Two weeks after former Sheriff Christina Corpus was ousted for alleged retaliation and conflict-of-interest violations, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is facing renewed scrutiny — this time over allegations that a deputy who leads Millbrae’s police services unit used city property as personal sleeping quarters while residing in Idaho.
On Monday, Millbrae city officials told this news organization that it had no prior knowledge of living quarters being set up inside the police station. ABC7 first reported the matter last week, noting that Capt. Eamonn Allen, who oversees Millbrae’s police bureau, has been living at the office while his primary residence is out of state.
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“What we can verify is that the city had no knowledge of the dwelling units inside the police station until a routine inspection found them,” Millbrae spokesperson Annabelle Acosta said. “Unfortunately, one of the doors was not accessible to our staff as the locks had been replaced by the police bureau without city knowledge.”
Acosta also confirmed that a container of alcohol was found in the station.
“It is city of Millbrae policy to not drink while on the job or come to work under the influence of any substance including alcohol,” she said, adding that “using public property for personal need or convenience is also against city ethics policy.”
Officials said they did not fund the construction of the sleeping quarters. While the station’s overall utilities are covered by the city, it’s unclear whether the room added extra costs. City Manager Tom Williams said the quarters were only discovered after a building inspector found them.
Questions directed to the sheriff’s office and the county regarding who authorized the sleeping quarters, policy and compliance remained unanswered as of press time.
Millbrae disbanded its own police department in 2012 and has since contracted with the sheriff’s office for public safety and police services. Allen was appointed to lead the Millbrae bureau by Corpus in 2023.
Acosta pointed to the city’s ethics policy, which states that “no public employee shall request, use, or permit the use of city-owned vehicles, equipment, materials, or property for personal need, convenience or profit, except when such services are available to the public generally or are provided as municipal policy for the use of such employee in the conduct of official business.”
Online property records show he sold his Livermore home in April 2024 and listed a Meridian, Idaho, address as his residence as of June that same year.
Allen did not respond to requests for comment.
He was among several captains who called for Corpus to resign last year following the release of a November 2024 investigation led by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, which found that Corpus had retaliated against subordinates, among dozens of other accusations, and recommended her removal. Earlier this month, the Board of Supervisors officially ousted Corpus under a voter-approved charter amendment granting the board authority to remove a sheriff until 2028 — the year originally set to mark the end of her term. Notably, Williams had testified on Corpus’ behalf during her removal hearings last August.
Supervisor David Canepa previously said he would ask Undersheriff Dan Perea to investigate the sleeping quarters but told this news organization Monday that no action has been taken so far. He added that the county’s immediate focus is deciding whether to hold a special election or appoint a replacement for Corpus — a topic scheduled for discussion at a community meeting Tuesday evening, with a final vote slated for Nov. 4.
According to ABC7 news, six other sheriff’s sergeants live in other states, including Idaho, Nevada, Texas and Tennessee. That includes two sergeants on the department’s bomb squad, which requires personnel to be able to respond to emergencies within an hour.
This news organization also reached out to the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association for comment on the controversy but was referred to the sheriff’s office handbook on office policies.
While the sheriff’s office does not have a policy explicitly barring deputies from living out of state, employees are required to report their primary addresses to the department, according to the county handbook.
Questions to Perea about whether the office was aware that captains were commuting from out of state went unanswered.
As the board navigates this latest controversy, it faces a dilemma in selecting a new sheriff to lead an office that has faced turmoil for the past two decades: balancing the rising costs of the removal process with ensuring voters have a voice in choosing the next leader of the 800-person department, which has a budget exceeding $300 million.
Supervisors must decide by Nov. 4 whether to appoint a new sheriff, hold an off-cycle election, or wait until the June 2026 primary.
Meanwhile, Corpus’ legal team is pursuing appeals in county and federal courts seeking her reinstatement, though no decisions have been issued, and her previous appeals have been rejected.
Staff writer Kyle Martin contributed to this report.
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