Bernard “Barney” Melekian was ushered in as the county’s new undersheriff on Monday, replacing retiring undersheriff Don Patterson. Melekian, who’ll handle daily operations and stand in for Sheriff Bill Brown when he’s gone, possesses 36 years of experience, including a brief stint at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, 23 years at the Santa Monica Police Department, and 13 years as the police chief of Pasadena; he most recently served as a law enforcement consultant. Brown called his second-in-command “an ideal choice” for the job, and Melekian said he was “grateful” to “work with such a respected organization.”
