The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) handles law enforcement in El Paso County, Texas. The Office is headed by the County Sheriff, an elected official.
Sheriff history
No. | Last | First | Party | Start date | Finish date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29 | Wiles | Richard D. | Democratic | 2009 | December 31, 2024 | was the 43rd El Paso Police Department Chief prior to holding office |
28 | Apodaca | Santiago "Jimmy" | January 15, 2008 | December 31, 2008 | appointed Sheriff to fulfill predecessor's term by the El Paso County Commissioner's Court in accordance with predecessor's wishes. | |
27 | Samaniego | Leonardo "Leo" | Democratic | January 1, 1985 | December 28, 2007 | died December 28, 2007 while in office, requested Santiago "Jimmy" Apodaca finish his term. Was previously Deputy Chief of the El Paso Police Department. |
26 | Davis | Michael Patrick | 1982 | |||
25 | Montes | Ramon "Ray" A. | 1978 | convicted of misconduct over vehicle impoundings (later reversed) | ||
24 | Sullivan | Mike, Jr. | 1965 | August 14, 1978 | convicted of misconduct over use of public workers | |
23 | Bailey | Robert "Bob" | 1958 | |||
22 | Smith | Wesley | April 25, 1958 | |||
21 | Hicks | W. O. "Jimmy" | 1951 | 1958 | died by suicide while in office | |
20 | Campbell | Joe | 1949 | |||
19 | Falby | Allan George | 1943 | last name misspelled as "Farby" on the EPSO website's history page. First name often misspelled as "Allen". | ||
18 | Hawkins | William "Bill" Walker | 1942 | |||
17 | Fox | Christian Petrus "Chris P." | January 1933 | 1941 | resigned. Known by the moniker "Mr. El Paso". | |
16 | Armstrong | Tom | 1929 | |||
15 | Orndorff | Seth Buford | 1916 | last name misspelled as "Ordendorff" on the EPSO website's history page | ||
14 | Edwards | Peyton J. | 1910 | 1916 | first name misspelled as "Payton" on the EPSO website's history page; was previously and subsequently El Paso Chief of Police | |
13 | Hall | Florence J. | 1908 | |||
12 | Comstock | James H. | 1905 | finished Boone's term after he resigned | ||
11 | Boone | James H. | 1898 | June 1, 1905 | resigned | |
10 | Simmons | Frank B. | 1892 | |||
9 | Hildebrand | H. R. | 1890 | name spelled as "Hildebrant" on EPSO's history web page and "Hillebrand" or "Hilderbrand" in some sources; also served as the El Paso Chief of Police. | ||
8 | White | James H. | 1883/4 | 1890 | later served as El Paso Chief of Police. | |
7 | Mariany | Batista | 1882 | |||
6 | Gonzalez | Benito | 1880 | ;resigned | ||
5 | Kerber | Charles | 1874 | See San Elizario Salt War. | ||
4 | Ellis | Charles | 1871 | Elected after an extremely complicated and contentious election related to Salt War issues. | ||
3 | Armendariz | Juan | 1870 | |||
2 | Yates | William | 1859 | |||
1 | Ford | William | 1852 |
See also
References
- Fischer, Fallon (March 7, 2023). "El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles announces retirement". kfoxtv.com.
Wiles will retire upon the end of his term on Dec. 31, 2024.
- "Meet the candidates: One of them will be the next sheriff of El Paso County". El Paso Times. March 1, 2024.
Sheriff Jimmy Apodaca served the rest of Samaniego's term when Samaniego died in 2007.
- Texas Observer Staff (November 3, 2006). "Political Intelligence: Paging Machiavelli". Texas Observer.
Around the time of the announcement, Samaniego, a Democrat defenestrated in April by the local party for supporting Republicans,...
- "Leonardo Samaniego Obituary". El Paso Times. 2007.
...and joined the El Paso Police Department in 1956. He advanced through the ranks of the police department and eventually retired after 28 years of service as Deputy Chief of Police. He was elected Sheriff of El Paso County in 1984 and was re-elected five times.
- "In Re Ramon Montes, Sheriff of El Paso County, Texas, Petitioner, 677 F.2d 415 (5th Cir. 1982)". justia.com. May 18, 1982.
- "Garber v. State". vlex.com. 11 April 1984.
...Ramon A. Montes, Sheriff of El Paso County, was indicted on three counts of official misconduct on November 10, 1982. Montes was admitted to bond on the same date and remained free on bond throughout his trial, ending December 13, 1982.
- ^ Reinhold, Robert (May 4, 1984). "THE TALK OF EL PASO; IN WEST TEXAS, THE TOPIC IS DUST STORMS, NOT POLITICAL WINDS". The New York Times.
The last sheriff, Ray Montes, was convicted of official misconduct over certain peculiarities in the way his office auctioned impounded vehicles. His predecessor, Mike Sullivan, too left amid charges he had used public workers to do work on his home. He was also convicted of official misconduct.
- "Ramon MONTES v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee". February 4, 1987.
The Eastland Court of Appeals reversed the conviction in an unpublished opinion, holding that the inclusion of an instruction to the jury on the law of parties was not warranted by the evidence and constituted reversible error.
- Manning, Frank W. (September 1966). "Help When You Need It: The El Paso County Sheriff's Reserve, Inc". FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 35 (9): 16.
