Tulsa County Sheriff Race Heats Up for March 1
VIC REGALADO: Tulsa County Sheriff candidate Vic Regalado, left, with former Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris. Regalado was recently endorsed by former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating.
Courtesy photo
On March 1, a Tulsa County primary election will be held to elect its sheriff who, for the first time in 26 years, will not be Stanley Glanz. That will be followed by an April 5 special general election. The election will determine the individual who will complete Glanz’s term. Glanz resigned in September after he was indicted by a grand jury due to questions that arose after a volunteer deputy confused a gun for a tazor and shot and killed an unarmed black man.
A general election will be held in November to determine a new sheriff for the following four years.
As of the time of this newspaper’s publication, there are 10 individuals in the running:
Vic Regalado, a former lead homicide detective for the Tulsa Police Department, announced in October that he would enter the race as a Republican candidate.
Regalado currently works as the evening shift gang unit supervisor for the Special Investigations Division.
In January, Regalado received the endorsement of Governor Frank Keating: “Sergeant Regalado has the professional background, commitment and ability to lead,” Keating wrote in a statement. “Specifically, his work as a lead homicide detective is remarkable. He solved cases at a rate that is among the best in the nation, demonstrating an ability to solve problems, manage cases, and work diligently with grieving families to seek justice and bring closure.”
A Tulsa police officer since 1994, Regalado was awarded the Medal of Valor in 2004 “for going above and beyond the call of duty,” and he has been awarded the Life Saving Award. Regalado teaches CLEET (Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training) certification courses in officer-involved shooting investigations as well interviews and interrogation.
During his 22 years with TPD, he has served as the lead homicide detective on 81 homicides, including some of Tulsa’s most high profile cases. He was the lead detective in the Good Friday murders, in which law enforcement received praise from across regions where police work was credited for swift arrests and for bringing unity to the city. He also was lead detective in the murder for hire of Tulsa businessman Neal Sweeney as well as the Hicks Park murders.
As an Arizona native, Regalado grew up respecting police officers.
“The interactions that I had with police officers was always positive, the way they carried themselves,” he says. “I always wanted to be a police officer.”
Regalado brings a diversified set of experience, having held positions as a detective, patrol officer, squad supervisor, fugitive warrants investigator and held positions with the Special Operations Team (SWAT) and the Juvenile Crime Task Force.
Regalado also has experience working with the media. “I know there will be intense media scrutiny as sheriff,” he says. “This office needs someone with a hands-on approach who will put the right people in the right positions: people committed to providing high quality service to the citizens of Tulsa.”
Other sheriff candidates:
Brandon Hendrix: 42, Republican, is a Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was hired in 2002. He is a school resource officer.
John Fitzpatrick: 59, Republican, is a 10-year reserve officer for the Tulsa Police Department, including work with homicide detectives, retail crime detectives, bicycle patrol and the Special Investigation Division. He is a longtime private-sector executive.
Tom Helm: 43, Republican, is a retired 20-year veteran of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, with supervision of narcotics and Internal Affairs. He is an agent for the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.
Dan Miller: 50, Republican, is a Tulsa Police Department corporal WHo has been on the force for 20 years. He is a detective in the Auto Theft Division and was a north Tulsa field patrol supervisor for 15 years.
Jason Jackson: 42, Republican, is a Jenks Police Department day-shift patrol sergeant. In 18 years, he has worked in narcotics, interdiction and the detective division.
Randy Pierce: 54, is a current sergeant with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and has been with the department for more than 20 years.
Rex Berry: 65, Democrat, is a former officer with the Tulsa Police Department who served 26 years before retiring in 1999.
Luke Sherman: 45, Republican, is a Tulsa Police Department sergeant who leads the Fugitive Warrants Unit. He has been with the department for 23 years, with more than 10 years on its SWAT team.
Bill Reaves: 66, Republican
Updated 01-25-2016
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