Baca Appoints Woman as Chief of Detectives

Sheriff Lee Baca has replaced one high-ranking woman in the department with another, promoting Elizabeth Dickinson to chief of the department’s detective division, sheriff’s officials said.

Dickinson, who has been the patrol commander for the southwestern region of the county--which includes the Carson and Century stations--replaces Helena Ashby, who retired in March.

Dickinson, who began her career with the law enforcement agency in 1965, worked in a variety of jobs and locations throughout the department. She began, as all deputies do, in the jails, working at Sybil Brand Institute, then moving to the training bureau and Lennox station. She has worked in the narcotics and criminal investigations bureaus, among other places.

The Sheriff’s Department has 10 chiefs; the only other woman at that rank is Sharon Bunn, a civilian who oversees the fiscal administration section. Four officers rank above the chiefs: Baca, Undersheriff Bill Stonich and Assistant Chiefs Dennis Dahlman and Larry Waldie.