For voters: Here is The Bee Editorial Board’s recommendation for Fresno County sheriff

It was a historic race for Fresno County sheriff, pitting a trailblazer against a veteran lawman.

In the end, the trailblazer won, and Margaret Mims became the first woman to hold the title of sheriff in Fresno County.

That was in 2006, and Mims squeaked past retired CHP Capt. Calvin Minor by just over 1,000 votes. Subsequent elections were won handily by Mims.

Now she is retiring, closing out a 42-year career in law enforcement. Campaigning to replace her is another trailblazer: Fresno police Deputy Chief Mark Salazar. If elected, he would become the first Latino sheriff in Fresno County history.

Also running in the June primary is John Zanoni, one of two assistant sheriffs. Unlike Salazar, he is a Sheriff’s Office insider, having worked his way through the ranks since starting out as a reserve deputy in 1996.

Zanoni is articulate, experienced and deeply familiar with the office’s operations. He has the backing of both the Deputy Sheriffs Association and Mims.

But when Mims first ran, she did not have universal support of deputies or jail staff. She led the way for women in the office anyway.

Salazar, 50, would do that and more as the first Latino sheriff in Fresno County. He is a top-notch professional who has been successful in a big-city police department, having focused on reducing violent crime while in Fresno PD. Yet Salazar relates to those having a tough life because he spent his early childhood in a crime-ridden neighborhood in east Bakersfield, the only place his single mother could then afford.

Fresno County’s population is nearly 54% Latino, so it is the right time for the sheriff to come from that demographic. That it can be someone as qualified as Salazar is fortuitous. The Bee Editorial Board recommends voters choose him to be Fresno County’s next sheriff.

Qualified for sheriff

When Salazar oversaw policing in southwest Fresno, the crime rate and number of shootings were cut in half. How did that occur? Salazar gave the answer when he announced his candidacy: “It was not because the police department was doing some great things; it was our partnership with the different communities and the churches. Those are key.”

Having a community policing outreach has been a hallmark of Salazar’s career while at Fresno PD, and as sheriff he would make those connections with people in the county’s rural communities.

Salazar knows local residents want law enforcement to keep them safe, but not to the point of overpolicing. He notes a time when he met with west Fresno leaders three hours before a major sweep was to be launched to arrest gang members. He communicated key background to the community leaders, helping them understand what was about to happen.

Salazar pointed out that deputies currently do not wear body cameras to record their actions during stops or pursuits. As one of his first steps if elected, he would make such cameras standard equipment to improve transparency.

When it comes to interaction with immigrants, Salazar promises not to politically grandstand the issue. He will arrest those who break the law, but does not want to put fear into immigrants just because of their status; as a youth, he toiled alongside undocumented workers in fields in Kern County. And he pledged to allow federal ICE agents into only those parts of the jail that the public can access.

Getting young people to have a positive impression of law enforcement is also important to Salazar. He has organized many youth activities at Fresno PD, such as holiday parties and gift giveaways supported by local merchants. He would put new energy into the sheriff’s outreach efforts to children and teens.

Salazar says he mentored 80 subordinates at the police department who have been promoted into higher-ranking positions, and would make deputy training and wellness a top goal.

Latino trailblazer

An incumbent sheriff has a lot of power. For one thing, the person can issue concealed-weapon permits. For another, if the sheriff has the backing of the deputies association, it is nearly impossible to defeat an incumbent in elections.

That is why this decision must be carefully weighed by voters.

Both Salazar and Zanoni have solid law enforcement backgrounds and valuable experience. Zanoni knows the Sheriff’s Office intimately, having worked there in all aspects over his career. Salazar, though, comes from a department with more than twice the number of officers assigned to duties in the field.

From an operational standpoint, either one could lead the Sheriff’s Office. The chance to choose a candidate who represents the largest demographic group in the county is good fortune and the natural evolution of leadership in Fresno County.

Fresno County voters once backed a trailblazer named Margaret Mims. They can do it again with a candidate named Mark Salazar.

Correction: The original version of this editorial said that Salazar came from a bigger department. Fresno police have more officers assigned to field duties, but the Sheriff’s Office has more personnel overall.

This story was originally published May 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM.