Safety

whatever it takes!

Unlike my opponent, Norma J Torres, I will always DEFEND the police and I will never support DEFUNDING them. Law enforcement and all of our First Responders have my unwavering support, in every aspect of their profession, to do their jobs effectively, proficiently and professionally.

This election, the vote you cast will have literal life or death consequences. Your life, the life of your family, friends and neighbors depend on the choices you make for our next round of leaders. It’s that simple. Let me show you why…

When I was in the Army and hung around Special Forces soldiers, when they weren’t deployed somewhere, all they did was train. Constantly. Because of this, we have the greatest Special Forces in the world. Their proficiency and tactics are unrivaled anywhere. And it’s all due to training… Now, take that lesson and apply it to law enforcement who are deployed EVERY DAY to the streets and neighborhoods of our Nation. How much do they get to train? Nowhere near enough…

Many of the mistakes that happen are not due to bad policing or bad tactics, they’re due to being under-trained. And it’s not that our officers don’t know how to do certain things, our police academies are excellent! But when you’re constantly on patrol or stuck behind a desk, that skillset tarnishes. It’s like the old adage “Use it or lose it”. And in today’s world of bodycams and cell phones, you can’t afford to be rusty on ANYTHING!

So what’s the solution? Easy. It’s the EXACT OPPOSITE of what our leaders are proposing! We need to spend MORE on actual tactical police training, not LESS. And because an officer who is in training isn’t out there covering the streets, we need to hire MORE officers to fill the gaps, NOT LESS! To do anything different jeopardizes the ability of law enforcement to be the absolute best they can be when they respond to an emergency situation. And in today’s world, everything is an emergency, nothing is “routine”, nothing happens in isolation and ramifications for mistakes can be catastrophic.

I believe community relations begin with School Resource Officers (SROs). For many children, an SRO is their first personal contact with someone in law enforcement. This initial impression will color that child’s view of police from that point forward. Therefore, our SROs need to be the best and brightest we have. Many of these officers will not only interact with these children but with their families as well, and in so doing, create the building blocks for mutual trust and respect. Additionally, I will support funding for student loan relief for those in law enforcement and programs for those entering the profession modeled on successes such as the GI Bill and loan relief for Veterans. Many departments are struggling with staffing shortages. Student loan funding/forgiveness and payment for higher education opportunities will incentivize professionals to join the force.

When you cast your ballot in November, please remember this… leaders or legislators who have advocated for reduced law enforcement either don’t understand the issue or worse…they don’t care to fix it. Safety and Security should never be politicized! In the end, like another old adage, “You get what you paid for” comes into play. The most precious thing you possess is LIFE. We must place its care and protection in the hands of leaders who feel the same way.