Tuolumne Supervisors To Vote On Appointing Vasquez As New Sheriff

Photo taken by: Tracey Petersen

Sonora, CA — With outgoing Tuolumne County Sheriff Bill Pooley now officially retired, the board of supervisors will vote next week on appointing his replacement.

Before leaving, Pooley recommended that Captain David Vasquez be his successor, and the move is also endorsed by CAO Tracie Riggs in a memo supplied to the supervisors ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

The supervisors will vote on appointing Vasquez to finish the remainder of Pooley’s term, and if approved, then immediately swear him in as the new Sheriff-Coroner.

The supervisors had to legally wait until the Sheriff position became vacant to take action (so it couldn’t have been done prior to Pooley leaving office). The current undersheriff, Neil Evans, assumes the acting sheriff role until a vote of the board. Pooley earlier noted that Evans, who also has plans to soon exit, agreed to stay on with the sheriff’s office during the transition period.

Meeting documents note that if for some reason the supervisors decline the recommendation of Pooley and Riggs (Vasquez appointment), they would have to begin a recruitment process, and conduct public interviews, to fill the role.

Tuesday’s meeting starts at 9 am and the Sheriff-appointment is scheduled for 9:30 am.

A biography of Captain Vasquez has been supplied to the board of supervisors, put together by county staff, ahead of the vote. You can read it below:

“David Vasquez began his career in law enforcement in 2001 when he enlisted into the United States Marine Corps as a Military Police Officer. He served as a patrol officer until being selected to the specialized K9 unit for explosive detection. He volunteered to serve forwardly in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was assigned to the infantry and various teams in the special operations community as a K9 handler; their mission was to locate and facilitate the destruction of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) used against American troops. He served on President George W. Bush’s security detail for multiple West Coast operations assisting the United States Secret Service.

Capt. Vasquez received multiple promotions and was entrusted with the duties of K9 Kennel Master. In this role, he was charged with collaborating with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to directly support the interdiction of narcotics trafficking and human exploitation by transnational criminal organizations. Upon completion of his duty as a kennel master, he was selected for Drill Instructor duty where he was charged with making the future generation of Marines. After Drill Instructor duty, Capt. Vasquez completed his Marine Corps service as a Special Reaction Team Commander.

Capt. Vasquez began working for the County of Tuolumne in 2009 as a Deputy Sheriff assigned to patrol. After completing field training, he was assigned to the patrol division, where his peers selected him for the award of “Deputy of the Year.” He was selected to join the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and served in all roles of the SWAT team including Commander. Capt. Vasquez was promoted to detective in late 2012 where he served Tuolumne County as a Narcotics Detective.

Capt. Vasquez was promoted to Sheriff’s Sergeant in 2015 and was assigned to lead deputies in the patrol division. He was selected by his fellow deputies to represent the Deputy Sheriff’s Association as their Vice President. Capt. Vasquez was selected to lead the Boating Enforcement Division before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2018. He was entrusted to command the Professional Standards Division as a Lieutenant. The professional standard division consisted of, Internal Affairs, Background Investigations, Records, Communications, Public Information and Special Operations. He served as the custodian of records and public safety communications manager. He was selected by the County of Tuolumne Management Association (CTMA) to lead the association as their President. He was promoted to Captain in 2021 where he was entrusted to command the Bureau of Professional Standards and General Investigations.

Capt. Vasquez is highly engaged in his community. He serves as the Vice President of The Black Hat Foundation, a local non-profit for local beneficiaries. He was elected to serve the special district of Curtis Creek Elementary School and is in his fourth year, as President, of the term. Capt. Vasquez is a youth sports coach and has been actively engaged in county youth and school team sports for the last 13 years. He is a member of the YES partnership and the Tuolumne Resiliency Coalition.

Capt. Vasquez holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Management from Union University, a professional certificate in Civic Engagement from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree in Executive Leadership from the University of Southern California’s School of Public Policy. He is a member of the California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA), California Public Employers Labor Relations Association, California School Board Association and the California Association of Tactical Officers.

Capt. Vasquez is most proud of his beautiful family; wife, Jill Krawchuk of Twain Harte and their two daughters Peyton and Kennedy.

Should the Board move forward with appointing Capt. Vasquez to fulfill the remaining term of the vacant Sheriff position, Debi Bautista Auditor-Controller/Registar of voters/County Clerk will be available to swear him immediately following the Board making the appointment.”