Publisher’s note: The following editorial is from the May 8, 2010, Sacramento Bee.

When El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Neves announced last summer he would not seek a third term, it opened the floodgates for the largest crop of candidates in at least three decades.

Of the six current and retired lawmen on the June 8 ballot, three have broken from the pack by dint of their qualifications and vision for the job. And of that top tier, Placerville Police Chief George Nielsen offers the strongest combination of administrative and on-the-street skills, and of local knowledge and an outsider’s perspective.

Nielsen moved up through the ranks for 21 years before becoming Placerville’s chief six years ago, and crime has dropped significantly on his watch. While it is a relatively small department with a $4.2 million annual budget and 21 sworn officers, that forced Nielsen to be hands-on with financial and personnel matters. He has also widened his imprint by pushing a “National Night Out” anti-crime event countywide and by serving on boards with social services leaders who can be his partners in tackling youth and drug-related crime. At 47, he can be an effective,

George Nielsen

innovative sheriff for years to come.

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