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People have the right to be protected. Due to the
size of the county, law enforcement can't always be there to protect
you. If I can empower you to protect yourself, we have shared that
responsibility.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office drives an average
of 2,750 miles a day, 365 days a year which is over one million
miles. Having deputies park their cars and walk throughout business
areas is a key way to save money and improve community relations.
As a former resident deputy, I greatly appreciate the value of community
relations. Having local residents get to know their deputy on a
first name basis is important in building trust within a community,
which is vital to good law enforcement. By increasing the amount
of time our deputies spend out of the cars, meeting the public,
we can significantly reduce the amount of miles driven.
I fully support the preservation of natural resources
through such practices as responsible fishing and sustained yield
logging. As a resident of the North Coast for 35 years, I feel it
is essential to protect its natural beauty and the environment from
catastrophic practices such as offshore drilling.
Sheriff Craver and I have worked hand-in-hand for
7 years. Sheriff Craver has endorsed my candidacy for Sheriff because
of his belief in my administrative and leadership abilities. Rest
assured, I understand his policies because I helped develop, implement
and refine them during his two terms as Sheriff. With your vote,
these policies will not be abandoned.
As proposals develop regarding a new justice center
complex, it becomes apparent that we need to address the non-violent
offender's contribution to the overcrowding situation. We have the
opportunity to address this critical situation by implementing an
honor farm for non-violent offenders. This would help alleviate
the current overcrowding situation as well as produce food for the
jail and local food banks.
The production of methamphetamine in Mendocino County
pollutes our land and water in addition to creating a huge burden
to landowners and taxpayers. As Sheriff, I will focus on this priority.
Focusing on the production, sales and use of methamphetamine will
reduce domestic violence, burglaries, assaults and other violent
crimes.
As a former resident deputy and the current commander
who supervises two resident deputy posts, I know the importance
of this program, which is committed to the unique and vital issues
of Covelo, Potter Valley, Laytonville, Anderson Valley and Point
Arena/Gualala. I pledge to fill all positions. Our County is 3,510
square miles and our resident deputy program is critical community
asset for public safety and for disaster preparedness.
My personal experience as a civilian peace keeper
in post-war Kosovo, a volunteer in Southern India after the Tsunami
and as a peace officer in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, instilled
in me the critical role of disaster preparedness. After hundreds
of conversations with emergency responders from around the globe,
I am uniquely prepared to act locally. Spearheading preparedness
is my priority.
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