Fresno’s Sheriff is facing criticism from inside her own department.
A letter from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association went out Monday, citing an alleged lack of leadership in the department.
The letter was written by the union president and it informed members that two sergeants had been promoted to lieutenant.
The letter said: “under normal circumstances the FDSA would support promotions.” But the letter cites “increased pressure and criticism” regarding the Sheriff’s “lack of leadership” in looking for ways to keep criminals locked up and to stop early releases at the jail.
“This was not meant to go public. It is an internal document that we had sent to our membership and we sent it to the sheriff as well,” said Eric Schmidt, President of the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
Schmidt said he wrote the letter after deputies voiced their frustration. In the letter he states the Sheriff is “expanding her administration on the backs of deputies who have taken many cutbacks over the last year.”
“You either ‘reorg’ the department to get the deputies back on the streets where they belong or you just keep going short and the public's going to suffer,” Schmidt said.
The Sheriff received a copy of the letter.
“Unions do not run the sheriff's office. I have to take a look at the whole system as what it takes to run the sheriff's office and deliver service,” Sheriff Margaret Mims said.
The Sheriff says the lieutenants who were promoted take the place of two who are retiring.
“To make sure that I've got proper management and supervision for 24/7 operation some positions are just vital to fill,” Mims said.
The Sheriff says cuts to management have been greater than to deputies: a reduction of 40 percent in captains, 24 percent in lieutenants, and 20 percent in deputies since 2007.
Neil Dadian heads the lieutenants union which now represents the two new lieutenants.
“There are a lot challenges facing the sheriff's office delivering public safety services. We need to stand together to do that,” Dadian said.
The Sheriff’s department has lost 87 deputy positions – in all ranks – in the last three and a half years.
