RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is challenged by a former co-worker in the June primary election as he tries to retain the county’s top law enforcement spot and pursue a second term.
Michael Lujan, a retired sheriff captain, is pushing to overthrow Bianco on Tuesday, promising an objective approach to policing without “partisan politics.”
Bianco, who resides in Riverside, was first elected in 2018, after a fierce contest against Sheriff Stan Sniff. Bianco has been tested on multiple fronts since then, drawing both criticism and praise.
He drew widespread attention during the height of the statewide coronavirus public health lockdowns in the fall of 2020, saying he would not dedicate sheriff’s resources to enforcing any part stay-at-home orders from Governor Gavin Newsom, including a curfew.
That same year, he also took a stand against crusades against law enforcement in the wake of the furor over the death in custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At a meeting of the Supervisory Board that summer, he told supervisors and attendees that reactionary uprisings posed a threat to public safety and the country.
The sheriff has largely maintained a balanced budget since taking office, despite rising staff costs. However, the 16 municipalities in the county that contract sheriff’s services have also been struggling with higher bills.
“For nearly 30 years, I have worked for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department with one goal in mind: to protect this community while ensuring the safety of all of its residents,” Bianco said in a campaign statement.
“I’ve boosted our department’s morale, halted rampant attrition, saved millions of dollars by tackling budget mismanagement…and fixed the concealed weapons licensing process. “, did he declare.
Lujan, who resides in Menifee, was a sheriff’s deputy for 31 years, working in many facets, including as a homicide detective and jail warden, before retiring as a captain.
According to the former attorney, under Bianco the sheriff’s department suffered a black eye due to the leader’s “partisan (and) political ideology”.
“I am running to remove partisan politics from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. It is the department’s responsibility to ensure public safety and uphold the law, without prejudice,” Lujan said in a statement. country. “We can have safe neighborhoods while treating everyone the same.”
He said taxpayers’ money would be better spent on his watch, which would include a civilian oversight board to better analyze allegations of misconduct by MPs.
Lujan suggested that a shift in training methods might be needed for deputies, emphasizing the peaceful resolution of encounters with suspects instead of turning to a confrontational approach that escalates into shootings involving deputies.
