Salazar Uses Arrest of Deputy to Promote Himself
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Deputy Ricardo Maldonado was arrested for DWI. 29 year old Maldonado is assigned to the Detention part of the Sheriff’s Office. He is also a member of SERT, the Special Emergency Response Team. According to the Sheriff’s Office statement as shown in the KSAT 12 article, “Effective immediately this deputy has been removed from the SERT team.” Notice that it doesn’t say anything about him being placed on administrative leave as has been done to so many others. Maybe it has finally begun to sink in that the officers have the same rights as every other person, innocent until proven guilty, and that they have a contract that stipulates a process for discipline. One can only hope.
But, in a move that surprised no one, Salazar used this incident to get himself in the news. Sheriff Javier Salazar immediately put out a statement to Sheriff’s Office employees trying to come across as a benevolent, caring leader. This is a far cry from when he was calling officers a cancer that he was going to cut out. If you look at his old statements to the press and compare them to his statement regarding this incident you can see the obvious difference in attitude. What can we say other than, it’s campaign season.
And while Salazar has backed off somewhat from stealing credit from his officers, he does get in a little plug for himself. Then he ruins the whole thing by coming across as if he is scolding his children and reminding them that they are supposed to be looking out for each other. I have to suspect that this statement was written with the intent of it being released to the media so he could get some positive press time.
To Salazar: Was it really necessary to let the public see you treating your officers as if they were bratty, spoiled little children? Do you think that will encourage them to respect you? Do you have any understanding, at all, of how to relate to your employees? Because it sure doesn’t appear so.
On a quick note, there were 8 DWI arrests in 2018. Salazar is bragging about what he has done this year because there have only been 4 arrests for DWI so far but there are still 3 1/2 months left in the year and those months include the holiday season. He should be careful what he brags about. It could very well come back to bite him, though we hope not for the sake of the officers.
Sheriff’s Statement
Unfortunately, a BCSO Deputy was arrested for DWI overnight. Although this comes as another embarrassment to our agency, I’d like to take the time to thank everyone for your efforts with regard to this issue which has again reared it’s ugly head. Thanks to increased awareness, our ongoing training, and your self-discipline, it appears we have substantially reduced the numbers of personnel being arrested for DWI and other alcohol related incidents. Unfortunately, this latest disappointing incident is a reminder that we all still have some work to do. I thank all of you for your continued hard work, your dedication to this agency, and your commitment to the oath you swore. Nonetheless, I need to remind everyone that DWI, like so many other issues we face, is all too easy to avoid. Plan ahead if you are out drinking anywhere else but your own home. Designate a driver or arrange for another mode of transportation. If all else fails, make use of the DSABC’s Safe Ride Home Program. Of course, we need to all be reminded of the fact that it is ALL our responsibility to take care of each other. If you are out with any friends or family, it is incumbent on all of us to remind each other to do the right thing and to make sure all members of our party get home safe and sound. All too often, we hear, “He’s a grown man.” “I’m not his Daddy.” or “That’s on her!” This is not acceptable. For the next few days or weeks, we will all have to feel the after-effects of this latest arrest. Keep your heads up and know that, although we will all be unfairly judged by many on the alleged indiscretion of one person, the vast majority of the public knows you all work hard and we are not all defined by this moment. I certainly appreciate you all, and let’s keep up the great work.Stay Safe,Sheriff Javier Salazar