Santa Cruz County Sheriff Hart announces retirement at the end of this year
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday that Sheriff Jim Hart, who has served the community for 36 years, will be retiring at the end of this year after his third term as Sheriff-Coroner for Santa Cruz County.
“I originally planned to complete my four-year term, but the term was extended to six years after the election. I knew I wasn’t going to complete a six-year term, so I have decided that December 2024 would be a good time for my family and me to retire," Sheriff Hart wrote in a statement. “The Sheriff's Office is in excellent shape, with outstanding staff members dedicated to serving our community. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Sheriff here for the past decade.”
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office mentioned that when Sheriff Hart ran for re-election in 2022, the term was originally expected to be four years. However, the legislature extended the term to six years to align Sheriffs and District Attorneys' elections with the presidential cycle, which Sheriff Hart mentioned he was not interested in serving.
Under Sheriff Hart's tenure since June 2014, the Sheriff's Office has reported navigating seven federally declared disasters, the line of duty death of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, protests following George Floyd's murder, the COVID-19 pandemic and the fentanyl crisis. The Sheriff's Office also says that crime rates in the county's unincorporated areas have dropped to record lows, accounting for less than half the state average, which Sheriff Hart attributes to effective community policing policies.
“I have lived in Santa Cruz County my entire life. This is a wonderful place to live and work, and I wouldn’t have traded this career for anything," said Sheriff Hart.
Sheriff Hart began his career as a deputy sheriff in 1988. He is currently endorsing Undersheriff Chis Clark as his most qualified successor as Sheriff.
