Calaveras Supervisors To Vote On Appointing Whiting As New Sheriff

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San Andreas, CA — The current undersheriff in Calaveras County, Rachelle Whiting, is in line to be appointed as Sheriff at Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting.

The position opened following the retirement of Rick DiBasillio this past Friday. He had announced his intention in May to leave by late summer. DiBasillio has been encouraging the board to appoint his second in command to the leadership role, and if so, Whiting would become the first woman to serve as sheriff of Calaveras County.  

Whiting, a graduate of Calaveras High School, left for San Diego State University and returned to Calaveras in 2000 to join the sheriff’s office. During the fiscal year 2003-04, she was named Deputy of the Year” by her co-workers.

She has several other accolades. In 2009, as a young Sergeant, Whiting received the Medal of Merit for the development and implementation of the Sheriff’s Office’s new Peer Support Program. She has also been a Jail Commander, Lieutenant, and was promoted to Undersheriff in 2022.

Whiting says in a statement provided to the board, ahead of the meeting, “We have a strong succession plan in place for uninterrupted continuity of operations at the Sheriff’s Office. I am committed to working with our staff, community, and agency partners for the protection and public safety of Calaveras County. I recognize that our community holds us to the highest standards of conduct, and I take that expectation of accountability and transparency seriously.”

The regular session portion of the meeting will start at 9 am on Tuesday at the government center in San Andreas and Whiting’s proposed appointment is the first item of business. The board will also take time afterward to recognize former Sheriff DiBasillio.