By Jondi Gumz
When Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart retires on Dec. 6 after 10 years, Undersheriff Chris Clark will succeed him.
County supervisors appoint the sheriff, and on Tuesday, Aug. 27, the vote was unanimous.
Peter Gelblum of Boulder Creek objected because the next election for sheriff is in 2028. He wanted a process where anyone could apply and the public could give input.
Hart, who promoted Clark to undersheriff, recommended Clark as his successor. Clark also had support from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Correctional Officers Association.
Supervisors Zach Friend and Bruce McPherson put forth the agenda item to appoint Clark for the rest of Hart’s term, which ends Jan. 8, 2029.
They wanted to ensure a smooth transition.
Jim Hart
Hart, a native of Santa Cruz County, started his career as a deputy sheriff in 1988 and held every rank in the office before being elected sheriff in June 2014. He was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
Under his leadership, the office navigated seven federally declared disasters, the line of duty death of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller and the Covid-19 pandemic. Crime rates in the County’s unincorporated areas are at a record low, less than half the state average, which Sheriff Hart attributes to his expansion of effective community policing.
Hart partnered with the Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz County to create a new Inspector General position and became the first sheriff in California to implement “21st Century Policing,” which led to improved transparency, trust and community relations.
When his retirement was announced on the Sheriff’s Facebook page, it got 100+ positive comments. One woman urged Hart to have a happy retirement and called on the state Legislature to change laws that help a domestic abuse predator and do nothing for the woman being abused.
Chris Clark
Friend and McPherson told their colleagues, “Our offices have worked closely with Undersheriff Clark our entire time in office and have found him to be very responsive, thoughtful and forward-thinking. He played an integral role in the County’s response to the CZU fires and floods has always available for any public safety-related requests that came from our constituents.”
They added, “His background, beyond his two decades in local law enforcement, should serve him well for the remainder of Sheriff Hart’s term. He grew up in a military family, was born overseas and lived in multiple countries and multiple states before settling in Santa Cruz County after college with his wife and family and then joining the Sheriff’s Office. It’s clear those early experiences with different cultures and ideologies has shaped his approach to policing. He has held leadership roles across the spectrum at the Sheriff’s Office and became a reassuring presence giving nightly briefings during the CZU fires and, more recently, during the floods.”
Clark oversees the Administration Bureau, which includes professional standards and conduct, media relations, personnel and training, records, warrants, crime analysis, civil, payroll/fiscal management, forensic services and computer technology.