheriff’s Office supervises many of these people on alternatives to incarceration such as electronic monitoring. The office also supports restorative justice programs, including the national award-winning Resolve to Stop the Violence Project, which has operated in San Francisco County Jail since 1997.

Working with city agencies, justice and public safety partners, Sheriff Miyamoto is committed to enhancing and expanding services that protect public safety and help vulnerable people. Sheriff Miyamoto is active in his community. He serves on the boards of the National Association of Asian American Professionals in San Francisco (NAAAPSF), which mentors individuals to become leaders in their professions; and Guardians of the City, which preserves and promotes the history of San Francisco public safety. Sheriff Miyamoto attended Lowell High School in San Francisco and graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1989. Married to LeeAnn and a father of five including triplets, he also coaches his children's youth basketball teams.