LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Sheriff Block Assails Five Opponents as Unqualified

Sheriff Sherman Block, bidding for a fourth term in the June 7 primary, disparaged his five opponents Wednesday, saying he believes that “probably several hundred” of his deputies have better qualifications to be sheriff than any of his foes. The qualifications of all his opponents, even if combined, would not be equal to the requirements of being sheriff if the Board of Supervisors was appointing one, Block contended at his monthly news conference, the last before the primary.

The sheriff rebutted the charge by one of three sheriff’s deputies opposing him, Sgt. John Stites, that he was “grandstanding in an election year” when he publicly discussed the case against two firefighters suspected of starting last fall’s Calabasas/Malibu wildfire.

“Obviously, the district attorney thought enough of the investigation to take the case to the grand jury and what their ultimate decision will be, I can’t predict,” Block said.

As for reports that another opponent, reserve Sheriff’s Capt. Robert Irmas, is about to launch a television blitz against him, Block said he does not have enough in campaign funds to have any television spots of his own and doesn’t plan to try to raise any such funds.

Block will face a November runoff with his leading opponent if he fails to get a majority of all the votes cast in the primary.