The Sheriff -- Fresno County Sheriff's Department

Fresno Sheriff, Margaret Mims

Sheriff Margaret Mims
Sheriff Mims started her career in law enforcement in January 1980, when she was hired as the first female police officer in the City of Kerman. In 1983, she became a Deputy Sheriff for Fresno County, and has since progressed up through the ranks. She was the first female sergeant to supervise field patrol units. She was the first female to attain the rank of Lieutenant (1998), Captain (2004), and Assistant Sheriff (2004), in the 150 year history of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, which was established in 1856.

Sheriff Mims has been involved in a variety of assignments during her career with the Sheriff’s Department, most recently in charge of the Detention Bureau and Court Services Unit, prior to her election as the 25^th Sheriff of Fresno County.

Sheriff Mims is a member of the Fresno Metropolitan Rotary and is on the Board of Directors of the Marjoree Mason Center, a local women’s shelter. She has served as a past member of the Fresno County Rape Counseling Service Board of Directors. She is a member of the California Peace Officers' Association, the California State Sheriffs' Association, and the American Legion Auxiliary.

She is a graduate of Fresno Pacific University, and has her Masters Degree in Public Administration from National University. She is a graduate of California POST (Peace Officer Standards & Training) Supervisory Leadership Institute and she is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police coordinated through Boston University and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

1998 she was honored as a recipient of the Fresno Exchange Club ’Top Cop’ award.
1999 she was chosen as one of Fresno County’s Top Ten Business/Professional Women of the Year.
2001 she received a ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award’ from the National Center for Women in Policing.
2005 She was the subject of PBS Fresno Channel 18 Valley Press interview for her accomplishments.
On February 18, 2005 she was highlighted on KFSN, Channel 30 (ABC) as their Person of the Week.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

2001 - Coordinated Region V Mutual Aid law enforcement response to 9/11/01 terrorist attack.

2000 - Coordinated Region V Mutual Aid law enforcement response to issues regarding power crises and rolling blackouts.

2000 - Coordinated Region V Mutual Aid law enforcement response to potential Y2K issues.

1999 - Coordinated first Operation Goldstar in unincorporated Fresno County utilizing personnel from the six police departments in the Area.

1996 - Assisted a local non-profit agency in obtaining a grant that was eventually used as a model for the State of California.

1995 – Authored a grant that provided a full time Domestic Violence victim advocate in the detective offices of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. That grant has continued to be renewed and is still in place.

1995 – Collaborated with Rape Counseling Service to apply for a grant for another victim advocate for sexual assault cases.

1995- Was on the steering committee to establish a Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center (MDIC) to reduce the amount of times child victims of crimes were interviewed thereby minimizing additional trauma.

1986 - Became the first female Fresno County Deputy Sheriff to be a K-9 handler.

1980 - Hired as the first female police officer for the City of Kerman.

Who We Are
The Fresno County Sheriff's Department is a full Service Law Enforcement Agency with a long proud history and tradition of providing professional law enforcement service to the people of Fresno County.

Where We Are
The geographic location of Fresno County is approximately an equal distance between the major metropolitan areas of San Francisco and Los Angeles in the Central San Joaquin Valley.

Mission Statement
The members of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with the community, are dedicated to excellence in the delivery of public safety services.

Department Phone Numbers
Contact numbers for the Fresno County Sheriff's Department.

Organization Chart
Organizational structure of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department

Peace Officer Code of Ethics
As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all persons to liberty, equality and justice.

Department History
Through the years the Sheriff of Fresno County has assumed many varied duties and responsibilities through mandate of the Supervisors. In 1860, the Board of Supervisors decided that, "since the county has become more civilized, the Sheriff need no longer accompany the Assessor on his rounds.