The decision by San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore to retire, after a distinguished 51-year long career in the FBI and local law enforcement, has opened the doors for others to run for county sheriff.
And the rapid announcement 48 hours later by current Undersheriff Kelley Martinez that she will be running to become the county’s Sheriff gives her a clear edge over others who may run. Especially with immediate endorsements by several current public officials including not only Sheriff Gore who’s a Republican, but also key Democrats including the three Democrats on the County Board of Supervisors as well as San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and State Senate leader Toni Atkins.
But no matter who else may run against the Undersheriff, the campaign for the job that carries with it the responsibility for law enforcement in a wide swath of the county and local communities, along with the supervision of the county’s jail facilities, should be one that includes serious and considerable discussion about how the Sheriff’s Department will be run by a new leader.
Sheriff Gore himself said this week that it has been an even more difficult and challenging time than usual to serve in law enforcement. Not only having had to deal with the pandemic, but also of course, with the events of the last few years, the vastly increased scrutiny police and sheriff’s departments nationwide have been and are facing.
Law enforcement officers have one of the hardest jobs but the job of voters is to ask questions about their concerns of their elected leaders.
(Photo reporting partner 10News)