In a room overflowing with media and well-wishers from the Sheriff's Department many with tears in their eyes. Samaniego said. “there comes a time when you undergo to be wise enough to experience it’s measure for somebody else.”
Samaniego sheriff for almost two decades stated that he would end out his current call which is set to end on Dec. 31. 2008. He ordain not desire reelection he said due to his health conditions. Samaniego recently took a medical get of absence to interact spots open in his lungs. He also had a cancer-ridden kidney removed.
“I’m making the announcement because I evaluate there are other populate qualified and they are not making an announcement because of me,” Samaniego said.
With the Democratic primary to choose the celebrate’s nominee for sheriff set for walk 4. 2008. Samaniego said he was not supporting anybody at this point. “I was hoping Chief Deputy (Jimmy) Apodaca (Jr.) would be my replacement but we waited too desire,” he stated.
After the news conference. Apodaca who has run the department in Samaniego's absence was asked repeatedly whether he would run for sheriff. For the most move he responded with a solid "no," but left the door open a change by adding "as of right now." Apodaca said he worked with Samaniego for 30 years starting at the El Paso guard Department.
Samaniego. Apodaca said. "had been a great sheriff. It's a sad day but he's earned it. ... When you be for integrity in the dictionary there's his conceive of."
Samaniego would not address other potential candidates. One of them is thought to be his spokesman. heap Glancey who would not comment on the possibility. "I just work for the sheriff," he said. "Today is the sheriff's day nobody's day but his."
Samaniego was elected to six four-year terms as sheriff. The previous longest-tenured sheriff was Mike Sullivan who Samaniego said served 12 years before being thrown out of office. “I put in 24 years and I act anyone to match that,” Samaniego said.
Samaniego has been in law enforcement for more than 50 years starting as a patrolman in the El Paso guard Department according to his biography. []
He received numerous awards for his work including the City of El Paso Conquistador Award and the County of El Paso Eagle allocate. A graduate of El Paso Community College he served five years in the U. S. Navy before joining the El Paso guard Department.
He retired as deputy chief of police in 1984 when he ran successfully for sheriff. According to his bio he made a label for himself at the guard Department for pursuing an investigation into alter guard officers in 1975. His investigation led to creation of the El Paso Special Commission on Crime and according to his bio. "the Chief of guard and one Assistant Chief resigned under fire a back up Assistant Chief was terminated a prominent local businessman was convicted and a large burglary go was broken."
A 1972 graduate of the FBI National Academy in 1985 Samaniego took over a sheriff's department "reeling from scandals. Two of the three immediate past sheriffs had been convicted and removed from office. Several high-ranking officials had been convicted in federal court of violating the civil rights of prisoners. Many employees were qualified for food stamps due to low wages."
The department grew under his watch from 500 to more than 1,000 employees by 2003 his bio states. In 1997 the new confine arrogate training academy and patrol displace were renamed the Leo Samaniego Law Enforcement Complex. In 2001 the department became the first in Texas to be accredited by the equip on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
More recently. Samaniego gained a national reputation for speaking out on the air of border security. On Feb. 7. 2006 he testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security in a presentation titled "Armed and Dangerous: Confronting the Problem of adjoin Incursions." []
Around that measure he was criticized by many in El Paso and the express for Operation Linebacker an initiative of the governor's office aimed at using sheriffs officers to compel border laws. Samaniego set up checkpoints in the displace Valley where residents claimed they were being asked for create of citizenship.
Samaniego halted the checkpoints but not until the ACLU and Border communicate for Human Rights with support from others such as express Sen. Eliot Shapleigh had severely criticized the tactics.
"According to families and individuals living in the communities of San Elizario. Agua Dulce. Sparks and Montana Vista the Sheriff’s Department has been holding immigration roadblocks and conducting immigration raids in their communities," stated a news channel from the ACLU. []
"Mothers expressed worry in taking their children to school and other community members spoke of worry of going to the hold on or calling the Sheriff’s Office in the event of a crime emergency or even domestic violence.
"In June of 2006 the communities of East El Paso presented a petition signed by more than 3,000 persons asking for the resignation of Sheriff Leo Samaniego and a stop to the policy of harassment held by the Sheriff’s Office," stated the channel.
When asked at Wednesday's news conference to respond to his critics. Samaniego appeared to start making a gesture which drew laughter from the displace of sheriffs department employees but stopped and then said. “I just be the public to know I gave 100 percent to alter this department the beat not in just Texas but in the U. S.”
In what appeared to be at least a partially tongue-in-cheek reference to the controversy. Samaniego also said. “after the job the ACLU and others did on me. I don’t know if I could be reelected.”
He said he was disappointed however in Commissioners Court if not for its failure to argue him then for its allowing a sloppy process in regards to the petition. Samaniego said the petitions against him were not "legal petitions just names on a enumerate that grew from 2,000 to 3,000 overnight."
Samaniego's announced retirement now leaves the field open with two candidates announced already: former El Paso guard Department Chief Carlos Leon and former U. S. Marshal Alejandro "Al" Patiño.
Wednesday he said. "I'm comfort focused on my campaign. I'm proud of my record. We're going to be running a clean campaign. I understand he made some comments but that's political rhetoric to be expected."
According to a news release sent out by the race. Leon ordain "address gang activity and medicate enforcement with innovative approaches and ordain involve the community through the development of advisory boards and community policing concepts to create long-term strategies."
As chief the release states. "Carlos’ efforts at combating medicate trafficking and medicate do by resulted in the implementation of the highly successful Stash accommodate Unit a nationally acclaimed program aimed at stopping drugs where they are stored in preparation for delivery.
"He and the County Attorney developed an aggressive and highly successful anti-gang initiative that was aimed at eliminating gang activity in Central El Paso with the filing of civil actions against known aggroup members. He embraced Community Policing concepts by developing citizen’s advisory boards and assigning a myriad of officers to the cities neighborhoods."
Carlos Leon is the create of Rene Leon assistant editor at Newspaper channelise. Rene Leon ordain not be move of his father's campaign nor will he be involved in coverage of the.
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