01/13/2026
Was so amazing to listen to Sheriff Boudreaux speak today.
Sheriff Says Don’t Tough It Out, Talk It Out
Sheriff Mike Boudreaux offered personal stories as he gave opening remarks this morning at the two-day Mental Health and Wellness Conference for Public Servants at the Visalia Convention. He told them as a young deputy and throughout his 40-year law enforcement career, he responded to critical incidents, one after another, and no one asked him if he was okay.
“We were taught to tough it out,” Sheriff Boudreaux said.
Sheriff Boudreaux takes a different approach with his own deputies by showing up at the scene following an officer involved shooting and other critical incidents, asking them if they’re okay and assigning additional personnel to talk to them.
To help his staff, he created Peer Support at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, so deputies and civilian staff could choose from a list of their fellow employees to talk to about problems on the job and at home. Over the last six years since Peer Support began, stress-related claims have decreased and morale has increased.
“It starts with leadership,” he said. “It starts from the top and bleeds down. If you’re in leadership, make sure you’re supporting people in that area of communication.”
