AUBURN, Calif. — Placer County Sheriff Devon Bell has announced his retirement, ending a three-decade-long tenure with the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
In a post on Facebook, Bell says that due to a medical condition, he has to reprioritize his health which will take him away from the office of sheriff at the end of the year.
"I was raised in this community and being elected to serve as sheriff has been my greatest honor," Bell wrote in a statement. "The men and women of the Placer County Sheriff's Office are the most outstanding professionals with whom I have had the privilege of serving alongside."
In his Facebook statement, Bell endorsed Wayne Woo, who is running for Placer County Sheriff in the 2022 election.
Sheriff Bell began his career with the Placer County Sheriff's Office as a deputy in 1992. His tenure saw him working in several units within the sheriff's office, including corrections, patrol, support services and the special investigations unit.
In December 2006, Bell made department history being named their first ever assistant sheriff. Less than a year later, Bell was promoted to undersheriff before being appointed by the Placer County Board of Supervisors as interim sheriff in 2017.
In the 2018 primary election, voters in Placer County elected Bell to the permanent position of sheriff.
Bell's announcement comes after several other law enforcement officials in Northern California announced similar retirements in the past year.
Since December, the police chiefs of Sacramento, Elk Grove and Stockton have retired from their positions. In October, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones announced he will not be seeking reelection in 2022 and instead will run for a seat in congress.
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