Bexar County Sheriff's Office
In 2012 Pamerleau was elected the first woman sheriff in the history of Bexar County,Texas. [6] Citing technology and policy issues that were "30 years behind",Pamerleau conducted a top-to-bottom review of the sheriff's office and began implementing policies to modernize the office. Improvements included digital record keeping,stab-vests for detention officers,and improved communications within the jail. [7]
Mental health advocate and journalist,Pete Earley,has said of Bexar County's jail diversion programs "I've been to 48 states,five foreign countries,and I've testified five times before Congress,and Bexar County is known as the gold standard. [Bexar County is the] leading county in America when it comes to jail diversion and stopping the inappropriate incarceration of people who have serious illness like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder." [8]
In the spring of 2016,the Bexar County Deputy Sheriff's Association Union called for a vote of no confidence in Pamerleau. Of the 1,600 deputies in the department,219 voted no confidence. [9] That summer,Pamerleau faced inquiries about four suicides in the Bexar County Jail that occurred from June 28 to July 22,2017. [10]
2016 election
In the November 8,2016,general election,Pamerleau narrowly lost to Democrat Javier Salazar,a San Antonio police officer who had never previously sought elected office. Salazar received 278,102 votes (50.4 percent) to Pamerleau's 273,914 (49.6 percent). In defeat,Pamerleau polled more votes in 2016 than she had in victory in 2012. [11] [12]
Shortly before Pamerleau left office,Salazar obtained a temporary restraining order from Judge John D. Gabriel which forbade Pamerleau from making personnel changes in the final days of her administration. Another judge,Gloria Saldana,dissolved the court order in the final hours of Pamerleau's tenure of office. [13]
