The Santa Barbara police union announced it was leaning toward
endorsing incumbent Sheriff Jim Anderson at a candidates’ forum
last week. Detective Mike McGrew acknowledged Anderson’s clumsiness
in dealing with the media and Sheriff’s Council, but said of the
four candidates he’s done the most for rank-and-file officers. The
Santa Maria police union recently endorsed former sheriff Jim
Thomas, and the Lompoc police union endorsed their chief, Bill
Brown. But perhaps the most important endorsement in what’s sure to
be a bitter political face-off is that of the Deputy Sheriffs’
Association, which recently voted not to reelect union president
Sgt. Mike Durant – an ardent Anderson supporter. The Santa Barbara
union will wait for the DSA endorsement before taking an official
stand. Because it’s unlikely any of the four candidates could
secure even a simple majority of all 380 voting deputies, union
leaders opted to endorse the candidate getting the most votes.

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