Excerpted from The Sacramento Bee
By Kim Minugh
Published: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Sacramento County Sheriff's Capt. Jim Cooper formally announced his candidacy for sheriff Thursday, flanked by several dozen local politicos and law enforcement officials.

Cooper's intentions to run were no secret. The day Sheriff John McGinness announced that he would not run for re-election in June, Cooper, who also is an Elk Grove city councilman, said he intended to run.

On Thursday, he said the Sheriff's Department is in need of a "new direction."

"It's time to make safety and security for our community our priority," he said.

Cooper serves as commander of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes task force, which investigates crimes against children involving the Internet and identity theft. He touted his street experience – including the nine years he spent working gangs and narcotics undercover – and his leadership on the Elk Grove City Council.

Among those endorsing Cooper are former Sheriff Lou Blanas, Sacramento County Supervisor Jimmie Yee and Elk Grove City Council members Gary Davis and Sophia Scherman.

"Times have changed," Blanas said. "We need a sheriff that's going to be tough."

He hailed Cooper as a "dedicated family man" and an "outstanding officer."

Cooper said restoring funds to the Sheriff's Department is a top priority for him. He would accomplish that, he said, by working with the Board of Supervisors and building relationships with power brokers in Washington, D.C. That would entail bringing back a disbanded grant-writing unit to the department, he said.

Cooper called the recent layoffs of roughly 130 deputies "unacceptable," though he acknowledged that he didn't see how the department could have avoided the move and said he expects more layoffs in the next fiscal year.

Cooper brings a history of successes and controversies. In 2006, the Sacramento County grand jury blasted him and Michael Leary – a sheriff's lieutenant and former Elk Grove City Councilman who was arrested recently on charges of real estate fraud and forgery – for allegedly violating state conflict-of-interest laws. The report said they had illegally debated and voted on issues related to Elk Grove's contract with the Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services. That was before Elk Grove created a police department.

The District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute.

To date, Cooper faces two opponents in the race: Sheriff's Capt. Scott Jones, who has been endorsed by McGinness and the California Peace Officers Association; and Bret Daniels, a former deputy and former Citrus Heights mayor who has run for the sheriff's post three times unsuccessfully.

Former Sacramento Police Chief Albert Nájera has expressed interest in a run but has not announced a campaign.