If Sheriff Rivero grew a beard and said, “Stay thirsty my friends,” I would drink nothing but Dos Equis because Sheriff Rivero is the world”s most interesting sheriff.
At the beginning of his administration he disqualified one of his major political backers for undersheriff because the gentleman was unqualified.
Was this a case of unmitigated cynicism or an honest assessment of the candidate”s qualifications?
Only the world”s most interesting sheriff knows for sure. This announcement has been followed by a huge laundry list of narcotics arrests, which all the electorate appreciates.
Then came a singular announcement: the investigation of the interim-police chief of Clearlake was being re-opened.
If the Bee”s reporting is accurate, this individual used his position as a peace officer to intimidate an innocent citizen. At the least, this is an ethical violation; at the worst, a crime.
Rivero broke through the blue-shield barrier to investigate one of his own. Only the world”s most interesting sheriff would have the huevos rancheros (we”re talking “grande” here) to reopen the case.
Now, the world”s most interesting sheriff has stated that correctional officers are not peace officers. His reason is that they are unqualified. A major boost to his assertion is that the District Attorney is going to defend his point of view.
His opponents, the correctional officers, maintain that a law says that peace officers can be correctional officers. Therefore, they are peace officers.
This is something like me saying that Bob is my uncle. Therefore, I”m Bob”s uncle.
The point is that just because a peace officer can be a correctional officer doesn”t mean that a correctional officer is automatically a peace officer.
It is a point that only the world”s most interesting sheriff could make.
The correctional officers, on the other hand, are probably motivated by the fact that being downgraded involves a pay cut.
I didn”t vote for Sheriff Rivero in the last election.
I”ll correct this oversight in the next because, of course, I”ll be voting for the world”s most interesting sheriff.
Charles Moton
Lucerne
