Kings County names new sheriff after appointee retires before ever taking office
The Kings County Board of Supervisors announced the appointment of a new sheriff, along with rescinding the position’s previous appointment made over a month ago.
David Putnam will be the county’s new sheriff, effective Nov. 24. He was previously employed by the King’s County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 33 years until his retirement in April 2023.
Putnam will be sheriff instead of Rick Bradford, who was originally named to be the new Kings County Sheriff on Sept. 24, and who is currently an undersheriff for the department.
The Board said Friday it had recently received notice that Bradford is retiring and can no longer take the place of current Sheriff David Robinson, who is also retiring.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately return a call from The Fresno Bee seeking comment about the new appointment and Bradford’s announced retirement. The board of supervisors released a written statement.
“The appointment of Mr. Putnam reflects the Board’s decision to move in a new direction—one that continues to strengthen leadership and reaffirms the Board’s commitment to serving the people of Kings County with integrity and accountability,” the board of supervisors said in a statement.
Putnam has over 35 years of sworn Peace Officer experience, including 20 years of Law Enforcement Management experience, according to a Kings County press release.
Since retiring from Kings County in 2023, Putnam served as the Chief of Police for the City of Corcoran from July 2023 through February 2024 at the request of the City of Corcoran to come out of retirement. Mr. Putnam came out of retirement once more at the request of Kings County District Attorney, Sarah Hacker, to fill the role of the Chief District Attorney Investigator on an interim basis from December 2024 through September 2025.
Throughout his previous service with Kings County, Putnam worked his way from Deputy Sheriff in October 1990 to Undersheriff/Assistant Sheriff in April 2023.
In Putnam’s position as the Undersheriff/Assistant Sheriff, he oversaw patrol, detectives, investigations, dispatch, bailiffs, detentions, animal services and was the acting Sheriff when Sheriff Robinson was out of the area or unavailable, according to the press release.
Putnam holds a bachelor’s degree and is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy of Quantico, Virginia, a master’s level course.
“Mr. Putnam brings a wealth of experience, professionalism, and dedication to the Sheriff’s Office,” the board said in a statement. “The Board has full confidence in his ability to guide the department effectively during this transition and to uphold the high standards our community expects and deserves.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 4:46 PM.