BIOGRAPHY

Sheriff Ralph E. Ogden

Yuma County, Arizona
Yuma, AZ
(928) 783-4427

Yuma County Sheriff Ralph E. Ogden began his career in law enforcement in 1970 after completing four years of service in the Marine Corps. From his first job as a dispatcher/jailer 39 years ago, he worked his way up through the ranks and successfully campaigned for the office of Sheriff of Yuma County, taking the oath of office in January 1993. He has been the Sheriff for the last 16 years, currently serving the community in his fourth term of office.

A graduate of the FBI National Academy in 1980 and the National Sheriffs Institute in 1983, Sheriff Ogden is a member of numerous local organizations including the Caballeros de Yuma, Yuma County Fair Board, Emergency Management Advisory Council, Amberly's Place, the Meth Nucleus Group, the Local Area Planning Committee and the Yuma Area Ag Council, to name a few.

Sheriff Ogden serves on the Board of Directors of the Southwestern Border Sheriffs Coalition, Chairman of the Law Enforcement Subcommittee of the National Association of Counties Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, the Chairman of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, the Chairman of the State of Arizona Homeland Security Coordinating Council and a member of numerous criminal justice organizations such as the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority, the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition, the Yuma Regional Communication System and the ACTIC Oversight Committee. In addition, he is currently serving as the Vice Chairman of the Arizona HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) board.

Sheriff Ogden is the past Chairman of the Southwestern Border Sheriffs Coalition, the past president of the Arizona Sheriffs Association, the Arizona County Attorneys and Sheriffs Association and the Arizona Association of Counties.

Sheriff Ogden enjoys relaxing with his wife Patty, to whom he has been married for 38 years.