Samaniego addresses chamber about campaign for 3rd term

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego said he planned to be a career cop and never intended to run for office. Now in his second term since being elected in 2014, he is running for sheriff once again.

“I’ve really enjoyed my tenure for the last two terms, and I hope to serve you one more time at least,” Samaniego said at the April 7 Shelby County Chamber luncheon.

He gave credit to the Shelby County Commission for considering the needs of the sheriff’s office and providing the proper funding to deliver services to the citizens.

Samaniego shared numbers from 2021: The department answered 283,000 calls for service; took 132 illegal weapons off the streets and seized more than 500 pounds of illegal narcotics; served more than 2,000 arrest warrants for the court system; and maintained an average of 491 jail inmates.

“We have doubled the amount of mandated continuing education for all deputies, including jail deputies,” he said. “I’m a believer in training and preparation, and that separates us from a lot of other agencies.”

Samaniego said he gives a lot of credit to the families of the deputies, saying the support they give those deputies is something they can’t live without.

A wellness program was instituted in January that focuses not only on employees’ physical wellness, but also their emotional, financial and spiritual wellness. Dieticians, financial planners, psychologists and chiropractors will also be available.

“To say I’m very proud of the men and women at the sheriff’s office is an understatement,” Samaniego said. “They’re so dedicated to this county and to each other and to delivering the services to the citizens. Our challenge is great, but I think we have the proper amount of people who have the right attitude and right training to deliver those services.”

Although Shelby County is considered one of the best departments in the state, it has still faced challenges recruiting employees. The department is currently six patrol deputies down and four jail deputies down, some of which are due to retirements.

Samaniego said he opposed legislation that was recently passed allowing handguns to be carried without a permit, which he said will lead to guns getting in the hands of people who have not been vetted with the department.

“It eliminated a tool for law enforcement to deal with citizens,” he said. “We polled the sheriffs during the legislative session, and out of 34 answered surveys regarding how many permits were turned down, it was over 6,000, and the majority of the reason they were turned down was mental health issues. But, it’s the law now, and we will deal with it the best we can.”