Issues

Implement law enforcement programs with the schools to get young people interested in police work.

Implement a community service aide (CSA) program for high school graduates. Those who have successfully gone through the CSA program, and meet the qualifications, may be considered for police certification.

Increase recruitment by visiting colleges with law enforcement certification programs, such as Western New Mexico University.

Negotiate with the county manager and commission for competitive pay and benefit package.

Increase alternative revenue through grant submissions.

Gun violence and active shooters throughout the country is a sad reality that seems to haunt all citizens.

On June 12, 2022, a Bipartisan group of United States Senators announced they have come to an agreement on gun safety measures that protects the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The proposal to congress includes:

1. Funding to help states implement red flag laws.
2. Invest money into mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis  intervention programs in schools.
3. Enhanced background checks for anyone under age 21.
4. Increased penalties for gun trafficking.

I will support our laws while supporting the rights to self-preservation.

For more information, go to: https://www.koat.com/article/united-states-senators-announce-gun-
proposal/40267305#
https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2022/06/12/gov-lujan-grisham-issues-statement-on-the-bipartisan-
gun-reform-framework-calls-on-congress-to-act/

*Please note that links to outside sources do not indicate support for or agreement with the views or opinions of those organizations or authors. They are provided for resource only.

Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Response to active shooters is crucial.

It is important to hold frequent active shooter training within the department as well as collaborate with surrounding law
enforcement agencies, schools, and entities to conduct mock active shooter training exercise.

Increase police presence in school areas.

Collaborate with Valencia County Emergency Management for Post-Response Plan.

In 2016, New Mexico Legislature moved from a money-based system to an evidence-of-risk based system of release and detention giving authority to judges to determine release based on a risk assessment identifying danger and flight risk.

I will be the voice of Valencia County to what is or is not working as legislative issues arise.

For more information on Key Facts and Law Regarding Pretrial Release and Detention in New Mexico, go
to:
https://www.nmlegis.gov/handouts/CCJ%20110817%20Item%201%20Key%20Facts%20and%20Law%20
Regarding%20Pretrial%20Release%20and%20Detention.pdf

*Please note that links to outside sources do not indicate support for or agreement with the views or opinions of those organizations or authors. They are provided for resource only.

Qualified Immunity holds agencies responsible for supervision, training, and having strong policies; all of which protects officers and the department.

With or without Qualified Immunity, as Valencia County Sheriff, I will take steps to protect deputies by taking an active role in reducing civil and constitutional rights violations by providing mandatory de-escalation training, recurrent use-of-force training, recurrent policy reviews, training, and setting accreditation standards.

I will stand by my deputies for doing the right thing when performing on good faith and reasonableness.

I will address frequently asked questions about Qualified Immunity with department members to promote a better understanding of revisions that have been made and how these changes can affect them.

For more information, go to:

Both sides of the Debate https://ij.org/issues/project-on-immunity-and-
accountability/frequently-asked-questions-about-ending-qualified-immunity/
https://innocenceproject.org/new-mexico-historic-legislation-to-end-qualified-immunity/
https://www.nlg-npap.org/nm-hb4/

*Please note that links to outside sources do not indicate support for or agreement with the views or opinions of those organizations or authors. They are provided for resource only.

Defunding the police has meant different things to different people:

1. Redirect funding from police departments to other government agencies reducing police-led responses to 911 calls related to mental health, minor crimes, non-crime related matters.
2. Dismantling police all together.

Both interpretations of ‘defunding the police’ are unproven suggestions and unrealistic (Lum, C., Koper, C. S., & Wu, X. (2021). Can We
Really Defund the Police? A None-Agency Study of Police Response to Calls for Service. Police Quarterly, 26).

The stigma of “Defund the Police” has negatively affected retention and recruitment as well as created a rise in crime.

Police presence, in and of itself, reduces crime. l stand for protecting the resources needed to effectively operate so delivery of crime control and community safety can be reached.

For more information, go to: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10986111211035002
https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2022/03/09/governor-signs-bipartisan-legislation-combating-crime/

*Please note that links to outside sources do not indicate support for or agreement with the views or opinions of those organizations or authors. They are provided for resource only.