Vern Warnke sworn in as Merced County sheriff

Merced County Sheriff-elect Vern Warnke took his oath of office Tuesday in what was meant to be a private ceremony for friends and family after his predecessor announced he would retire early.

Warnke, 56, told supporters a larger “public” swearing-in ceremony would take place Jan. 5. The ceremony Tuesday coincided with a Board of Supervisors meeting in which the board unanimously appointed Warnke to the sheriff position, effective Dec. 27.

Sheriff Tom Cavallero told Warnke he would retire on Dec. 26, about two weeks earlier than planned.

“Sheriff Cavallero and I had a conversation, and he asked about retiring a little early,” Warnke told the Merced Sun-Star after he was sworn in Tuesday. “He has his own personal reasons. He just thought it was the right time.”

Tuesday’s action by the Board of Supervisors also positioned Cavallero to remain employed with the Sheriff’s Department as an “extra-help” undersheriff – the first time Merced County has had that position. Warnke said Cavallero will stay for “however long he’s needed” to help with transitioning Warnke into his new position.

Cavallero previously served as undersheriff to Mark Pazin, who retired in December 2013 to accept a job with Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration. Cavallero chose not to run for sheriff when Pazin’s term ended.

Warnke won the sheriff’s race with 58 percent of the vote Nov. 4, beating out challenger Pat Lunney by more than 6,200 votes.

Warnke said Cavallero will be the extra-help undersheriff until he can appoint retired sheriff’s Sgt. Suzzette Norris to be his undersheriff. After that appointment, Warnke said, Cavallero might stay on the payroll as a part-time deputy with the Sheriff’s Department helicopter unit.

The proposal to serve as Warnke’s extra-help undersheriff came as a surprise to Cavallero, he told the Sun-Star on Tuesday. “I didn’t expect that he would ask me to stay, but I’m happy to do it on a temporary basis,” Cavallero said, adding that he isn’t sure if he’ll continue as a part-time deputy. “It’s a possibility, but I’d like to re-evaluate it when it happens.”

Cavallero declined to elaborate on why he decided to retire early, other than saying it was a “smart decision” after checking with the county’s retirement and risk management officials regarding his benefits.

Surrounded by his wife, daughters and grandchild, Warnke appeared emotional Tuesday, saying he is grateful and humbled to be the top law enforcement official in Merced County. Warnke said he’s “honored” to be running the department where he worked for 35 years.

“The folks didn’t want a politician as their sheriff – they wanted a cop,” Warnke told the Sun-Star. “They didn’t want to worry about their sheriff trying to get a job in Sacramento. They want a sheriff that’s committed to doing what’s best for them.”

More than 50 people gathered inside the Merced County Courthouse Museum to witness Warnke take the oath as administered by Superior Court Judge Harry Jacobs. One of those on hand was Billie Moore, a 71-year-old Sheriff’s Department retiree.

Moore said she believes Warnke will bring “continuity” to the department, uniting the torn corrections and patrol staffs.

She called it a new era for the Sheriff’s Department. “I’ve been working with him 25 years, and he’s the most honest person I’ve met,” Moore said. “He gets things done – but he gets them done the right way.”

Another newly elected official, Atwater City Councilman Brian Raymond, was also on hand Tuesday to congratulate Warnke, a man he’s called a friend for nearly a decade.

Raymond summed up why he supports Warnke with a story: During a campaign fundraiser, Raymond said, Warnke suddenly disappeared without a word. His supporters later found him on his “hands and knees” feeding a homeless woman outside the building.

“That’s the kind of man he is,” Raymond said. “I just got the chills, and I knew at that point this is the guy I need to be working for.”

Warnke is a friend, a colleague and an officer of the law to everyone else. But to Jenny Warnke, 32, he is Dad. “We’re just extremely proud of him, and it was a lot of work to get here,” Jenny Warnke said Tuesday, “but we know he’s the best person for the job.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2014 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Vern Warnke sworn in as Merced County sheriff."