Samaniego: A Lifetime Of Community Service
EL PASO – Funeral serviceswere scheduled Wednesday for El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego, who died Friday following a battle with cancer.
ABC 7 took a look back at Samaniego’s contributions as sheriff, a position he held for nearly 23 years.
Samaniego was electedto the positionin 1984, and he brought with him a wealth of experience, with almost 30 years ofservice with the El Paso Police Department.
When Samaniego became sheriff, he took over an operation that was rampant with scandal and corruption. Two of the last three of his predecessors had been removed from office.
Many county residentsregarded Samaniego as the epitome of change. He was reelected five times, the lastwas in 2004.
Samaniego said his proudest accomplishment was accreditation of the sheriff’s office in 2000 – theorganization continues to enjoy a distinction that is unique in the state. The El Paso Sheriff’s Office is the only one to have achieved such notice in the state of Texas.
Many improvements were made to the county jail’s system under Samaniego’s tenure as sheriff. The jail annex in East El Paso County opened in 1997, relieving overcrowding in the downtown dentention center.
And in 1998, the jail received its first passing inspection in a decade.
Samaniego vowed to make the changes permanent. “We’re never going to let it go back to the way it was in 1985 when I took over,” he had said. “Everything was broken.”
Those familiar with local law enforcement credit Samaniego for making a complete makeover of the sheriff’s office. Deputies, detention officers, and the community will be forever grateful.
As for Samaniego, he once said the job demanded a total commitment from him. “I’ve only made one promise [in running for sheriff], and that’s that I promise to do the best job I can.”
