Former Healdsburg Police Chief Kevin Burke, who served as the city’s chief of police for a decade, has announced his candidacy today for the Sonoma County Sheriff.
The election for the Sonoma County Sheriff will be held during the statewide primary election on June 7.
“As Chief of Police for the City of Healdsburg, our city rose to meet catastrophic fires and floods, a national movement to reform policing, and a global pandemic,” Burke said in a statement published on his candidacy website and on social media. “I’m running for Sheriff because Sonoma County deserves a Sheriff with the experience to bring us together.”
So far, Burke’s bid for sheriff has garnered the support of several local elected officials, Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch, Healdsburg Mayor Ozzy Jimenez, Vice Mayor Ariel Kelley, Councilmember Evelyn Mitchell, Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Rogers and Santa Rosa Councilmember Victoria Fleming.
Burke retired from the Healdsburg Police Department in 2021. Burke joined the police department in November 2010 and succeeded former Healdsburg Chief Susan Jones.
Over the years as Healdsburg Police Chief, Burke led the city through several natural disasters such as floods and fires, most recently the Kincade Fire — which resulted in the evacuation of the entire city — and the Walbridge Fire.
He also oversaw the use and implementation of Narcan kits — an opioid suppressing nasal spray that blocks the opioid receptors in the brain — which have been successful on several accounts in reviving individuals who had suffered from drug overdoses.
Under Burke and the Harm Reduction Task Force, the department also started providing fentanyl detection strips.
The strips are provided for free, no-questions asked, and can be used to detect fentanyl in street drugs, which can help prevent opioid overdoses.
In June 2020 following the George Floyd and Black Lives Matters demonstrations, Burke introduced a plan to pursue a major police department reorganization and reallocation of funds in order to create a community equity team with a licensed clinical social worker and an officer.
The goal of the program is to improve community outreach, specifically within marginalized communities and to create a police culture centered around equity and fairness.
Burke said of the proposal in 2020, “This is changing the basic, fundamental mindset of how we do our job.”
In October 2021, Burke’s idea came to fruition when the Healdsburg Police Department launched its Community Oriented and Equity (CORE) Policing Team, composed of a sworn officer and a licensed marriage family therapist. The CORE team responds to homeless, mental health, parking and neighbor dispute related calls.
Burke announced his retirement from the Healdsburg Police Department during a Nov. 2, 2020 Healdsburg City Council meeting when council members recognized him for his 10-year anniversary with the city.
Upon his announcement, then Mayor Evelyn Mitchell said, “We are honored that you have worked so hard for us over these last 10 years. You have done amazing work and we really appreciate it.”
Prior to his time in Healdsburg, Burke worked as the chief of police for the city of Lakeport. He is also a former prosecutor with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and was a sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department.
