Sheriff — Stanislaus County

I grew up on a farm in Stanislaus County and graduated from Turlock High School in 1990. I received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduation in 1994, I became an Army Ranger. I commanded paratroopers and rifle companies at Fort Campbell, Ky., and Fort Lewis, Wa. By the time I left active duty in 1999, I had been promoted to captain.

I returned to Stanislaus County to manage my family's 550-acre farming operation. I was in charge of all aspects of the business, including up to 12 seasonal employees; planting, pruning and harvesting; marketing and sales; and millions of dollars worth of equipment.

When the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred, I knew I would return to military service. I intentionally sought out a unit that had deployment orders. I volunteered for and was put in command of a California National Guard company. Between January 2005 and January 2006, I led a group of 120 soldiers on more than 200 missions in and around Baghdad, Iraq. I was awarded a Bronze Star for my leadership.

Again, I returned to Stanislaus County. Inspired by the law enforcement service of many of the people I served with in Iraq, I enrolled in the local law enforcement academy. I applied for only one job -- with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.

I was hired as a patrol deputy in 2007. Over the next several years, I was promoted to gang detective, rural crimes detective, patrol sergeant and then Internal Affairs sergeant. In 2015, I achieved the rank of lieutenant and was assigned as police chief in Patterson, which contracts with the Sheriff's Department for police services. I oversee a staff of 28 sergeants, deputies and civilians and manage an annual budget of $4.5 million. 

For more information about me, please see by campaign website or Facebook page.

Most of my adult life has been spent in public service -- first in the military and, since 2007, as a member of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department. My campaign for sheriff is a natural extension of the military and law enforcement training and experience I have accumulated over the past 25 years, coupled with my passion to ensure public safety in the place my wife and I have called home for our entire lives -- Stanislaus County.

Leadership is about motivating, guiding, mentoring and collaborating with others. That is what I have done in various forms since I graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. I believe my experience has prepared me to lead the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

I have always been a "hands on" leader. I believe in leading from the front and by example. I did it in Iraq and I have done it in all my Sheriff's Department assignments. There is nothing I expect of those who I supervise that I am not willing to do myself.

I also strongly believe in the power of communication and in listening to others. I actively invite ideas and feedback from my staff; in part, because I truly am interested in ways to improve my own as well as the group's performance and in part because helping others grow into positions of greater responsibility requires challenging them to think. 

The Sheriff's Department today is a high-functioning organization, full of men and women committed, as I am, to serving the people who live in Stanislaus County. I am proud to be a part of it.

Still, there are challenges. The biggest is staffing. We have more than 730 positions budgeted, but at any given time, dozens are vacant because people leave for positions with other agencies that pay more or they retire. We must address that. 

Since 2013, 27 deputies have left for other agencies (almost all because of greater pay and/or benefits) and another 22 have retired.

Filling those important openings with quality employees is the key to completely restoring all public safety services -- some of which were reduced or eliminated as part of budget cuts because of the economic recession a decade ago.

Funding is not the issue now. The annual sheriff’s budget is about $118 million. And though our salaries are slightly lower than some regional agencies and especially the Bay Area, there are incentives we can offer – more pay for military or college experience, meeting specific fitness standards, possibly recruitment or hiring bonuses – that can make our total compensation package competitive. These are worthy topics of discussion among the Board of Supervisors, the next sheriff and employee representatives.

More than anything, what prevents us from filling all our openings today is finding people who can meet our background standards and complete our training requirements. We are not alone. Almost every law enforcement agency in the region contends with the same issue.

As sheriff, my focus would be to recruit locally – to bring responsible young men and women of good character into the department. Employees who are from here – who have families and friends here – tend to stay here.

As a sergeant, I was part of a team that developed an intern program that gave aspiring local deputies an opportunity to learn about the job. Our Explorer Scout program allows teens to do the same.

We run assessments monthly to screen potential deputies. There are two five-month academies each year -- we recently started 17 young men and women in that program; another 15 will begin in September.

It’s critical that even as we hire new deputies, that our training is continuous. We have a great staff today. They work hard. They are well-intentioned. They care about the communities they serve. They’re just young. And we have to continue to develop them and mold them.

I am committed to continuing to build a culture that enables and encourages experienced employees throughout the department to mentor our newest hires – whether they work in adult detention, are on patrol or have another role. That’s the way I learned in the Army Rangers and when I began as a deputy in 2007, and it’s what I’ve been doing for the past three years as a lieutenant and police chief in Patterson.

The other major staffing challenge the next sheriff must address is what is likely to be complete turnover among the department’s command staff – undersheriff, captains, lieutenants and even some sergeants – in the next three to four years. Most of that group is going to retire.

Identifying, selecting and training the next generation of leaders is critical responsibility for any leader. I have done that in the military as well as in Patterson. It’s not a job for someone with only entry-level supervisorial experience.

I am proud to be endorsed by Sheriff Adam Christianson, former Sheriff Les Weidman, associations representing more than 600 local law enforcent professionals, all five county supervisors, elected officials, business leaders and hundreds of local residents. For more, please visit https://jeffdirkseforsheriff.com