The Santa Barbara County undersheriff retired this week due to personal reasons after serving with the Sheriff’s Department for 30 years.
Jim Peterson was promoted to the second-in-command position in March 2011 and previously worked as chief deputy, custody operations chief and oversaw administrative support services.
He’s worked with the department since he graduated from UCSB in 1983.
Sheriff Brown appointed Chief Deputy of Law Enforcement Operations Don Patterson as the acting undersheriff until a permanent replacement can be found, Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.
In an email to his colleagues, Peterson said he was retiring due to personal reasons. He isn’t sure what he’ll be doing during his retirement.
“I cannot fully express how thankful I am for the friendships, memories and opportunities I have had during my career,” he wrote.
“I would like to thank everyone who puts on the uniform every day and also the staff that supports the operation of the Sheriff’s Office.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.