Retired Tulare County Sheriff Bob Wiley dies at 87

Retired Tulare County Sheriff Bob Wiley died on Saturday at the age of 87, sheriff's officials announced.

"Sheriff (Mike) Boudreaux contacted his wife, Sonja, to express his sympathy, and placed TCSO Honor Guards to stand by with (Wiley) at the funeral home," stated Ashley Ritchie, spokeswoman for the sheriff's department.

Wiley graduated from Kingsburg High School, where he played football and ran track. He was recruited to play football at Porterville College. At the same time, he worked as an extra help deputy and a rodeo cowboy to support his family, according to the sheriff's department.

Wiley beat out long-time incumbent Sheriff Sandy Robinson and went on to serve as Tulare County sheriff from 1967-1991. When he retired in early 1991, the newest jail which Wiley opened in 1987, was renamed the Bob Wiley Detention Facility, sheriff's officials stated.

The name has remained.

He also served as president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association.

Wiley is survived by his wife of 65 years, Sonja, and their three children, Andrea Hudson (Brad), of Riverside, Acia Bolen, of Visalia, and Robert Wiley, of Tulare.

Sheriff always

In 1991, Wiley said he'd been contemplating retirement for several years, but "only recently began giving the idea serious consideration."

"I've been giving it a lot of thought," he said. "Six terms is a long time to keep this job and keep it together."

The former sheriff credited himself with overseeing the transition of a rural sheriff's office to one with almost 500 employees and a budget over $23 million.

Wiley said he was equally proud of his programs to clamp down on crime in the county, which is among the lowest per capita in the state, he said at the time.

"We've had a tremendous amount of accomplishments," Wiley said.

Among those successes, he said, was construction of the county's 384-bed jail at Sequoia Field in 1987 and landing of a lucrative contract with the state to house parole violators, a program that later ended.

Wiley also cited his efforts to fight illegal drug use and dealing in the county.

"I've played as strong a role as any law enforcement officer in the area of narcotics and drug prevention." Wiley said in a 1990 Tulare Advance Register article.

After two decades in office, law enforcement from all sides rallied around him.

"He has brought rural law enforcement to the forefront of modernization," said James Rowland, then-director of the California Department of Corrections. "He is a real advocate for professionalism in law enforcement and has real concern for staff and taxpayers. He has been ahead of the times in bringing programs and advancements to a rural law enforcement agency."

Professionalism also was mentioned by Tulare County's district attorney at the time.

"He is a tough, no-nonsense law officer," said Gerald Sevier, who went on to be a judge. "When we talk about Bob Wiley, we have to talk about leadership, dedication to law enforcement and the needs of law enforcement. Bob Wiley exemplifies all those traits."

Even the Tulare County Public Defender at the time had some kind words.

Neal Pereira said he respected Wiley although the Public Defender's Office was often at odds with the goals of the sheriff's office.

"Some of the cases he's handled exceptionally well," Pereira said. "Others he hasn't. But it appears to be a very clean department. I think anyone who survives in that high level for that long - I think that's a good commentary."

The job never really ended, though.

In 1992, Wiley said he continued to have nightmares about overcrowded jails and overworked and underpaid staff, according to workers' compensation claims he has filed against the county.

Wiley claimed that during his last 10 years as sheriff, he slept only three to four hours a night due to work-related worries,

The claims of nightmares and little sleep are one of many stress and health ailments that led to the former sheriff filing worker's compensation claims that led to years of legal battles with the county over the sheriff's health.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Retired Tulare County Sheriff Bob Wiley dies at 87