The present sheriff of El Paso County is the former Chief Deputy Mike Sullivan. Sheriff Sullivan took office in 1965.
- Employment Practices Decisions. Vol. 35. Commerce Clearing House. 2011 . p. 34-586.
Mike Sullivan, who served as County Sheriff until August 14, 1978, and Ray Montes, who succeeded Sullivan...
- "Sullivan v. Berliner". 1978.
- "Public Notices: 102 Obituaries". El Paso Herald-Post. June 17, 1991. p. 21.
- "Sheriff's Deputy Gets Notice of Discharge". El Paso Herald-Post. April 29, 1958. p. 32.
He was the first man fired since Sheriff Wesley Smith took over the office last Friday.
- "Deputy Watches as Sheriff Hicks Takes Own Life". El Paso Herald-Post. April 22, 1958. p. 1.
- "Allan Falby Funeral Thursday". El Paso Times. March 16, 1967. p. 1-A,5.
- Weiser, Abbie (March 26, 2020). Guide to MS149 Allan G. Falby papers.
- "Christian Petrus Fox". El Paso Museum of History.
- Chapman, Bob (September 4, 1942). "Jail Chef Out Of Job". El Paso Times. p. 8.
Rapley took the position as jail chef when Chris P. Fox went in as sheriff in January, 1933.
- Torok, Mildred; Allis, Anne; Weiser, Abbie (February 19, 2020). Guide to MS150 Chris P. Fox papers.
In 1932 Fox decided to run against Tom Armstrong for sheriff. Fox was elected and served as sheriff until 1941, when he took over as general manager of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
- "Seth Orndorff, Longtime EP Resident, Dies". El Paso Times. September 27, 1961. p. 2.
- "USEFUL CAREER ENDED BY DEATH" (PDF). El Paso Herald. June 21, 1918.
Judge Edwards was 73 years of age, and is survived by his widow, one son, assistant city attorney and former sheriff Peyton J. Edwards, ...
- Parsons, Chuck (2011). Captain John R. Hughes, Lone Star Ranger. University of North Texas Press. p. 86. ISBN 9781574413045.
El Paso County Sheriff Peyton J. Edwards (1910–1916).
(photo caption "From the Hughes Personal Photo Album, courtesy of the Texas Ranger hall of Fame and Museum, Waco, Texas.) - "FLORENCE J. HALL EX-SHERIFF, DIES" (PDF). El Paso Herald. November 19, 1915.
He was chief of police during the latter part of the Morehead administration and the early part of the administration of Capt. Charles Davis. He was elected Sheriff for two terms and retired when sheriff P. J. Edwards took charge of the office.
- El Paso Directory for 1903. John F. Worley & Co. 1903. p. 161.
- "AGED PIONEER OFFICER BURIED" (PDF). El Paso Herald. August 3, 1917.
...and filled out the unexpired term of the late J. H. Boone when he died in 1906.
(The quote is misleading. Boone did die in 1906 but he resigned, and Comstock took over, in 1905.) - Parsons, Chuck (2011). Captain John R. Hughes, Lone Star Ranger. University of North Texas Press. p. 361. ISBN 9781574413045.
...a portrait of El Paso Sheriff James H. Boone; ...
- Paddock, B. B. (1906). History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas. Vol. I. The Lewis Publishing Co. p. 643.
...was chosen sheriff of El Paso county, in which position he rendered capable and efficient service for more than eight years, resigning from the office on the 1st of July, 1905.
- "J. H. BOONE EX-SHERIFF, PASSES AWAY". El Paso Herald. July 27, 1906. p. 1.
Later Mr. Boone was elected sheriff of El Paso county and succeeded himself in that office. In 1905 Mr. Boone resigned to devote his entire time to Washington park, a part of which he leased from the city. He was succeeded as sheriff by J. H. Comstock.
- DeArment, Robert K. (1992). George Scarborough: The Life and Death of a Lawman on the Closing Frontier. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 157. ISBN 9780806128504.
Sheriff Frank Simmons did not appear eager to take him on as county deputy.
- Dolan, Samuel K. (2020). Hell Paso: Life and Death in the Old West's Most Dangerous Town. p. 209.
To replace him, Mayor Campbell had appointed former county sheriff H. R. Hillebrand, who served until the summer of 1897.
- Parsons, Chuck (2011). Captain John R. Hughes, Lone Star Ranger. University of North Texas Press. p. 318. ISBN 9781574413045.
James H. White was elected sheriff on November 4, 1884, re-elected November 2, 1886, and November 6, 1888, and served until November 4, 1890.
- "DEATH OF CAPT. JAMES H. WHITE IN SAN DIEGO" (PDF). El Paso Herald. August 8, 1907.
- Report of the Attorney General of the State of Texas (1881 ed.). Austin: State Printing Office. 1882. p. 5.
Benito Gonzalez, sheriff and collection of El Paso county, on certified accounts for the years 1878 and 1879, amounting to $5410.65.
- "DEATH OF CAPT. JAMES H. WHITE IN SAN DIEGO" (PDF). El Paso Herald. August 8, 1907.
External links
- El Paso County Sheriff's Office
- The patch of the El Paso County, Texas
- El Paso Sheriffs
- Online Directory of Texas
- The Officer Down Memorial Page