‘You’re going to have jail deaths’: 4 takeaways from Sheriff Salazar’s heated exchange with opponent

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar faced off with his Republican challenger, former County Clerk Gerard C. “Gerry” Rickhoff, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, in a heated virtual debate Thursday.

From discussing differences in approaches to law enforcement to the BCSO shooting that left one man dead earlier this week, the challengers didn’t hold back, accusing each other of being unqualified to be sheriff.

Salazar, 49, defeated four Democratic challengers in the March primary in hopes of becoming the first Bexar County Sheriff to be re-elected since 2004. Rickoff, 67, has never had law enforcement experience, but served as the Bexar County Clerk from 1995 to 2019.

READ ALSO: Bexar Sheriff, Republican challenger square off in first fiery meeting before November elections

Here are four things you need to know about their exchange:

Lost faith: Rickoff said Salazar has had enough time since his 2016 election to address problems in the agency that have been present for years. Citing numerous arrests of deputies, mistaken releases of inmates and eight deaths within the jail this year alone, Rickoff said Salazar is to blame for a loss of confidence in the Sheriff’s Office.

“I believe that you’ve lost the faith of this community, and you’ve certainly lost the faith of the officers under your command,” Rickoff told Salazar directly.

No experience: Meanwhile, Salazar — a 27-year law enforcement veteran — told Rickoff he was a “mediocre county clerk at best” trying to “recapture his long gone glory days through a misguided cop fantasy.”

Rickoff argued his family’s background in justice and law enforcement makes up for his lack of personal experience. He believes he can offer a fresh perspective during a time in which many are calling for law enforcement reform. He also said he would surround himself with experts who knew what they were doing, to which Salazar fired back “you have to be that expert, I’m sorry but I beg to differ. I can’t walk into H-E-B right now and say I want to be CEO.”

Jail deaths: Salazar slammed Rickoff’s argument that a disproportionate number of people were dying in the jail, saying people are always going to come into a jail with their own physical challenges.

“You are going to have jail deaths, it is about what you do to mitigate them,” Salazar said.

Fired officers: Rickoff accused Salazar of “belittling the officers under his command,” accusing the sheriff of not providing due process for his fired employees. Since the start of the year, half a dozen BCSO deputies have been fired for a number of alleged crimes, including sexual assault, tampering with government records and family assault. Salazar has spoken candidly about ridding BCSO of deputies who break the law.

“They have a right for their side of the story to be told in an equitable manner,” Rickoff said. “He is making a determination that should be made by a civil committee … you don’t make an instantaneous decision with one consultation.”

The challenger warned Salazar’s behavior is going to result in litigation, lawsuits and cost to the county.

Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | [email protected] | @TaylorPettaway