Candidate for
Sheriff; County of Los Angeles

Community Safety & Crime Reduction:

The goal of the County Sheriff is to ensure every citizen of Los Angeles County has the opportunity to live a safe and secure life, while using the agency's limited resources wisely. I will bring a strong crime fighting strategy to the Sheriff's Department through the use of computer statistics and predictive policing. We can take additional steps to better utilize Department resources with the war on drugs. When elected, I will implement a policy limiting enforcement for cannabis-related offenses. Our communities and neighborhoods will be safer by spending more of our valuable resources on preventing crime and fewer on stopping minor drug offenses. I pledge to be the leader in reinventing the Criminal Justice System statewide, and as such, I would lobby for an end to the death penalty in California. I will lead the charge to fix our Criminal Justice System and not just complain about the challenges.

Improving our Jails:

Our jail system is outdated and it is an unavoidable fact that we will have to make some tough decisions regarding an overcrowding problem. As your next Sheriff, I will be willing to challenge the process and seek innovative solutions. We need alternative sentencing options, especially for first-time, non-violent offenders, which allow inmates to work and contribute to the community, while still being held fully accountable for their crimes. I will find solutions that deter future crime, allowing us to no longer use the County Jail System as a revolving door for lower-level offenders.

Department Reform:

Our Sheriff's Department needs strong leadership, transparency, and accountability - starting at the top. I pledge to empower a civilian oversight panel with unfettered access so they can help me restore trust in our Sheriff's Department. I will demand the highest ethics and performance from deputies and other employees. The culture of the Department will be one of respect and professionalism. There will be no more political patronage on my watch. I will stand resolute to ensure command staff personnel maintain their positions because of their qualifications and performance, not cronyism. As your Sheriff, honest and hardworking Deputies will thrive as I will institute an unyielding stance against secretive and deceptive conduct. Additionally, issues like illegal immigration pose challenges for law enforcement and our efforts to uphold public safety. Recent policies have created more problems than solutions, and fresh ideas are needed, such as an identification card program, regulating our response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds, and seeking to build better relationships with the diverse communities we serve.