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If it's April 30, it must be "Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik Day." That's what the Pima County Board of Supervisors proclaimed today would be during its April 15 meeting.

The day marks the sheriff's 50th anniversary in law enforcement. Gov. Janet Napolitano will speak at a luncheon today in Dupnik's honor. The Star's David Fitzsimmons will also participate in today's program.

We'd like to tip our hat to the sheriff today as well.

Dupnik's first job was delivering newspapers in Bisbee. He carried a bag of rocks to ward off dogs in those days before leash laws. After that, it was all law enforcement all the time.

Dupnik, 72, joined the Tucson Police Department in 1958 and retired as a major 19 years later. From 1977 to 1980, he was chief deputy in the Sheriff's Department. He was appointed sheriff in 1980 and has been elected to the job as a Democrat seven times. He's running again this fall. Harry Shaw, a Republican from Sahuarita, has filed to run against Dupnik.

Dupnik has been criticized for running the department in the red, but his budget overages were relatively small and were prompted by matters he cannot control, such as jail costs and overtime that he blames on understaffing. County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry agrees.

Dupnik leads his huge department with quiet professionalism, making public safety his highest priority.

Dupnik is blessedly unlike that bullying Joe Arpaio, the Maricopa County sheriff who seems dedicated mostly to getting media attention with tent jails, cold bologna sandwiches, pink underwear and chain gangs for his jail inmates.

When a Pima County supervisor suggested in 1994 that Dupnik erect a tent jail to ease overcrowding, Dupnik rejected the idea, noting that it would increase costs because more corrections officers are needed to police tent jails.

Thankfully, there's little grandstanding in the Pima sheriff's office. He's all about law enforcement.