The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Anthony Ray as Interim Sheriff on March 22, beating out Michael Barletta and Edwin Brock for the position left vacant when Sheriff Bill Gore retired earlier than expected on Feb. 3.
Ray is currently an assistant sheriff who has been with the department for over 30 years and is co-director for the San Diego County Regional Leadership Institute which trains sworn officers in leadership and self-awareness skills. Following Gore’s announcement, the board said they wanted to support a transparent process for the regular election this November and would only choose an interim sheriff who had no plans to run for the full term in the upcoming election.
During publicly held interviews March 15, San Diego Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher said the interim sheriff would need to understand “the challenges we face today, both from increasing crime, the need to restore trust between communities that are policed and those who police them, the actions we must take as a county in ensuring better retention and recruitment with rank-and-file deputies,” along with the situation in our jails.
During his interview, Ray said he believes the four biggest issues facing law enforcement today are “one- public trust, two-staffing, three- providing police services and four- implementing the recommendation from the JLAC audit,” referring to the independent California Joint Legislative Audit Committee’s 2022 report on the law enforcement agency. That study confirmed 185 people died in San Diego County jails from 2006 through 2020, an unusually high rate compared with other California counties.
“I know if we don’t have public trust, we don’t get people through the door to staff and if we don’t have enough staff, it’s hard to meet the mission we have… I am a massive believer in community partnerships and community engagements,” Ray said.
In 2020, Ray said, he joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as part of a personal effort to bring healing to the community and has seen first-hand how the NAACP-Sheriff partnership works in part through a recruitment video targeting Black recruits, as well as a large book donation the organization made to San Diego inmates to increase literacy.
Previously, Ray worked directly with the Santee sheriff’s station and the Lemon Grove substation and oversaw the Law Enforcement Services Bureau before being assigned to the Human Resources Bureau and later the Court Services Bureau.
“As a Board, we selected an interim sheriff who has demonstrated a commitment to reducing violent crime, improving the conditions in our jails, and embracing law enforcement best practices, along with a commitment to racial justice,” Fletcher said.
Following Ray’s appointment, San Diego County District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson said the sheriff is “well suited for the job” and he looks forward to supporting him.
“His steady hand is what we need at this time,” Anderson said.
The sheriff’s department provides patrol and investigative services throughout unincorporated San Diego county, the majority of which falls in Anderson’s East county district including Alpine, Lakeside, unincorporated El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and the backcountry areas of Descanso, Pine Valley, Potrero and east to the Imperial county line.
The county sheriff also provides contracted services to some municipalities such as Santee, a town that has received nationwide attention for racially charged incidents, including one in which a man wore a Ku Klux Klan-style hood to a Santee grocery store.
“I met Tony when I went out with the NAACP to talk with Sheriff Gore about some critical things and afterward, Anthony walked up and said, ‘I want to do something about this and be a solution’ and since that time he has helped our community co-determine what the future could look like for law enforcement,” San Diego resident Robert Brown said before asking the Board of Supervisors to choose Ray for the position at the March 15 Board of Supervisors meeting.
“We know Ray’s door is always open and even if he’s out of work, he will take a call. I need you to understand things that are occurring: uncomfortable conversations as we begin a tumultuous election. We have had a wonderful relationship in the community, and we are better for him being there,” Encanto resident Francine Maxwell said at the March 15 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Ray will oversee one of the largest sheriff’s departments in the nation during his time as Interim Sheriff, managing nearly 4,700 employees.
“I will continue to serve our communities, expand our partnerships with local advocacy groups, continue the improvements to our jails and keep public safety at the forefront of our daily operations,” Ray said.
Ray graduated from Federal Bureau of Investigations training academy in Virginia, holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Ray will be sworn in on April 5 and serve through January 2023, after which the winner of the regular 2022 election will take office.
