William D. Gore became the 29th Sheriff of San Diego County on July 3, 2009. Sheriff Gore oversees one of the largest Sheriff’s Departments in the nation with 4,400 employees, an annual budget of more than $978 million, and a service area of over 4,400 square miles including a 60-mile international border. Along with patrol and investigative operations, his department provides air support, search and rescue service, and forensic support for the San Diego region. His department operates seven detention facilities countywide and provides security to seven courthouses.

Sheriff Gore is well known for his regional approach to law enforcement and for his energetic deployment of technology to the front lines of enforcement. He was instrumental in the creation of the Law Enforcement Coordination Center, which serves as an all-crimes intelligence fusion center for the San Diego region, and a Rapid Response DNA Team that uses forensic DNA to solve property crimes. Sheriff Gore spearheaded the Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center (RTTAC), developed the highly effective Homeless Assisted Resource Team (HART) and expanded the Sheriff’s air operations to include three fire-fighting helicopters.
Under Sheriff Gore's leadership, the Department has deployed Information Led Policing, a pro-active approach to preventing and disrupting crime. Using the most current technologies of crime analysis, patrol deputies and investigators focus on crime hotspots and on targeting high-propensity offenders. The result is safer neighborhoods. In 2020, four of the nine contract cities under Sheriff Gore's leadership were listed in the top 50 safest cities in California a testament to the Department's mission of making San Diego the safest urban county in the nation. 

Sheriff Gore is a progressive and forward-thinking leader.  He is an appointed member of the Leon L. Williams San Diego County Human Relations Commission. He advocated for de-escalation training and increased mental health services throughout the San Diego region.  Diversity was added as a key component of the Department's core values to uphold Sheriff Gore's commitment to having a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Sheriff Gore’s law enforcement career spans over 51 years. He spent 32 years in the FBI, where he rose to the level of Assistant Director. He served as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Seattle and San Diego Field Divisions where he implemented the FBI Cyber Crime Squad and Joint Terrorism Task Force. He played a significant role in establishing the San Diego Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, the first of its kind in the United States. After retiring from the FBI, Sheriff Gore served as Special Advisor and Chief Investigator to the San Diego County District Attorney. In 2004, he was appointed by Sheriff Bill Kolender to serve as Assistant Sheriff over the Law Enforcement Services Bureau and then as Undersheriff, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Department.

Sheriff Gore is a member of the San Diego County Police Chiefs’ and Sheriff’s Association, the California State Sheriffs' Association, National Sheriffs' Association, and the Major County Sheriffs' Association. He is a board member of Second Chance, STAR/PAL, Alzheimer's San Diego, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention. He is a member of the San Diego Rotary Club and The Nice Guys Organization and has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including the Arthur E. Hughes Career Achievement Award from his alma mater, University of San Diego (2002). He was selected as “Headliner of the Year” by the San Diego Press Club (2001). President Clinton designated him as a Meritorious Executive in Senior Executive Service (2000).

A second-generation San Diegan, Sheriff Gore graduated from Crawford High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Diego and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Seattle University. Sheriff Gore's family is rich in law enforcement experience. His father and older brother were a part of the San Diego Police Department and his middle brother was a San Diego County Deputy Sheriff. His wife was one of the first female FBI agents in the United States. He and his wife, Natalie, have a grown son. 

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