Warnke sworn in as Merced County sheriff

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke was sworn in Monday during a ceremony attended by scores of people, including elected officials and law enforcement leaders from around the county.

Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, who is also president of the California State Sheriff’s Association, administered the oath of office to Warnke, who was accompanied by his wife, Kathy.

“What I want you to remember is I am your sheriff,” Warnke said, while speaking to the crowd. “I’m available for phone calls. I’m available for talk.”

Warnke has been at the helm of the sheriff’s office since Dec. 16, when he was officially sworn in during a private ceremony after outgoing Sheriff Tom Cavallero retired about two weeks early.

The second oath-of-office ceremony for the 56-year-old sheriff came with more pomp and circumstance, including horseback riders, K-9 units and a color guard.

Warnke takes over after a year when the county saw record-high homicide numbers of 32 deaths, of which 16 took place in the sheriff’s jurisdiction. After taking the oath, he made a promise to residents to “do everything that is legally possible to keep the bad guys in jail.”

It wasn’t the first time Warnke had spoken about inmates during his run-up to the office. He created controversy during the campaign when he said would like to bring to Merced County the “tent city” model of jail housing made famous by Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whom Warnke called a “personal hero.”

State authorities later confirmed that California inmates cannot legally be housed in tents. Warnke said he still liked the idea of a tent city, but would follow the law.

Warnke won election in November, capturing nearly 60 percent of the vote to become the county’s 25th sheriff.

Merced County Superior Court Presiding Judge Brian L. McCabe spoke about the importance of the relationships among law enforcement agencies as they work together to make the court process efficient and open. “This vision of meaningful access to justice drives our every effort,” he said.

During Monday’s ceremony, six others also took oaths to serve the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

Mark Williams, 29, was sworn in as a deputy sheriff after serving several years as a correctional officer with the Sheriff’s Department.

Five cadets were also sworn in. Andrea Alicuben, 30, and Tyler McCannon, 21, both of Merced County; Allen Samano, 29, and Joseph Royel, 22, both of Stanislaus County; and Damian Sparks, 37, of Fresno County were sworn in ahead of their training at the academy at Fresno City College.

All five cadets have already passed written, verbal and physical tests, as well as exhaustive background checks.

This story was originally published January 5, 2015 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Warnke sworn in as Merced County sheriff."