Bert Strand was born October 12, 1891, in New York.  In 1911, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served until November 1931.  His last assignment was as Chief Master At Arms at the North Island Naval Air Station.

After retiring from the Navy, he became a Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff Ed Cooper, and progressed through the ranks, rising to Undersheriff.  During the next 9 years, Strand held virtually every post in the Sheriff’s Office, including bailiff and turnkey, assistant jailer, jailer, and finally Undersheriff.

When Sheriff Ernest W. Dort passed away in 1941, Strand was appointed Sheriff by the Board of Supervisors.

In 1957, Sheriff Strand warned County Supervisors that unless the new Central Jail was built to have at least 1,200 beds, it would be too small the day it opened.  Supervisors did not support Strand, and the jail was built with only 600 beds.  Within a few years, the population was pushing 1,000 inmates.

He was subsequently elected to the office of Sheriff in 1942, and again in 1946, 1950, 1954, and 1958.  He finally announced his retirement at age 70 in 1961 and retired early in 1962.

When he retired, San Diego Mayor Charles Dail praised him as a man who “will go down in history on a par with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson.  He kept a clean county.”

The Board of Supervisors appointed Elmer A. Jansen to fill out his unexpired term, expecting Jansen to be elected to the next full term, but Jansen lost to Joseph O’Connor in the 1962 election.

Bert Strand passed away February 16, 1973.  He was survived by his wife, Evelyn Grace Strand, who passed away the following year.  He was also survived by his son, Sheriff’s Sergeant Robert Strand.