Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto addresses multiple CHP traffic stops: “I should set a better example for my community”
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto is sharing a message to the community regarding KION reports of multiple CHP traffic stops involving the sheriff in the past few years.
Nieto begins by explaining there are, at times, local law enforcement officers are "inadvertently pulled over as they respond to an incident."
She said while this explains the majority of the traffic stops, she says it doesn't explain all of them.
Nieto explains during one traffic stop from last year she was "driving back home from Southern California. I should have been more aware of my speed. And, as some of you might have experienced yourselves, I knew I had made a mistake as soon as I saw those red and blue lights flashing behind me."
In another stop, Nieto says she was working in an official capacity and on the job. "My task at the time did not rise to the level of a response that required traveling over the speed limit. That was my error."
Nieto explains the CHP officers were courteous and professional during the multiple traffic stops.
She claims she did not seek a break or avoid a citation at any time.
"As Sheriff, I understand the importance of adhering to our traffic regulations," Nieto says. "I should set a better example for my community, and I'm committed to doing so in the future."
You can read the full statement below:
CHP dash cam video shows Sheriff Tina Nieto pulled over multiple times for speeding
KION has obtained multiple dash cam videos showing Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto being pulled over for speeding.
The three different traffic stops by the CHP produced no citations. The traffic stops took place on September 23, 2023, March 7, 2024 and May 2024.
Sheriff Nieto acknowledged the traffic stops in an interview with KION. She said back in September she was in her personal car and in the other two incidents she was in her company car in uniform. She also claimed she wasn't speeding during the traffic stop in May but didn't disclose why she was driving fast in the other two incidents.
"In every incident I was polite. I gave the officer my information and two of the incidents I was on duty," said Sheriff Nieto.
September 2023
In the first dash cam video, the CHP officer pulls over Nieto after he said she passed him at a speed of 95 miles per hour.
"You were in and out of traffic [inaudible] to about 90 okay," said the officer in the video. "No worries, we're just, obviously going to give you a warning but ah, just make sure you slow down a little bit and just be a little more cognizant."
The officer tells the sheriff to drive safely before walking back to his vehicle.
March 2024
In this incident, video shows the officer telling Sheriff Nieto he was pulling her over for her speed of around 95 miles per hour and said she passed another CHP vehicle traveling at 92 miles per hour.
CHP Officer: Were you running code 3?
Nieto: They haven't upgraded my vehicle yet.
CHP Officer: Alright, so I'm not going to issue you a citation. This is the second time I stopped you for your speed. Umm, I don't know what it's going to take to slow down but... Next time if you're obviously speeding and you're not going to an emergency, it's going to be a little different, okay?
The officer emphasized to Nieto he wanted to make sure she and everyone else on the road was able to get where they needed to be safely before he walked back to his patrol car.
May 2024
During the traffic stop in May, video shows the officer asking Sheriff Nieto for her license. Nieto responded by asking to speak with a supervisor.
Sheriff Nieto: Call your supervisor here.
CHP Officer: Okay, you want to identify yourself at all? Are you going to identify yourself?
Sheriff Nieto: I am going to identify myself with your supervisor [inaudible].
The supervisor arrives and eventually Nieto is allowed to leave.
The CHP officer who initially pulled over Nieto then exclaims, "I almost freaking had the 28 completed before you got here. I'm glad I didn't."
A 28 is code for a citation.
Sheriff Nieto's response
Nieto claims she was polite in every incident and that she wasn't speeding in May.
She said she was surprised the May incident was brought up and was unsure of what they were going to do with that investigation.
“I was pulled over by the CHP and he gave me a warning and he would've given me a citation and used the proper channels to argue my side of it," said Nieto.
We reached out to the CHP and they declined to comment on the traffic stops.
