Our very own Sheriff Lee Baca has been named Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriff Association. According to his spokesman, Sheriff Baca deserves the honor because he is is “the most progressive Sheriff in the Nation” and “a guy that works seven days a week.”
The honor comes to Sheriff Baca despite the rockyness of the previous few years. A federal investigation was opened into his department, he was found “uninformed and disengaged” as to the state of his jails and deputy cliques hae surfaced, all with their own hand signs and unique tattoos.
To be fair though, Sheriff Baca has faced mounting challenges and has been able to make vast strides in corrections.
The National Sheriff’s Association is comprised of about 2,500 Sheriffs from across the nation and a total of 10 Sheriffs were nominated for the award this year.
Former winners of the award, corporate sponsors and current Sheriffs convened in a panel and reviewed the applications of all 10 nominees before declaring Sheriff Lee Baca the winner.
The panel reviewed the size of the LASD. This included the relatively low crime rate in the areas his deputies patrol and the vast strides made in providing educational programs to inmates, as well as the declining rate of violence in state and county jails.
Congratulations to Sheriff Lee Baca on his prestigious award.
