We may like to think of our county Sheriff’s office as being akin to “The Andy Griffith Show,” however, reality doesn’t quite meet up with this image.

El Dorado County Sheriff Fred Kollar has a kind and comfortable demeanor, and his job includes some elements that the fictitious sheriff could never have imagined. For instance, Kollar has worked closely with prosecutors regarding a high profile kidnapping case and prior to that, helped prosecute a serial killer right here in El Dorado County.

While this is not an everyday caveat of his position, he is very happy to be in a county where the majority of residents feel safe. Having started his career in San Francisco in 1975, Kollar has worked in law enforcement for the entirety of his professional life. He relocated to El Dorado County with his wife, Vicki, and settled in South Lake Tahoe to raise four children. Kollar began working officially as sheriff (on an interim basis) after serving as under-sheriff for former Sheriff Jeff Neves. Kollar credits the officers he works with for making his work possible.

Kollar will retire in January 2011, and he plans to spend time working on his golf game and finishing his degree. He is also looking forward to spending more time with his wife of 31 years. When asked what he’d like people to know about him he says, “I don’t take myself too seriously and I’m committed to my work.”

For more about Sheriff Fred Kollar, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – El Dorado County Foothills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.