Riding off into the sunset

Quinlan, 49, has served in law enforcement for 22 years. Seventeen of these have been in the Sheriff's Office. He worked in the county jail, coordinated the emergency services division and has done his fair share of patrols.

His best assignment though, he said, has been as the sheriff's head lawman on the coast.

First assigned to the Moss Beach substation in 1998 as part of the Sheriff Office's policy of rotating senior officers to keep them fresh, Quinlan quickly faced a dilemma.

"You've got a lot of free spirits out here," said Quinlan. "It took them time to welcome me."

Many coastsiders, according to Quinlan, feel like they've been forgotten about when it comes to how policy is administered from "over the hill."

To change this, he implemented a policy in which deputies reporting to him first checked in at the Moss Beach station. Before, they had begun and ended their shifts in Redwood City, which cut down on the amount of time they were out patrolling.

Quinlan also changed his dress to reflect the area's more relaxed attitude. It was a work in progress.

At first, Quinlan dressed in the department's standard issue blue uniform. While his meet and greet with locals seemed to go well, he got some different feedback afterwards.

"My deputies told me the boss shouldn't wear that uniform," said Quinlan. "It apparently made people feel less comfortable about approaching me."

Quinlan switched to a suit and tie but switched again when people told him the coast was more laid back than that. Taking a bold move, Quinlan put on a cowboy shirt, hat and boots and quickly won almost everyone over.

"People have come to recognize my hat especially," said Quinlan. "If I'm not wearing it, people will point out that it's missing."

At about the same time he started dressing as a cowboy, Quinlan was in the process of actually becoming one. He and his wife purchased a ranch in Amador County for their retirement.

Becoming a true cowboy has helped him to better serve those he is sworn to protect.

"Owning a ranch has helped me to understand this way of life better," said Quinlan, who is sometimes out in the field talking with farmers about tractors, among other things.

Quinlan has now become a bit of a tourist attraction in the local area. When he is out and about, it's not uncommon for people to stop and ask for an autograph or a photo or ask about life as a cowboy.

While he won't be found wrestling cattle, Quinlan has picked up a few Western skills. One is roping, which actually comes in handy now and then.

Once patrolling near the intersection of state routes 92 and 35, Quinlan said he came across a herd of goats that stopped traffic. While he was able to scare most of them off with his truck's horn, one "stubborn one" stayed put. Pulling out one of three lariats from his vehicle, he lassoed the ornery beast as drivers watched. As they applauded, he got the animal to follow the rest of its brethren into the brush.

Besides his cowboy approach, Quinlan has done a lot of other things which have made him accepted and welcomed. He is involved in numerous organizations, has started several programs which are focused on prevention and education and has successfully done outreach to the large Latino community which does much of the crop picking.

With the clock now ticking down on his current assignment, many locals are reluctant to see him go. Some have spoken of finding ways to convince Quinlan's superiors to let him stay on.

"A lot of people have found this frustrating," said Quinlan. "It's flattering to me ... I love this community."

Quinlan, while conflicted, understands and accepts the rotational policy and is preparing to move on.

"I wouldn't fight the transfer," he said. "It's not appropriate for me to do so. It's out of my character to do."

Still, Quinlan will miss the days spent amongst the communities stretching south of Pacifica to the Santa Cruz County line.

"This has been the highlight of my career," he said.